Alert! Alert! Woo present in my house! Battle stations, men!

While watching TV in my mother's room, I found something strange on the bed. I found a printed out test, supposedly based on the work of experts in mental health, to evaluate your stress level. Apparently one of the other psychology students in my mother's class (she wants a degree so she has something to do when all the kids are gone) gave her a nice little handout. The text of some of it is below:

This test, based on the work of mental health experts Thomas H. Holmes and Richard H. Rahe, helps you identify the sources and amount of stress you encounter in your life. The following is a list of stress inducing events, in order of their Life Change Unit (LCU), from high to low. Note all the items that apply to events you have experience during the last year and add up their LCUs. Then take a look at what you can do about your stress level.

So they've found an organized way of looking at the stress in your life? Great! Let's see what they have listed:

[left is Life Event, right is LCU]
1. Death of Spouse: 100
2. Divorce: 73
3. Marital Separation: 65
4. Jail Term: 63
5. Death of a close family member: 63
[it goes on for another 38 items]

So they assign a certain number of LCUs to each event without considering individual circumstances, personalities, and opinion of each event? I have a feeling that many people would disagree with this hierarchy.

Next, what your total LCUs means!

If your total is 0-150:
Congratulations! At the moment, your stress level is low. Your chance of illness or accident related to your stress within two years is low. Any change can lead to stress, even enjoyable activities, such as vacations or new forms of recreation. Want to see what to do to keep your stress low? Learn about methods for dealing with stress. [link here, but I can't tell where it goes since it was printed out.... I have an idea of where it goes though]

If your total is 150-300:
Take care of yourself now. You have borderline high stress. Your chance of accident or illnesss related to your stress within two years is moderate. Recommendation: to reduce your stress, try some of these methods. [Another hyperlink, probably same destination]

If your total is over 300:
Warning: You have a high stress level. Your chance of accident of illness related to your stress during the next two years is great. Stress intervention techniques are strongly urged. Click here to learn more about stress. [I'm assuming that this last one also has the same destination]

So they assign arbitrary points not based on the individual situation, then, based on said points, recommend you do something about it from their list? Sounds like we have us some woo! But where's the woo, you ask? Try what I assume was at the end of the hyperlink, the other document!

A few of the 37 ways they suggest to reduce stress:

4. Try a Tonic
A study at Duke University in Durham, NC, found homeopathy effective in quelling anxiety disorders. Look for stress formulas such as Nerve Tonic (from Hyland) or Sedalia (from Boiron) in your health food store, or consult a licensed homeopath

Homeopathy, that fine old woo! Does wonders for your thirst and not much else, since homeopathic remedies don't even have a molecule of active ingredient in them due to the ridiculous dilution, they're just water. The placebo effect might work on stress, since its purely mental (not sure if it does or not) but anyone who knows the truth about homeopathy won't even get that benefit. We have the same with Number 9, Check Your Chi (Qigong), and 15, Take A Whiff (aromatherapy), 17, Say Yes To Pressure (acupressure), and finally 33, Say A Little Prayer (self explanatory). And I have my doubts about huge doses (up the 3 times the recommended daily amount) of vitamin B, calcium, magnesium, copper, and a few other things (21, Boost Your Vitamin Intake), rubbing your hands together (16, Warm Up), eating carbohydrates (20, Munch Some Snacks), and sitting up straight (36, Straighten Up) though if anyone can show me why these are good I'll revise my opinions on them.