Today, the idea that chronic stress makes us ill—that our thoughts and experiences can, in a scientifically plausible way, alter our physiology to the point of introducing disease—is an accepted one. Chronic stress releases continual jolts of stress hormones, which can raise blood pressure and cause cardiovascular disease, leading to a hardening of the arteries. It makes gut-related illnesses like irritable bowel syndrome worse. And it can lead to dysfunction in cortisol production.
