Thank you Gus for the tips. I've never thought about the stresses having a bearing on my health; but that makes a good deal of sense. I will try these tips in the future.

Rosie, yes, I do have PTSD and I can easily see the connection. I envy you on your ability to even work
with this. I don't feel snippy but very unsure and humiliated by not having the ability to focus in what I am doing or saying. It kinda tears down my usual self-respect on
a temporary basis.

My memory that seems to be clearest in time that might be the root of bringing this on, was when I was about 3, I was extremely frightened by a
train. We must have been pretty close to a train track, and the whistle had me
in a panic; I remember winding myself up in a curtain in a door frame and being upset and crying. My mother did not sooth me, but got after me for crying and was angry at me. I guess in some ways, I have worked through much of the mental and physical abuse. It feels like that girl wrapped in the curtain again when I am overly stressed.
Such a small thing in my memory; because some of the others abuses were much more traumatic.

When these stresses do come up in life, I do my best to address the issue at hand
quickly and I am driven to get through the pain and solve the problem, even though I am not functioning to the maximum. According to what Gus has said, maybe I do need to order a time out for myself instead of my natural instinct to be driven to closure.

Thanks for reading and for the great advice. hugs, bj