While the word "stress" has many different meanings, as discussed in this publication it refers to the health condition which is all but endemic in modern society. The human body, mind and all its sub-systems developed to deal with the challenges of much more primitive circumstances than we live in now. Our rapid-response "fight or flight" response system enabled our species to outperform and out-think our way past all others. Collectively our incredible brains have allowed us to live today in a manner that does not require us to engage in the type of activities that made our stress hormones a major asset. Unfortunately, our physiology has not kept pace with our intellectual development and there is no magic switch to turn off or at least turn down our survival responses. Today, in civilized societies, we encounter a different manner of struggles and challenges. Even though these situations may not actually be life or death in nature, because of the emotion we attach to our various actions, our minds perceive them as such, and react accordingly. For many or most people, their bodies and mind are in a constant state of heightened anxiety due to the continually elevated levels of stress hormones in their system. This is chronic stress and its symptoms are broad, varied and can ultimately even be fatal. We are taught so many things that enable us to live in a social environment with our fellow humans, but too many of us lack knowledge of how to deal with the pressure and stress this can apply. Inability to deal with the causes of stress leads to increased stress and inability to deal with the symptoms of stress can make life seem not worth living. This publication details some of the signs and symptoms of chronic stress and their damaging effects on our minds and bodies. If you feel stress is negatively impacting your life, make changes. Reduce the causes, or learn to cope with them more appropriately to lessen the impact on you.