I've a job that should be pretty stressful, working in a pretty complex field, on customer sites, with multiple people reporting to me (the exact details don't matter too much).

Several times I've had what should be extremely stressfull days, but I find that I no longer seem to suffer stress. People have commented that I seem to be always dealing with things in a very calm manner.

Certainly before I had CHs I used to get stressed at the appropriate times, but I no longer seem to be affected by this. What I suspect is that the stress of dealing with CHs, which after having had quite a few in the last 18 months, is enough that normal everyday "stressful" events just don't compare.

Has anyone else experienced this?

I find stress to be a trigger! 

However most everything people I associate with that complains about their problems, I think to myself but don't voice it, that I would gladly exchange my CH's for their problems just for 1 day. 

Hence, CH's are the most stressful disorder one can endure!

It could be that CH has helped me handle more stress than I previously thought tolerable at work and come out ok.  While the job's stressful, I can cruise through a normal day relaxed, a normal day is very rare though. 

Stress on the job seems endless, worrisome, formulating solutions to bigger problems while the constant surroundings demand full attention to every detail, but I get hit less and that's out of mind.  It beats the anxiety type stress I had being temporarily unemployed years ago, which was also worrisome, but pummelled me with hits. 

Different stress, or else getting paid for handling stress beats the stress without pay.  Knowing the latter, handling stress while getting paid was simply something needed to be learned better. 

Maybe we have learned, from pain.

Mike,

My exact experience....don't sweat the small stuff....and it's MOSTLY small stuff...has never been more true for me...and besides ch.com, is one of the very few benefits of being a clusterhead.

I have also received the same comments as you from colleagues...in fact have become a de facto "therapist" for them. When the poop hits the fan...and ya can't take it anymore...go see Jon. I'm REAL careful...and mostly just listen....because that's mostly what they need.

When episodic...stress was actually beneficial ("stay stressed, always"...Bob P?) and the come-down was the killer. Now chronic...neither makes a difference.

Best,

Jon