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How stress harms your physical and psychological health, from the Harvard Mental Health Letter

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Harvard Mental Health Letter

The fight or flight response began as a survival mechanism that helped humans (and other mammals) react quickly to life-threatening situations. In the modern world, repeated activation of the stress response takes a toll on the body, contributing to high blood pressure, the development of artery-clogging plaque, and brain changes that may contribute to anxiety, depression, and addiction.

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