Prolonged stress-related hormonal signaling can reduce the ability of the immune system to maintain balance, which may lead to a higher likelihood of autoimmune conditions.

When people are under long-term stress, their body makes too much of a stress hormone called cortisol, which can weaken the immune system. This study found that when stressed HIV patients learned to manage their stress, their cortisol levels dropped and their immune system got stronger. This suggests that too much stress harms immunity.

When people are stressed for a long time, their body makes too much of a stress hormone called cortisol, which can weaken the immune system. This study found that teaching people stress-reduction techniques lowered their cortisol levels, which suggests that reducing stress might help the immune system work better.

People with Crohn’s disease have a tired-out stress response system, which may make their immune system go haywire and attack their own body — just like the claim says chronic stress can weaken immune control and trigger autoimmune problems.

When stress lasts a long time, the body’s stress system gets stuck in overdrive, which messes up the immune system and makes it more likely to attack the body by accident — like a security guard who starts chasing harmless people.

When you're stressed for a long time, your body keeps releasing stress hormones that confuse your immune system, making it attack your own body instead of germs. This study shows that this is why people under long-term stress are more likely to get autoimmune diseases.