Check Your Stress
Check Your Stress Level
In the following table you can look up representative changes in your life and see how much stress value each of these changes
is adding to your life. NOTE ANY ITEM THAT YOU MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THE LAST TWELVE MONTHS. Then, total up your score.
Stress Scale for Adults
| STRESS | EVENT VALUE |
| DEATH OF SPOUSE | 100 |
| DIVORCE | 60 |
| MENOPAUSE | 60 |
| SEPARATION FROM LIVING PARTNER | 60 |
| JAIL TERM OR PROBATION | 60 |
| DEATH OF CLOSE FAMILY MEMBER OTHER THAN SPOUSE | 60 |
| SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY OR ILLNESS | 45 |
| MARRIAGE OR ESTABLISHING LIFE PARTNERSHIP | 45 |
| FIRED AT WORK | 45 |
| MARITAL OR RELATIONSHIP RECONCILIATION | 40 |
| RETIREMENT | 40 |
| CHANGE IN HEALTH OF IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBER | 40 |
| WORK MORE THAN 40 HOURS PER WEEK | 35 |
| PREGNANCY OR CAUSING PREGNANCY | 35 |
| SEX DIFFICULTIES | 35 |
| GAIN OF NEW FAMILY MEMBER | 35 |
| BUSINESS OR WORK ROLE CHANGE | 35 |
| CHANGE IN FINANCIAL STATE | 35 |
| DEATH OF A CLOSE FRIEND (not a family member) | 30 |
| CHANGE IN NUMBER OF ARGUMENTS WITH SPOUSE OR LIFE PARTNER | 30 |
| MORTGAGE OR LOAN FOR A MAJOR PURPOSE | 25 |
| FORECLOSURE OF MORTGAGE OR LOAN | 25 |
| SLEEP LESS THAN 8 HOURS PER NIGHT | 25 |
| CHANGE IN RESPONSIBILITIES AT WORK | 25 |
| TROUBLE WITH IN-LAWS, OR WITH CHILDREN | 25 |
| OUTSTANDING PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT | 25 |
| SPOUSE BEGINS OR STOPS WORK | 20 |
| BEGIN OR END SCHOOL | 20 |
| CHANGE IN LIVING CONDITIONS (visitors in the home, change in roommates, remodeling house) | 20 |
| CHANGE IN PERSONAL HABITS (diet, exercise, smoking, etc.) | 20 |
| CHRONIC ALLERGIES | 20 |
| TROUBLE WITH BOSS | 20 |
| CHANGE IN WORK HOURS OR CONDITIONS | 15 |
| MOVING TO NEW RESIDENCE | 15 |
| PRESENTLY IN PRE-MENSTRUAL PERIOD | 15 |
| CHANGE IN SCHOOLS | 15 |
| CHANGE IN RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES | 15 |
| CHANGE IN SOCIAL ACTIVITIES (more or less than before) | 15 |
| MINOR FINANCIAL LOAN | 10 |
| CHANGE IN FREQUENCY OF FAMILY GET-TOGETHERS | 10 |
| VACATION | 10 |
| PRESENTLY IN WINTER HOLIDAY SEASON | 10 |
| MINOR VIOLATION OF THE LAW | 5 |
| TOTAL SCORE | ___________________________ |
Stress scale for youth
| STRESS | EVENT VALUE |
| DEATH OF SPOUSE, PARENT, BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND | 100 |
| DIVORCE (of yourself or your parents) | 65 |
| PUBERTY | 65 |
| PREGNANCY (or causing pregnancy) | 65 |
| MARITAL SEPARATION OR BREAKUP WITH BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND | 60 |
| JAIL TERM OR PROBATION | 60 |
| DEATH OF OTHER FAMILY MEMBER (other than spouse, parent or boyfriend/girlfriend) | 60 |
| BROKEN ENGAGEMENT | 55 |
| ENGAGEMENT | 50 |
| SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY OR ILLNESS | 45 |
| MARRIAGE | 45 |
| ENTERING COLLEGE OR BEGINNING NEXT LEVEL OF SCHOOL (starting junior high or high school) | 45 |
| CHANGE IN INDEPENDENCE OR RESPONSIBILITY | 45 |
| ANY DRUG AND/OR ALCOHOL USE | 45 |
| FIRED AT WORK OR EXPELLED FROM SCHOOL | 45 |
| CHANGE IN ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE | 45 |
| RECONCILIATION WITH MATE, FAMILY OR BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND (getting back together) | 40 |
| TROUBLE AT SCHOOL | 40 |
| SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEM OF A FAMILY MEMBER | 40 |
| WORKING WHILE ATTENDING SCHOOL | 35 |
| WORKING MORE THAN 40 HOURS PER WEEK | 35 |
| CHANGING COURSE OF STUDY | 35 |
| CHANGE IN FREQUENCY OF DATING | 35 |
| SEXUAL ADJUSTMENT PROBLEMS (confusion of sexual identitity) | 35 |
| GAIN OF NEW FAMILY MEMBER (new baby born or parent remarries or adopts) | 35 |
| CHANGE IN WORK RESPONSIBILITIES | 35 |
| CHANGE IN FINANCIAL STATE | 30 |
| DEATH OF A CLOSE FRIEND (not a family member) | 30 |
| CHANGE TO A DIFFERENT KIND OF WORK | 30 |
| CHANGE IN NUMBER OF ARGUMENTS WITH MATE, FAMILY OR FRIENTS | 30 |
| SLEEP LESS THAN 8 HOURS PER NIGHT | 25 |
| TROUBLE WITH IN-LAWS OR BOYFRIEND’S OR GIRLFRIEND’S FAMILY | 25 |
| OUTSTANDING PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT (awards, grades, etc.) | 25 |
| MATE OR PARENTS START OR STOP WORKING | 20 |
| BEGIN OR END SCHOOL | 20 |
| CHANGE IN LIVING CONDITIONS (visitors in the home, remodeling house, change in roommates) | 20 |
| CHANGE IN PERSONAL HABITS (start or stop a habit like smoking or dieting) | 20 |
| CHRONIC ALLERGIES | 20 |
| TROUBLE WITH THE BOSS | 20 |
| CHANGE IN WORK HOURS | 15 |
| CHANGE IN RESIDENCE | 15 |
| CHANGE TO A NEW SCHOOL (other than graduation) | 10 |
| PRESENTLY IN PRE-MENSTRUAL PERIOD | 15 |
| CHANGE IN RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY | 15 |
| GOING IN DEBT (you or your family) | 10 |
| CHANGE IN FREQUENCY OF FAMILY GATHERINGS | 10 |
| VACATION | 10 |
| PRESENTLY IN WINTER HOLIDAY SEASON | 10 |
| MINOR VIOLATION OF THE LAW | 5 |
| TOTAL SCORE | ___________________________ |
(Adapted from the “Social Readjustment Rating Scale” by Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe. This scale was first published in the “Journal of Psychosomatic Research”, Copyright 1967, vol.II p. 214. It is used by permission of Pergamon Press Ltd.)
We have asked you to look at the last twelve months of changes in your life. This may surprise you. It is crucial to understand,
however, that a major change in your life has effects that carry over for long periods of time. It is like dropping a rock into a pond.
After the initial splash, you will experience ripples of stress. And these ripples may continue in your life for at least a year.
So, if you have experienced total stress within the last twelve months of 250 or greater, even with normal stress tolerance, you may
be OVERSTRESSED. Persons with Low Stress Tolerance may be OVERSTRESSED at levels as low as 150.
OVERSTRESS will make you sick. Carrying too heavy a stress load is like running your car engine past the red line; or leaving your
toaster stuck in the “on” position; or running a nuclear reactor past maximum permissible power. Sooner or later, something will
break, burnup, or melt down.
Stop the melt down! If you are feeling OVERSTRESSED please contact us for
some symptom relief and to get you back to where life has some fun again!
We are here to help you!
