Title: The Relationship Between Anxiety and Memory Loss - Rivier Academics
Headings: Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress opens in new window with specific benefits, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Anxiety not only alerts you of dangers, but it helps you prepare for and pay attention to them.
Examining the Stress Response
How It Happens
The Link to Memory
How Anxiety and Memory Loss Are Connected
Understanding Anxiety

Content: Similar to how a car regulates speed, your body is able to regulate its stress response. If the threat has passed, cortisol levels will fall, and your body presses the “brake” on everything. If the threat is still present, your body will keep certain parts of the nervous system “pressed down” like a gas pedal. Note that the stress response will continue when the threat is simply perceived to be present. If the life-threatening event has passed but you still perceive it to be present, the stress response will continue. If the threat wasn’t life-threatening, your body can overreact to the stressor, which may lead to negative effects on your physical and psychological health. The Link to Memory
The stress response helps you confront life-threatening situations, and its benefits extend to psychological functions like memory. This notion is verified in research, although there are caveats. Everyday anxiety can help you remember things better, according to a study published in Brain Sciences. Researchers split participants who had levels of anxiety into two groups: