Stress is part of our lives whether Huntington’s disease (HD) affects your family or not. I’m always on the look out for tips on managing stress, especially before we knew John’s gene status for HD. We are grateful and thankful for his negative status; he tested in 2016. What is Huntington’s disease

Here are five (5) things you should know about stress:

- Stress affects everyone. Some people may cope with stress more effectively or recover from stressful events more quickly than other.
- Not all stress is bad. Stress can motivate people to prepare or perform, like when they need to take a test. Stress can even be life-saving in some situations.
- Long-term stress can harm your health. Health problems can occur if the stress response goes on for too long or becomes chronic.
- There are ways to manage stress. The effects of stress tend to build up over time. Find ways to help deal with stress.
- If you’re overwhelmed by stress, ask for help from a health professional. http://www.nimh.nih.gov Nat’l. Institute of Mental Health Publication #OM 16-4310
