Another powerful antidote to the physical damage wrought by uncertainty and uncontrollability is social support. A circle of close friends and family, and a supportive management team at work, can be a particularly potent force in mitigating the damage of stress. Just how potent became apparent from a study on stress and mortality conducted in Sweden. The researchers interviewed 752 men, asking them to indicate how many serious life events had occurred to them recently, such as divorce, being fired or financial troubles. Seven years later, the researchers followed up on the men. The death rate
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