Most of us are aware of the harmful effects of ongoing stress on the body. But, unless a doctor has told them that they have a stress-based health condition, many people tend to brush it off. What they fail to see is that what they believe to be “normal stress” is actually ongoing anxiety. And that anxiety may be taking years off of their lives.

Often, when I talk to people about their stress they say things like, “it’s not that bad, others have it worse.” While this is one type of coping mechanism, it is a mistake to minimize the effects of stress and anxiety on their health over time. Living with even moderate stress and anxiety over time is considered “chronic.” And, it is this chronic condition that leads to the two major causes of death in the world: Heart Disease and Stroke.