Stress has become a favorite subject of everyday conversation. It is not to hear friends and family members talk about the difficulty they have in the stress of everyday life and the efforts they make to control the events cause stress.
Most of us understand the results of not controlling our reactions stress. Forty-three percent of all adults suffer terrible health effects stress. Most physician office visits are for stress-related illnesses and complaints. Stress is linked to the six causes of death— heart disease, cancer, lung disease, accidents, liver disease, and suicide. Currently, health care costs account for twelve percent of the gross domestic product.
Yet, while stress may damage our health, it is sometimes necessary, desirable. Exciting or challenging events the birth of a child, completion of a major project at work, or moving to a new city generate much stress as does tragedy or disaster. And without stress, life would be dull.