⏱ 2 min read
The HPA axis is the hormonal circuit that governs the stress response. In the face of a threat, the hypothalamus releases CRH, the pituitary responds with ACTH, and the adrenal glands secrete cortisol, which mobilizes energy and prepares the body. A feedback system then returns levels to normal.
The problem appears when the axis stays activated: chronically elevated cortisol affects sleep, mood, immunity, and metabolism. On this map it connects with cortisol and stress, psychoneurobiology, sleep, the vagus nerve, and goals such as anxiety, depression, or chronic stress. Sleeping well, breathing, exercise, and adapting to stressors act on this axis.
Educational information, not medical advice.
Information, not medical advice.