For Men and Women, Response to Stress Is Very Different

A new study published this month in the Journal of Neuroscience , reports findings that confirm what we may have long suspected - when it comes to stress, men and women respond differently. Using functional MRI to monitor the brain activity in healthy men and women, the research revealed that men’s and women’s brains process stress in different ways, which in turn, influences how their bodies process chronic diseases like depression and heart disease. After men and women were shown “stress-triggering” images, their brains were scanned. Women were scanned both at the start of their menstrual cycle and again during ovulation. Now this is interesting - for men, the brain activity in response to stress was similar when compared to the brain activity of women who were at the start of their menstrual cycles. But stress levels were higher in men when compared to women who were ovulating. Ahh . . . the magic of ovulation. According to the study’s author, Jill Goldstein, scientists “found that women have been endowed with a natural hormone capacity to regulate the stress response in the brain that differs from men.” Ladies, do you notice that you feel calmer and less stressed in the middle of your cycle when you’re ovulating?

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For Men and Women, Response to Stress Is Very Different

Quitting Smoking Emotionally Loaded For Women

We all know that quitting smoking is difficult , and unfortunately it looks like it may be harder for women to kick the habit. NPR recently reported that although federal household surveys indicate that the success rate for quitting is close to equal between the sexes, women might actually have more difficulty giving up their smokes. Carolyn Mazure, a psychologist who specializes in addictive behavior, believes that the relationship women have with cigarettes is emotionally loaded. She explains, “Women often report smoking is helpful in reducing negative mood, even enhancing positive mood, managing the stress of daily life and also managing appetite and weight gain. Women are looking to cigarettes to help them with those different situations, and as a consequence, it’s often more difficult for women [than for men] to give up their cigarettes.” Mazure adds that women are more prone to depression and negative moods, and that when stressed, they’re more likely to relapse and light a cigarette. This could be why timing your attempts to quit smoking with your menstrual cycle is considered a key strategy for women. Are you trying to quit smoking? Are you having a rough time? Here are seven tips for quitting smoking , and I hope they help.

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Quitting Smoking Emotionally Loaded For Women