Believe it or not, stress affects almost every one of us and negatively impacts nearly every disease of our culture to the point where it has been reported that 60-85% of visits to physicians have a stress component.

Which of these symptoms of stress is a concern for you?

Muscle tension, headaches, irritability, poor concentration, fatigue, upset stomach, difficulty sleeping, sore throat, poor thinking skills, easily angry, frequent colds or sickness, bruxism (the term for grinding, gnashing, or clenching the teeth during sleep or during tense situations), general anxiety, or are you just plain rarely happy.

Or are there even more serious problems in your life that may have a stress component such as these?

Abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia), alcoholism, allergies, angina pectoris, arteriosclerosis, asthma, atherosclerosis, autoimmune problems, birth defects, breast cancer, bruxism, burnout, cancer, carpal tunnel syndrome, cholesterol levels elevated, chronic backache, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary, disease (COPD), chronic tension headaches, chronic tuberculosis, cold sores, common cold, coronary heart disease, coronary thrombosis, depression, diabetes, eczema, endocrine problems, epileptic attacks, erection problems, fertility problems, fibromyalgia, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), headaches, heart disease, high blood pressure, HIV, hives, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, immune system disturbances, impotence, infertility, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, kidney disease, loss of interest in activities, memory loss, menstrual problems, migraine headache, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, night eating syndrome, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric, disorder), pancreatitis, premature aging, psoriasis, Raynaud disease, respiratory ailments, rheumatoid arthritis, shingles, social anxiety disorder, stroke, systemic lupus erythematosus, TMJ (temporomandibular joint), syndrome, ulcerative colitis, ulcers.

Fortunately, we have the key to decreasing most of these problems. When we turn the stress response off, the body knows how to heal itself of many or most of the stress-related problems of our day. Unfortunately, most of us aren't aware of effective ways to do this--to turn off the stress response.

This is what we help you do in the Stress Management Lab!