In the dog-eat-dog world which is the new millennium, it's hardly surprising that more people are suffering from burnout brought on by stress, writes Victoria Owen.

According to a new report, an exhaustion epidemic is sweeping across the UK, leaving a swathe of destruction in its path.

The news comes on National Stress Awareness Day and within the survey, published by pharmaceutical company Roche, GPs have revealed that ten per cent of their patients are suffering from the signs of anxiety brought on by everyday living.

About a third of family doctors questioned have seen a 50 per cent increase in 26 to 35-year-olds with symptoms of exhaustion.

Even more worrying, stress is costing the NHS 633m a year enough to run nearly 2,000 intensive care beds. Doctors blame modern living for the lethargy crisis and say people are living increasingly demanding lives, both at work and at home.

In the office, workers are slogging over their computers for longer hours often with little time for a break.

At home, financial burdens are increasing and families are more demanding.

Oxfordshire has its fair share of stress.

Last week, teachers claimed the pressure of bigger workloads had started to take its toll. Local education managers are under pressure as their responsibilities increase because of county council cuts in the workforce.

The year-old Teacherline, which offers counselling, support and advice, had a surge of calls in its first year. Oxfordshire staff were among the 2,200 from the midlands region who called after experiencing stress because of their jobs.

Other public sector workers have also been feeling the strain of being overworked. Last week alone, 16 police officers left the Thames Valley force. Thames Valley Police Federation deputy secretary Wally Cox says the organisation is becoming increasingly concerned about stress within the force.

He says: "There are fewer and fewer officers to do more and more work and the daily grind is going up.

"Coupled with the financial situation in Thames Valley, where officers have lost their rent allowance, and people want to leave, it's a major problem.

"There is a welfare team and officers are properly debriefed after traumatic situations and a lot is being done to help, but sometimes we get it wrong."

But it's not just the public sector that is affected by this new epidemic. Oxford-based psychotherapist Tom Goss has seen a leap in high-achieving clients running to him for help with stress. Many are people with financial, emotional or relationship problems which can lead to stress-related symptoms.

Mr Goss practises autogenic therapy, at the New Well-being clinic, in Botley, Oxford, teaching people to switch off.

He says: "Stress is important and we are designed to use it in a balanced way as part of the fight and flight process part of our survival technique. But nowadays people don't have the ability to fight or run. If someone is in a job where the demand is too high, it's difficult with family or financial responsibilities to say you are leaving. That's when we get an excess of negative stress."

Mr Goss says this can actually damage our health, from headaches, migraines and digestive disorders, to an increased risk in heart disease and high blood pressure.

He adds: "I would ask people to take a look at their lifestyle to see if they have time for relaxation, maybe just by reading a book, exercise and eating good food."