Title: Mental and Emotional Impact of Stress
Headings: Mental and Emotional Impact of Stress
Mental and Emotional Impact of Stress
Stress and Depression
Stress and Bipolar Disorder
Stress and Anxiety Disorders
Stress and Cognitive Functioning
Stress and Personality Changes

Content: agitation, restlessness, and irritability; withdrawal from typical pleasurable activities; and feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Depression is also associated with an increase in suicidal thinking and suicidal actions, and may make a person more vulnerable to developing other mental disorders. For more information about Major Depression, please see our Major Depression topic center. Additional information about Suicide can be found in our Suicide Topic Center. Stress and Bipolar Disorder
Chronic and/or severe stress can also negatively affect people with Bipolar Disorder. This illness, also known as manic depression or bipolar affective disorder, involves dramatic shifts in mood, energy level, and behavior from the highs of mania (one pole) to the lows of major depression (the opposite pole). Mania is characterized by a euphoric (joyful, energetic) mood, hyper-activity, a positive, expansive outlook on life, an inflated sense of self-esteem, and a sense that most anything is possible. When in a manic state, individuals with bipolar disorder tend to experience a decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, rapid speech (wherein the words won't come out fast enough to keep up with their racing thoughts) and heightened distractibility.