d and it can accrue. More or less, stress is a time bomb. Stein states that: It is now known that the most malign effects of stress can be deferred and can accumulate until excessive levels are reached. Compounded stress can contribute to sudden death - as it does each year for thousands of victims of heart attack and stroke; or it can contribute slowly and insidiously - as it does for millions - to a vast assortment of other equally devastating physical and mental disorders. (1983, p. 2)This is not to mention that stress is not cheap for anyone by any means. According to one study, stress costs US industry $19.4 billion dollars every year because of premature employee death due to stress. Another $150 million per year is lost in the US alone because of stress-related absenteeism. Annually, $700 million dollars is being spent to recruit replacements for executives with heart disease, chronic pain, hypertension and headaches, three stress related disorders, that make up fifty-four percent of job absenteeism. Not to mention that workers' compensation awards for job stress are usually four times the amount of awards for regular claims (Stress Management 2000: High Cost of Stress 2000).John McEwan, stress, grief and trauma consultant, says that learning how to manage stress is the key to a healthy and more fulfilling life. "Think of surfing a huge powerful wave," explains McEwan. "Stress used correctly will enable you to go with the flow, riding the right side of the wave. If you fight against stress, battling wave after wave, then it's only a matter of time before you will be sucked under."(Seligman, 2000, p. 38)McEwan's point is very valid. Stress has a major impact on daily life whether people are painfully aware of it or it is an underlying problem they have yet to face. Due to the overwhelming number of people who are afflicted with stress related illnesses and trauma, especially related to the workplace, there have been c...
