When experiencing long-term stress, your brain is exposed to increased levels of a hormone called cortisol. Stress can contribute to worsening symptoms of your mental illness. For example, schizophrenia, can encourage hallucinations and delusions, while in bipolar disorder, it can trigger episodes of both mania and depression. Knowing what situations cause this is the first step in coping with this very common experience. Developing a personalized approach to reducing stress can help you manage your mental health condition and improve your quality of life. Once you've learned what your triggers are, we can help with providing coping strategies.