The 2013 "Flu Season" is hardly under way yet CBS and Fox News report that there is a national flu epidemic. Over 20 children have died with 1/3 of the kids showing up at clinics with flu-like symptoms; forty-seven states have reported wide spread cases of the flu. Metropolitan areas of New York, Boston and Atlanta all report record number of cases. These record numbers are the most since 2009 and California is beginning to show signs of the epidemic. One projection is that the epidemic will cost companies 10.4 billion in sick related costs that do not include workers staying home with fears of spreading the virus. Clinics are being forced to add personnel and get additional vaccines to try and meet the surge of the epidemic. Could this epidemic been forseen? Are there causes of this epidemic?

Past issues of Serenity Pathways have indicated how stress has played a significant role in the physical breakdown of a number of individuals (Tiger Woods -July 2011, Demi Moore April 2012, Whitney Houston - Feb-March 2012). Stress collectively may well be a major factor in the current flu epidemic. Using the stages of stress in Hans Seyle's model of General Adaptation Syndrome to stress, it is very plausible that a great part of the epidemic has been caused by the stress under which the nation has gone, minimally, over the last 1-2 years. The stages are Alarm -featuring the fight or flight reaction, Resistance - characterized by a marshalling of personal, physiological, psychological and other forces to cope with stress, and Exhaustion - illustrated by the breakdown of personal forces often experienced as the body reacts with sickness or injuries. During the past couple of years the country has been extremely alarmed by doomsday focus on the economy, a two year period of campaigning for the election of officials to lead the country out of the dire economic problems which could effect the livelihood and families of the nation, critical incidents featuring mass shootings and storms like Sandy which ravaged the eastern coast and the list goes on. The country has marshaled its forces to try and meet each of the disasters and challenges and is continuing to do so. The current stage seems to be the Exhaustion stage wherein the manifestation of the stress is most blatantly being demonstrated by the flu epidemic.