I like the word "stress", and I find that patients accept the word and the concept. It helps answer the question, "why am I so screwed up?" It certainly beats words like "schizophrenia", "manic depressive" and "neurosis." "Borderline personality" never sold well.

Change starts with awareness. Only when you know what the problem is can you make a decision to change. If you don't pay now with good stress management, you will pay later with "wear and tear." The process of change is really a lifetime commitment to take responsibility and maintain balance. Of course it helps to be lucky.