We seem to be living through an epidemic of stress. Thousands of therapists, counsellors and healers are devoted to protecting - and perhaps even saving - us from a disease that they say debilitates, and even kills. Britain alone is host to more than 4 million websites dedicated to the subject, while every year millions of pounds are committed to fighting stress. But are these efforts really combating stress? In this brilliant re-assessment of our understanding of this ailment, Angela Patmore establishes what we do - and do not - know about stress by examining what it actually is. In 'The Truth About Stress' Angela Patmore addresses all aspects of this ever-spreading problem, from the activities of the stress-management community and the huge variety of treatments it offers, to an analysis of the kinds of physical suffering produced by stress. From symptoms to cure, Patmore raises important questions about the way we treat a condition that has become central part of modern living. Its conclusions will cause us to profoundly reappraise the way we understand our own health and well-being.