Can chronic stress/environment lower serotonin levels? psychiatrist only please**

Yes : Chronic stress affects your acth and cortisol system . Also every individual response differently affects your hormones and immune system . Affects seritonin levels predispose to depression .Also depends on your genetics psychological and environmental factors.

Chronic stress: The mechanism of disease in states of stress is very complex. Hormonal changes (increased cortisol) and the resistance to respond to bio regulation by feedback exposes our body to neurotransmitter changes and immune system deficiencies. Serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline are the most affected during the stress response. Cardiac and brain function are acute stress first- responders.

Stress and serotonin: The response to stress is much more complex than the level of 1 neurotransmitter, even an important one like serotonin. Corticosteroids (raised during chronic stress) can modulate or dysregulate 5=ht receptors even without serotonin metabolism or levels being changed. http://tinyurl.com/k34pu6x how the neurons are connecting matters also -- even in stressed rats: http://tinyurl.Com/mwv6fzs.