"Stress tips" seems almost too trivial a term for what is needed when you're close to an emotional melt-down. That's because stress is anything but trivial. It can kill you.

Emotional health may not be quite as visible to bystanders as physical health.  But anything that hurts you emotionally can have a dramatic impact on your physical health and your quality of life. Read on for eleven ways in which stress may be affecting your emotional health:

1. Are you frequently anxious and nervous? Or even fearful or scared?

2. Are you sad or depressed. Do you wish you could stay in bed permanently whenever it's time to get up in the morning?

3. Are you hypersensitive to criticism?

4. Are your moods flip-flopping faster than the most fickle politicians?

5. Do you feel lonely and alienated?

6. Do you feel like a victim? Do you wonder, "Why does this always happen to me?"

7. Have you lost your sense of humor?

8. Do you feel overwhelmed by the kind of demands others seem to take in stride?

9. Do you worry a lot and conjure up elaborate worst case scenarios?

10. Do you find it almost impossible to make decisions?

11. Do you cry a lot? Does it take just a little thing to make you burst into tears?

If you answered "yes" to even one of these questions, you may be suffering from excess stress.

If you answered "yes" to several, it's time to take drastic action. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and prolonged stress will severely affect your ability to function in just about any setting, and it will damage your immune system as well as your brain. Do something that makes you feel better today.

If you answered "yes" to all of them, get professional help immediately.