As stress continues it becomes more severe, causing serious mental and physical disorders.
Stress causes sleeping problems (not enough sleep or too much), leads to relationship problems, memory and performance failures.
The first physical symptoms can be relatively mild, like chronic headaches and increased susceptibility to colds, followed by being less productive and escaping by watching TV, shopping, playing computer games, etc.
The cycle continues with returning to bad habits such as smoking, putting on weight, drinking more, personality changes, etc.
With more exposure to chronic stress more serious health problems may develop. These stress-influenced conditions include, but are not limited to:
• depression
• hypertension (high blood pressure)
• obsessive-compulsive or anxiety disorder
• sexual dysfunction
• hair loss
• ulcers and digestion problems
• obesity
• diabetes
• alcohol and drug abuse
• heart disease
• And possibly more serious diseases such as cancer