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Dr. Roberta Lee

Roberta Lee, M.D. is vice chair of the Department of Integrative Medicine and co-director of the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at Beth Israels Continuum Center for Health and Healing in New York City. About a decade ago, she recognized that a significant number of her patients exhibited a variety of physical symptoms she suspected were stress-related, even though they werent aware of experiencing more than the usual amount of stress in their lives. Then it hit her: Theyd lived with extreme stress for so long that it had become part of the fabric of their livesand they didnt even realize they were stressed at all.

Dr. Lee has identified this new kind of stress and given it a new name: SuperStress. According to Dr. Lee, it is a unique 21st century disorder, a widespread condition that has evolved from the frenetic pace of modern life. People think they are coping well with the little stresses in their life, but their body isnt getting the message: Its trying to handle the continual release of stress hormones that accompany each and every hit, from minor daily aggravations to the most dramatic life changes.