As a former clinical hypnotherapist 'stress' was way up there on the list of conditions I had to treat.

I personally do not adhere to the view that such is an everyday acceptable part of life and that one has to learn to adapt to it. By innuendo at least such is what a number of posters seem to be suggesting.

If you burn your toes in the fire, would you immediately put them so close to the flames again?

If one has ANY problem in life the CAUSE of it needs addressing rather than the effect. Alas most mainstream doctors have not yet cottoned on to this basic precept.

"But I need to earn!" I here so much wailing.

Of course you do, but it's rarely necessary to remain in any job that stresses you out, or conversely any relationship which does the same.

I gave up being a lawyer because it was killing me - even if I limited myself to just seven hours a day.

Working in other genres - golf, hypnotherapy etc. for fourteen and more hours a day turned out to be relaxing and at times immensely pleasurable. One needs to finds a lifestyle which fits.

Chasing money is generally at the root of most stress conditions.

I've been well off and I've been literally bankrupt. Money is illusory and not quite as important as most people imagine it to be. One always gets by.

But one cannot always get by trying to repeatedly handle stress. Stress is natural and healthy but only as a very short term thing.