1. M-F Brains & Response to Stress
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
Brain References – by topic

2. Different Strokes for . . . Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc
Stress is a relative concept as every brain is unique: every thought changes your brain and every brain thinks different thoughts—so you become even more unique with age
Stress responses typically:
Are learned (often in childhood)
Relate to perception and flexibility
Can be unlearned and relearned

3. Stress Is Living Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org
The absence of stress is death
Eustress: Positive stress helps you grow
Distress: Negative stress to avoid
Misstress: Hidden stress (may be missed)
Unmanaged Distress and
Misstress can kill brain cells
and damage body organs

4. Brain and Stressors Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc
Brain is the first body system
recognize a stressor and it
reacts with split-second timing
Can stimulate a stress response for up to 72 hours after a stress event (real or imagined) or longer, if you keep rehearsing the event
Stressors interact with the brain in a predictable equation 4

5. Brain-Stress Equation Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org
20% of any negative impact to your brain and body is due to the stressor event; 80% is due to your perception of the event
It’s not so much what happens that matters as what you think about what happens
—Epictetus, 2nd Century Greek Philosopher
Be anxious for nothing —Philippians 4:6-8 NKJV

6. 20:80 Rule Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc
Only 20% of any negative effect to brain and body is due to the event
80% is due to your perception of the event and the weight you give to it
Even when you can’t do anything about the 20%, you can do almost everything about the 80% because you create your own perceptions and determine your level of flexibility

7. Stress and the Female Brain Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org
All brains need effective stress- management strategies as unmanaged stress is lethal to both brain and body
Effective stress-management strategies are critical for females as their brains are twice as vulnerable as male brains to many stress-related disorders
Researchers have discovered that the brain handles stress differently based on gender 7

8. Molecular Psychiatry - Report
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
Statistically, women are at higher risk
risk for stress-related conditions such
as depression and PTSD—Corticotropin Releasing Factor or CRF, both a neurotransmitter and a peptide hormone may be a key player
In response to a stressor, the hypothalamus releases CRF that binds to receptors on cells in an alarm center deep in the brainstem, called the locus ceruleus

9. CRF Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc
This CRF release telegraphs heightened
stress arousal throughout the brain via
the chemical messenger norepinephrine—which influences sleep and alertness and is believed to be correlated to the Fight-Flight stress response.
Such hyper-arousal can be adaptive and helpful for brief periods but not if it becomes chronic—
runaway CRF is a core feature of depression 9

10. CRF is Powerful! Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org
Can suppress appetite
Can increase subjective anxiety
Is linked with euphoric feelings
that accompany alcoholism
Triggers inflammation (a process being investigated in Multiple Sclerosis research)
High levels have been found in cerebrospinal fluid of: individuals who are very depressed, and people who have committed suicide

11. Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org
Researchers Use Rats
Arlene R. Taylor PhD
Rats make good research subjects
when you can’t use human beings as
rat and human peptides are identical
Peptides, molecules consisting of 2 or more amino acids, impact your mood; some are hormones, others are neurotransmitters, and some are a combination of both
Researchers recently studied how brains of male and female rats handled stress

12. Female Brain – CRF Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc
In the stressed female rat,
the brain acted macho—
all CRF receptors remained
on the cell surface and
Stayed open so CRF could
enter the cell freely (metaphor: all windows are open into the cell letting in the CRF storm easily)
This increased CRF binding heightened the brain's stress reactivity

13. Male Brain - CRF Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc
In the stressed male rat,
internal proteins called
arrestins (green) helped
some CRF receptors retreat
inside the cell where they
could not bind with CRF (metaphor: half the windows are closed and pulled into the cell reducing the opportunities for the CRF storm to enter the cell)
This process, unique to the male brain, toned-down the neuron's stress sensitivity due to less CRF being taken into the cell

14. Arrestins (green) help some receptors retreat inside the cell, which decreases CRF binding and stress reactivity
Receptors (blue) on cell surfaces stay open , which increases CRF binding and stress reactivity

15. Female Brain Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc
The female alarm system is more sensitive to stressors and to CRF, period
Even in the absence of stressors, the female stress signaling system is more sensitive from the start Debra Bangasser PhD
Lack of receptor internalization in the female brain could translate into impaired ability to cope with high levels of CRF — as occurs in depression and PTSD

16. Strategies! Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc
Increased knowledge can trigger positive communication and collaboration—which can be so much fun!
Males: know that you tend to underreact to stressors
Females: know that you tend to overreact to stressors
Collaborate to find middle ground and initiate appropriate responses/strategies to manage the stressor