Illnesses cause by stress

According to Anne Woodham, author of Beating stress at work, "In the UK, an estimated 270,000 people take time off every day because of stress0erlated illness, a cumulative cost in sick pay and lost production of around 7 billion pound a year and rising. These are just reported cases.

Doctors' surgeries are filled with sufferers from countless illnesses that often fall into the category of 'stress-related' like high blood pressure, anxiety, ulcers, depression, tension, exhaustion, insomnia, diabetes, eczema. PMT can also worsen when we're under high pressure. Ultimately, in fact, it's believed that stress can depress the immune system, leaving us prey to every bout of cold and 'flu (or more serious complaints) many of us manage conveniently, to schedule those illnesses for our free time, a syndrome that's recognized by doctors. Work till Friday, get a cold on Saturday, back to work Monday..

There are those brave enough to risk black marks against their names for daring to complain while their colleagues put up with equally stressful workloads. But suing your boss could become the latest bandwagon. According to Anne, "stress occurs when life's out of control and suing your boss is within your power." Some stress professionals suggested learning tricks for turning life's hurdles into opportunities.