Stress Archive

Many cases of memory loss aren't related to dementia, but stem from other, treatable conditions.

You've been forgetting things lately — your keys, or maybe names. Sometimes you struggle to find the right word in conversations or repeat yourself to others. You may worry: are these signs of dementia?

If this sounds like you, you're not alone. Many people find their way into Dr. Tammy Hshieh's office wondering the same thing. But most of the time, it's not dementia causing their problems, says Dr. Hshieh, a geriatrician at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Listening to music may boost exercise ability, ease stress and anxiety, and enhance recovery from strokes.

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Whether you prefer Stravinsky's symphonies or the Beatles' ballads, you probably listen mostly because you simply like how they sound. You might not realize that music engages not only your auditory system but many other parts of your brain as well, including areas responsible for movement, language, attention, memory, and emotion.

"There is no other stimulus on earth that simultaneously engages our brains as widely as music does," says Brian Harris, certified neurologic music therapist at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. This global activation happens whether you listen to music, play an instrument, or sing — even informally in the car or the shower, he says. And it helps to explain how and why music therapy works (see "Singing — and striding — stroke survivors").

Research suggests that mood disorders can be lifted by spending more time outdoors.

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Looking for a simple way to help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and maybe even improve your memory? Take a walk in the woods.

"Many men are at higher risk for mood disorders as they age, from dealing with sudden life changes like health issues, the loss of loved ones, and even the new world of retirement," says Dr. Jason Strauss, director of geriatric psychiatry at Harvard-affiliated Cambridge Health Alliance. "They may not want to turn to medication or therapy for help, and for many, interacting with nature is one of the best self-improvement tools they can use."

The daily onslaught of news during the past year has left many people in a steady state of fatigue, resignation, and grief. The symptoms of collective trauma are widespread and familiar, but one merits special attention: numbness, which is one possible response to an overwhelming situation.

Crying is a natural response to a range of emotions, but is it good for your health? Crying is an important safety valve: it acts as a safety valve for our emotions, and emotional tears flush stress hormones and other toxins out of our systems.

Too much time together makes for tense moments. Cutting each other some slack and setting ground rules will help.

There's such a thing as too much togetherness at home, no matter if you're with a romantic partner, an adult child, a grandchild, or a friend. "Because of the pandemic, we're frozen in place with people, but we aren't meant to be in the same space all day long," says Dr. Robert Waldinger, a psychiatrist with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Keeping the peace starts with understanding why you may be getting on each other's nerves. Then you can try following a few rules to get along better.

The deaths of friends and family members become more common as you age. Here is how to endure the grieving process.

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Most men don't face much personal loss early in their lives. Yet, once they reach a certain age, they will encounter the experience of losing someone important to them — a spouse, a friend, a relative — and the feelings of grief that often follow.

"Grief is a natural response to loss, but it is something that men are not prepared for, and they often struggle to understand how it can affect their lives," says Dr. Eric Bui, associate director for research at the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders and Complicated Grief Program at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Stress management may reduce health problems linked to stress, which include cognitive problems and a higher risk for Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

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It's not uncommon to feel disorganized and forgetful when you're under a lot of stress. But over the long term, stress may actually change your brain in ways that affect your memory.

Studies in both animals and people show pretty clearly that stress can affect how the brain functions, says Dr. Kerry Ressler, chief scientific officer at McLean Hospital and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Scientists have seen changes in how the brain processes information when people experience either real-life stress or stress manufactured in a research setting. (For the latter, researchers might challenge subjects to perform a difficult task, such as counting backward from the number 1,073 by 13s while being graded.) Either type of stress seems to interfere with cognition, attention, and memory, he says.

A regular practice can help your brain better manage stress and anxiety that can trigger depression.

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Depression continues to be a major health issue for older adults. It affects about 20% of adults ages 65 and older, and regular depression can lead to higher risks for heart disease and death from illnesses. It also affects people's daily lives by making them more socially isolated and affecting cognitive function, especially memory.

In fact, a study of 1,111 people (average age 71), published online May 9, 2018, by Neurology, found that those who had greater symptoms of depression also had worse episodic memory — the ability to recall specific experiences and events.