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The HPA axis also communicates with the limbic system, which affects motivation and mood, as well as other areas of the brain that affect memory, body temperature, appetite, digestion and pain. Your doctor can do a simple swab of the inside of your cheek to see if low cortisol levels are affecting your mood, memory and other vital body functions.

One of the most difficult issues to address with chronic stress is an overall lack of motivation because the body stops responding to the negative feedback message sent out by cortisol. When this occurs, one might experience not only a lack of motivation and depression, but also loss of sex drive, eating disorders, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides.