People then hide behind it instead of tackling the real problem, often to the detriment of their physical health. She cites the case of a man experiencing chest pains. His GP told him he was probably suffering from stress and to take a few days' leave. The pains persisted but the man was happy to carry on working, in the belief that they were stress-induced. A few weeks later, he suffered a heart attack.
Sceptics reserve their strongest feelings for the stress management industry.
They have a vested interest in scaremongering, in making us fear stress as this great evil of the workplace. The problem that needs addressing is the volume of work. It's a similar situation with people who have personality clashes with their colleagues. They don't need to learn how to relax, they need to be put on another team. Rick, too, dismisses the link between stress and conditions such as heart disease.