Divorce and remarriage are common. These and other trends present Coloradans with many changes and transitions. Families experience transitions when a child is born, goes to day care, grows into adolescence, or moves out of the home. Family transitions continue as young adults marry and have children. All of these transitions involve change that includes loss and gain.
Some people react negatively to change while others welcome it.
In fact, many people believe that our unwillingness to manage our stress levels during transitions is an important factor in many of today's leading causes of death. The leading causes of death in Colorado are heart disease, malignant neoplasms, cerebrovascular disease, accidents, obstructive pulmonary diseases, pneumonia or influenza, and suicide. A closer look at the association of health and stress suggests the relatively high incidence of heart disease is more common in highly motivated, ambitious, aggressive, perfectionistic individuals who are always rushing to meet deadlines. These results suggest that learning to deal with one's stress and hostility levels has a broad effect on one's survival. Stress and time management are major problems facing people today.