STRESS: it can save your life or kill you.Stress is defined as the response of the body to a "demand" placed upon it by any nonspecific stress or stressors. At the beginning of the demand the body prepares itself for fight or flight. This first stage is instantaneous and intense and can only be sustained for a short interval. Assuming survival and with continuous and/or recurrent demand, there ensues hormonal and neurological effects, which if not relieved will result in wear and tear of the body causing a multiplicity of illnesses and premature aging. The author outlines stress physiology, some of the deleterious effects of repeated stress, and methods of stress relief.