Mental stress is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular events, including myocardial ischemia and sudden death possibly caused by catecholamine-induced increases in heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) that result in enhanced myocardial oxygen demand. However, the effect of mental stress on vasomotor tone and the implications for cardiovascular risk are less well understood. Zeiher et alshowed that an intact endothelium is necessary for a normal vasodilator response to sympathetic stimulation in human coronary arteries.

Mental stress induced ischemia is more common than we had recognized," said David S. Sheps, M.D., M.S.P.H. from the University of Florida and the Malcom Randall Veterans Administration Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida. "It remains to be seen whether that ischemia is also associated in this population with an elevated risk for future health events, as it is in other populations."

Causes of Mental Stress

Trauma is one of those factors. Trauma means that we are causing discomfort to an anatomical feature. This either weakens the feature or otherwise causes it to reinforce itself.

Certain infections have been linked to brain damage and the development of mental illness or the worsening of its symptoms. For example, a condition known as pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatry disorder (PANDA) associated with the Streptococcus bacteria has been linked to the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder and other mental illnesses in children.
Repetition is a common factor. Repetition of trauma from an activity. If the activity strains the body, even minutely, the build up of trauma over time can lead to a break down of that anatomical feature causing an injury.
Brain defects or injury: Defects in or injury to certain areas of the brain have also been linked to some mental illnesses.

Symptoms of Mental Stress

Brain hyperactivity has profound effects on how you think. Your thoughts race, with scattered fragments of incomplete ideas whirling about in your mind, your memory is impaired, your judgment deteriorates. You make hasty decisions that lead to impulsive, ill-advised actions; in turn, you create more problems and stress for yourself.

Some people say they can’t concentrate or forget things due to stress. A major mental stress related symptom is negative self-talk. A less obvious mental stress related symptom is being disorganized or unkempt.
Burnout may be the result of unrelenting stress, but it isn’t the same as too much stress. Stress, by and large, involves too much: too many pressures that demand too much of you physically and psychologically.

Stress can take a toll on your body as well as your mind and spirit. It’s important for you to know whether you are exhibiting a stress related symptom because stress can lead to ulcers, insomnia, heart disease as well as relationship problems.

Treatment for Mental Stress

Behaviour therapy helps you weaken the connections between troublesome situations and your habitual reactions to them. Reactions such as fear, depression or rage, and self-defeating or self-damaging behaviour. It also teaches you how to calm your mind and body, so you can feel better, think more clearly, and make better decisions.

Exercise is well known for stimulating positive mental well being. Some of our veterans have taken part in Outdoor Pursuits weeks in the Peak District that has seen very encouraging results. The week provides the opportunity for veterans to practice team building and team working skills and for them to rediscover abilities they had forgotten as a result of their psychological trauma and damage.