The human stress response system is VERY complex....
....And it is influenced by so many things that it can make your head spin!
Here is the short list:
1. Age 2. Gender 3. Prescription drugs 4. Childhood adversity 5. Exposure to chronic stress 6. Ethnicity 7. Social support networks 8. Head trauma 9. Stage of menstrual cycle 10. Menopause 11. Genetics 12. Epigenetic changes that cause a change in the way your cells express your DNA even if your DNA is normal 13. In utero environment....meaning that whatever was going on with your mother when she was pregnant with you PERMANENTLY affected your stress response and how you respond to stress!
...There is a profound interplay between female sex hormones and stress hormones which cause dramatic changes in how females respond to stress....
....Studies have shown that women tend to stress more, experience more stress related disorders (depression, chronic pain, obesity, anxiety, etc.), and much more sensitive to stressors....