Stress Response

Stress Response

A shirtless man, resembling Tommy Caldwell, climbs a steep rock face high above the ground, reaching for a hold with one hand and gripping the rock with the other; trees and a valley stretch out below.
A day in the Sierra Nevada with Tommy Caldwell reveals how pain, trauma, and “elective hardship” became the foundation of his fortitude.
A white brain model is wrapped in colorful electrical cables, set against a plain blue background.
Curiosity is often considered a personality quirk. Neuroscience paints a different picture.
A person sits in darkness, frowning, partially obscured by a large yellow smiley face sticker covering part of their face.
Our brains cling to the bad. This method could help balance the scales.
Glowing blue digital rendering of a human brain against a black background.
Recent research sheds light on how the brain overgeneralizes fear, causing people to be afraid of harmless situations.
Two women in vintage clothing, wearing bows in their hair, engaging in a tend-and-befriend moment on a grassy field, lying facing each other, smiling and talking.
You really can get by with a little help from your friends — if you also look beyond your personal to-do list.
A woman's feet in a hammock on the beach.
It may seem as though top performers are always on, but the secret to their success is taking the time to recharge.
The baskets are filled with different kinds of vegetables.
Antioxidant vitamins don’t stress us like plants do—and don’t have their beneficial effect.
Moody pregnancy shot.
Medical psychologist Catherine Monk explains how prenatal mental care benefits both mothers and babies.
a picture of a group of people in the shape of a brain.
In the ongoing battle against PTSD, a potential new weapon emerges: a nasal spray loaded with neuropeptide Y.
a collage of photos with a man and a plane.
The Serenity Prayer is nice — until the missiles come raining down on your city.
a painting of two women sitting next to each other.
Emotion dysregulation has been linked to unhealthy risk-taking, relationship challenges, and negative physical health outcomes.
a painting of a couple of zebras on a blue background.
The discovery has enormous implications for the development of novel anti-anxiety medications.
A toxicologist explains the impacts of antidepressants on fish — and no, they're not getting any happier.
When we're stressed, our hormones and nervous system produce all sorts of odors.
A new study concludes that eating more carbohydrates reduces a person's risk of major depressive disorder.
Fear creates distraction, and that can be a positive experience.
The findings of a recent study may help explain why some people are quicker to forget fearful memories.
angry hamsters
For 40 years, scientists thought a specific gene was linked to aggression in hamsters. Removing it, however, had violent consequences.
chronic pain
Drugs that stifle acute inflammation may prevent the body from healing properly.
swearing
Profanity offers surprising benefits. But why?
learned helplessness
Helplessness isn't learned — it's an instinctual response that can be overcome.
choking under pressure
Choking under pressure seems to have deep evolutionary roots.