Is your stress changing my brain?
Stress isn't just contagious; it alters the brain on a cellular level
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180308143212.htm
Date:
March 8, 2018
Source:
University of Calgary
Summary:
Scientists have discovered that stress transmitted from others can change the brain in the same way as a real stress does.

In a new study in Nature Neuroscience, Jaideep Bains, PhD, and his team at the Cumming School of Medicine's Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI), at the University of Calgary have discovered that stress transmitted from others can change the brain in the same way as a real stress does.

"Brain changes associated with stress underpin many mental illnesses including PTSD, anxiety disorders and depression," says Bains, professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and member of the HBI. "Recent studies indicate that stress and emotions can be 'contagious'. Whether this has lasting consequences for the brain is not known."


{Photo NOT from Article}

The team discovered that the activation of these CRH neurons causes the release of a chemical signal, an 'alarm pheromone', from the mouse that alerts the partner. The partner who detects the signal can in turn alert additional members of the group. This propagation of stress signals reveals a key mechanism for transmission of information that may be critical in the formation of social networks in various species.

"We readily communicate our stress to others, sometimes without even knowing it. There is even evidence that some symptoms of stress can persist in family and loved ones of individuals who suffer from PTSD. On the flip side, the ability to sense another's emotional state is a key part of creating and building social bonds."

This research from the Bains lab indicates that stress and social interactions are intricately linked. The consequences of these interactions can be long-lasting and may influence behaviours at a later time.
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Yet another example of being able to test the physical changes resulting from an empathy/telepathic connection.
We all know that you can bring your stress home with you and it effects others. Even when it is not talked about. Now there is a way to prove it physically.
I'm sure there will be more precise measurements/observations in the future. It would be enlightening to see if humans have a different...strength?...of connection in respect to other tested species?
It would also be interesting to see if there is a cross species connection.
I know that when I was stressed out, my dog stressed too.

Now, yeah, you guessed it, I would love to see studies done to see if the same physical reaction can be transmitted over remote stimuli.
Can the written word illicit the same or similar change physically?
I predict yes.
Not only can a picture cause stress, what people write can as well. But is it the same physical conditions or something else entirely?

Interesting.

Thanks for stressing me out Tom!

Only Kidding.

It makes perfect sense to me. It can be very uncomfortable being around severely stressful people. But being around other people, under the right circumstances, can relieve stress and anxiety for those who suffer from it.

Let me off this merry-go-round!

Very interesting. So much to think about.

The Brain is not amused.

Allovasudden I have an unbelievable urge to
Take Over The World!!!
Narf!

What if an anxious person dates of lazy person? Would they cure each other? One could help the other get going in the morning, and the other could help with calming down in the evening.

Laziness can cause problems with performance. Anxiety can cause problems with health, like sleep problems.

The trick would be to not pull the other down and knowing when to detatch from the other. There would have to be a lot of trust involved and keeping things in perspective, in order to make peace.

Just an untested idea.

Pinky and the Brain aren't so much PG13...

While you pose a few observations/questions concerning stress and the human behavior related to it, the focus of the OP is the physical changes caused by it. The fact that they measured/observed a change in the brain of a subject exposed to another's stress.

If someone else's stress can change your brain, is it a form of telepathy?
A measurable form of telepathy.

Plus, if other's stress can change your brain, does other's love also change your brain?
What's the range of affect in time and distance?
What's the range of emotional states that affect a change in others?

The consequences of these interactions can be long-lasting and may influence behaviors at a later time. ~ the article states.

Essentially, do I love because someone changed my brain chemistry or was my capacity to love normal physical function?

Would a baby born in a stress free environment be able to become stressed without being exposed to the stress of others?

I m not suprise stress alters the Brian! Stress can cause health problems in general. I limit stress!

Something like that Trumpy Bear advertisement!

Take it along with you, where ever you go!

Many People go for most anything.

Yes the brain has hardware and software, and is inseparable from the environment, even though it is just a backdrop of the environment. This gets into the realm of linguistics, which has traditionally been used for recreation and as an art form (poetry and literature). It has been very much left out of the technical fields such as engineering and science. More frequently, the "hypotheses" in experimental research are "computer models" that serve as good "linguistic representations". As AI and computational methods advance, linguistics for recognizing and communicating with different specialties of researchers and technicians will also need to advance.

If people can't find a balance between empathy and solitude, then they definitely would experience trauma or deprivation. In inoculation against stressful people: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/shrink/201209/is-stress-contagious

Interesting for sure but still not what this article is about.
We all know stress is contagious, psychologically, well most of us do.
This is about the physical changes being measured, that proves it with scientific methodology.

In layman's terms here is a short quote from:
https://kimberlysnyder.com/blog/2014/03/21/can-tell-difference-good-stress-bad-stress/

"What’s the Difference Between Good Stress and Bad Stress?
In general, good stress is short-term and pushes you to accomplish greater things. In these situations, you tend to have a lot of control over the outcome and the stress can motivate you. Bad stress can be short-term or long-term. Bad stress is often accompanied by feelings of helplessness because you don’t have a lot of control over what’s happening and you may begin to feel compressed or trapped."

As an ordinary person, this makes sense to me, and it is a daily struggle to balance between good and bad.