"We’ve all felt the temporary effects of stress: a racing heart, sweaty palms, a sinking feeling in your stomach. For the most part, these symptoms go away once the trigger for stress is over. But what about chronic stress? Does stress keep our brains and body sharp, or is it slowly wearing them down?
What is stress? According to expert Daniela Kaufer from the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and the University of California, Berkeley, stress can be a healthy response to a perceived threat. But there is a fine line between feeling a small amount of stress, which can make your brain stronger, and going through traumatic events, a kind of stress that brings on conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The difference between the two has profoundly different long-term effects on the brain."