What are some health-related effects of long-term exposure to traumatic stress?

• A. Illness, anxiety, increased risk of drug and alcohol addiction.
• B. Improved health and vitality
• C. Weight loss due to increased metabolism
• D. Enhanced immune response

Answer: (A)

Long-term traumatic stress keeps the body's stress response firing, which wears on both mind and body. Over time, this sustained activation can lead to a range of health problems. Physically, people often experience more illnesses, slower healing, and problems tied to chronic inflammation and disrupted immune function. Mentally, persistent anxiety, sleep disturbances, and mood changes are common, and these mental-health effects can push individuals toward using drugs or alcohol as a way to cope. Taken together, illness, anxiety, and an increased risk of substance misuse reflect the kinds of health-related effects seen with prolonged traumatic stress, making that option the best fit. The other descriptions describe outcomes that aren’t typically driven by chronic stress—for example, improvements in health or an enhanced immune response—so they don’t align with what research shows about long‑term exposure to trauma.