Facts and Figures

Stress is a bad relationship each and everyone will at some point in encounter throughout his or her life. According to the Stress in American survey, commissioned through the American Psychological Association (2013) adults reported that they are living with increasingly high levels of stress, and are unsuccessful at managing and reducing their stress. On a scale of 1 to 10 where one is “little stress” or less and ten is the “highest level of stress”, the average stress level of an adult was a 5.1. Of the various stressors, the top three causes of stress among these adults were money, work, and the economy at 71 percent, 69 percent, and 59 percent respectively (APA).

Stress is detrimental to the health of an individual. It can cause the following (AHA, 2014).

•       High blood Pressure (hypertension)
•        High cholesterol (hyperlipidemia)
•       Heart disease
•       Death

Stress can also increase the likelihood of practicing unhealthy behaviors (AHA, 2014).

•       Smoking 
•        Alcohol
•       Drug usage
•       Physical inactivity
•       Poor eating habits

                                                               (APA, 2013)

References:

American Heart Association [AHA]. 2013. Stress and Heart Health. Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/StressManagement/HowDoesStressAffectYou/Stress-and-Heart-Health_UCM_437370_Article.jsp

American Psychological Association [APA]. 2014. A Stress Snapshot. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2013/snapshot.aspx