Health Watch is a Public Service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.


Modern life can be stressful. Sometimes the stress comes from things we can’t control. At other times, we bring the stress on ourselves. This week on Health Watch, we’ll talk about some coping with life situations.

Have you finished doing your taxes yet? If you haven’t, you’re not alone. Doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas say there are reasons why some people file early while others are at the post office just before midnight on the deadline day. Some of those reasons are economic, such as not having the money to pay or the expectation of a refund. But UT Southwestern psychiatrists says there are also psychological factors at work.

Doing your taxes may force you to face the facts of your financial realities. It may remind you of losses you’ve taken or of personal situations that affect your financial status. When these factors are at work, even people who expect refunds may wait for the last second to file.
 

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^April 2006

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