“We suffer from cortisol toxicity and it causes diseases throughout the body.”

In the current pace of life, stress has become a companion that follows us everywhere. It is a mental and physical condition that arises as a natural response of the body to situations that challenge us, and which can cause Adverse effects on our health,

,The case of Marta, a patient with the HPV virus, inspired Dr. J.M. Marin to publish an essay: “It Shouldn’t Be Worrying”,

Most of its effects are directly related to A key hormone: cortisol,

From Magas We spoke to Dr. Marian Rojas-Estapay About this evil from which a large part of the population is suffering.

The top psychiatrist of the moment has published Two books that have become bestsellers, How to make good things happen to you?(Espasa, 2018) and Find your vitamin person (Espasa, 2021)

“we suffer ‘Cortisol Toxicity’ And this causes diseases throughout our body. Cortisol is the stress hormone that is activated in our body during moments of fear, when we feel that our existence is in danger and in moments of warning. But the key to this is to understand that cortisol is a hormone that is activated by real events that happen to us and by states of alert in our mind, worries, things that we perceive as dangerous, fear. Ghosts of the future, of the past, that is, our mind and our body do not distinguish between what is real and what is imaginary,” says Marianne.

And he adds: “This is a very important and powerful message that I have been trying to convey and share in recent years. 90% of the things that worry us never happen. And then we We reach what I colloquially call a ‘state of mind’ called ‘cortisol toxicity’, in which there is too much of this hormone and is reflected in different parts of our body.

“So this cortisol intoxication produces changes at different levels: at the physical level, at the psychological level and at the behavioral level. At the physical level this ranges from hair loss, to changes in the gastrointestinal tract, to interactions with other hormones, to the feeling of pressure in the chest, difficulty breathing, effects on the skin… At the psychological level, it creates a state of irritability, fear, negative interpretation of everything that happens to us. Even sleep problems, A constant state of sadness and ultimately, it leads us to isolation,” he says.

“The pandemic was a time of extreme cortisol toxicity, that is, constant news about death, illness, isolation, uncertainty, and at times distance from the people who heal us or are supposed to heal us. It has been a very complex time to manage Because we are constantly being bombarded with negative information,” he concluded.

How can we eliminate cortisol?

It’s just that we don’t want to eliminate cortisol. Cortisol is a cyclic hormone, it must decrease at night so that melatonin can be activated and we can enter sleep. And then, during the night it rises until eight o’clock, when it has its highest peak. Their job is to achieve a state of balance, but this is very difficult because we are constantly in motion, and things happen to us.

For me, if I had to say from a psychological point of view, the key is to learn to enjoy what good happens to us and learn to manage what bad happens. That is, to interpret correctly the things that often happen to us because of our wounds, our state of constant alert, our fears, our ghosts…

We are unable to adequately explain reality. It is difficult for us to establish relativity, it is difficult to see in the things that happen to us what they really are worth. We exaggerate everything that happens to us and we interpret attacks, condescensions, everything that happens against us.

And at the physical level?

At the physical level, we should try to live as healthily as possible by properly connecting our body with its emotions. If we live intoxicated with worries, with negative thoughts, with an inner voice that crushes us, with a wound that does not leave us alone, with a fear that stops us, then Our health is affected. And then we catch fire.

The state of stress, the state of cortisol intoxication, primes us with low-grade inflammation, but which is present in 80-90% of chronic diseases, and which certainly alters the microbiota, alters the skin, hormones. Changes and powerful changes at the very cellular level.

To get rid of cortisol, you have to understand how my body works, how cortisol works, how I operate in alert mode, what I call ‘personality schema’. I am one person this way and in the face of stress, in the face of fear, in the face of cortisol, I turn into this other person.

A person who is obsessed with stress becomes an over-thinking person. Aggressiveness can be extreme in an impulsive person when faced with stress. A person who is sensitive to stress becomes vulnerable and absorbs the body or mind.

And the main thing is to understand what increases my cortisol, to learn to manage it, to know that something from the past, present or future can increase my cortisol. It could be a thought, a memory, a person, a wound, an interruption…

What can help us control cortisol?

Sport produces a substance called BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) which is activated when exercised and boosts the immune system, reduces inflammation, helps regenerate better neuronal connections and has antidepressant effects on the brain. puts.

Another thing that helps is educating my inner voice. Also learn to manage the people around you, the types of food that provoke, which stress and which empower. Stop consuming stimulants, medications and coffee, regulate sleep, etc.

negative effects on the body

What produces cortisol? Adrenal glands in response to stressful or dangerous situations, Although its release is necessary for survival, when stress becomes chronic or excessive, levels of this hormone can remain elevated for a long time and trigger a series of negative effects on the body.

immune system

One of the most notable effects of cortisol is its effect on the immune system. In the short term, cortisol may help suppress inflammatory responses in emergency situations. However, chronic exposure to elevated cortisol can weaken the immune system, making us more susceptible to disease and infection.

metabolic imbalance

Cortisol also plays an important role in metabolism. In stressful situations, the body can muster energy faster by increasing blood sugar levels. However, when this mechanism is repeatedly activated due to chronic stress, it can lead to problems such as insulin resistance, weight gain, and belly fat accumulation.

mental health

Many researches have linked the link between chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels leading to disorders such as anxiety, depression and poor concentration. Additionally, cortisol can affect the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain, causing mood changes.

premature aging

It has also been shown that cortisol plays a decisive role in the cellular aging process, leading to degeneration of tissues and organs. Additionally, high levels of this hormone can affect the production of collagen and elastin, which are essential proteins for keeping the skin young and firm.

stress management

While cortisol can have harmful effects on health, there are effective strategies for managing stress and keeping cortisol levels in balance. Regular exercise, meditation, yoga and a balanced diet are proven ways to reduce stress and control excessive cortisol release.

Cortisol, the hormone that prepares us to deal with challenging situations, can become a double-edged sword if not kept in balance. Its effects on the immune system, metabolism, mental health, and aging make understanding and managing stress essential to maintaining our health. We can do this by taking a conscious approach to stress management Reduce the negative effects of cortisol and keep our well-being in optimal conditions