Described as both a "process" and as a "state," stress is almost always related to environmental factors (Boyapati & Wang 2000, p. 195). So-called major life events are the most known causes of stress: factors known as stressors. Any change, whether perceived of as positive or not, can cause stress and its associated reactions in individuals. For example, getting married or having children can be as stressful as going through a divorce or losing one's job. How individuals cope with stress becomes one of the most important factors in the study of the effects of stress on any illness (Wimmer et al 2002). Any "stimulus, situation, or circumstance" that leads to psychological or physiological responses can be deemed a stressor (Boyaptai & Wang 2000, p. 195). Furthermore, stress can be considered acute or general: the latter of which may be more a culprit in causing illness and disease. Much of the
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