McBeal Syndrome hits town

You aren't sleeping well. Sometimes, for no apparent reason, your hands become clammy and, your heart feels as if it's beating out of your chest. You suffer panic attacks.

At work, your motivation and concentration levels have reached an all-time low. Your social life has taken a dive, too. Increasingly surrounded by pregnant friends and newlywed couples, a Friday night out is more likely to produce a stress rash than an eligible boyfriend.

Depressing as it sounds, the newly identified Ally McBeal Syndrome is reaching epidemic proportions. Throughout London's offices, a generation of women who have spent their lives striving for the dream of having it all - a high-flying career coupled with blissful domesticity - has come to the crushing realisation that there is something desperately wrong with their designer-clad lives.

Increasing numbers of women aged 25 to 30 are spending so long in the office -an average of 11 hours every day - that they are unable to distinguish between work and play.

In a recent survey a worrying 50 per cent reported regularly feeling stressed, not surprising considering the average daily rest time is just 60 minutes - and that includes lunch.

Most are struggling to feel basically happy - as many as two thirds report feeling dissatisfied with their lives. Stress-related disorders such as sleeplessness, fatigue, depression and panic attacks - all made worse by trying to achieve too much in too little time - have more than doubled in the past decade.

Meanwhile, this general lack of a sense of wellbeing is mirrored in the statistics for prescriptions for antianxiety and antidepressant medications. Last year they rocketed to six million, two thirds of which were prescribed for women.

"Women set out, quite understandably, to achieve success at work, but because of the demands of today's workplace, often end up tired, stressed and without time or energy to lead a rewarding personal life," says Linda Blair, clinical psychologist at Bath University. "As time goes on and they become more successful, these women can develop a real fear of ending up without a life partner or family. So, what do you do? Sacrifice the career you've put so much energy into? It's a real dilemma and, unless you're prepared to radically change your life, it is a recipe for unhappiness."

Celebrities, the very icons who used to set our lifestyle agenda, are far from immune. Like a lost soul lurching for something to cling to, Geri Halliwell jumps from one celebrity diet and partner to another.

Despite their outward wealth and glamour, Kate Moss and Tara Palmer- Tompkinson are among the many starry names who have been admitted to the Priory Clinic in Roehampton in recent years, suffering from exhaustion and addictions. Two of the key attitudes associated with Ally McBeal Syndrome are high expectations in all areas and a belief that happiness is external.

"To break the pattern you have to re-evaluate your whole life," says life coach Marianne Craig.

"If your job is exhausting, you need to find the confidence to change it. With relationships, rethink your expectations and realise that it's not about meeting the perfect man, but growing together.

"Ultimately, you need to realise that happiness is about being content with yourself, and to find it in the simple things, when you're not rushing around."

Beating your inner Ally

Simplify: make time for simple pleasures by stripping your life of unnecessary tasks. Can't the manicure or haircut wait? Edit your wardrobe - work out how many clothes you really wear and get rid of the rest. De-clutter your flat and before you go on any more shopping sprees ask yourself whether you're buying out of frivolity, low self-esteem or true necessity.

List your priorities: if you had only a year to live, what would your priorities be? Would a high-flying career really take precedence over a more balanced, but less lucrative lifestyle? Make a list of your life priorities every few months, drawing up an action plan to make your desires a reality.

Reset your goals: in her book, Effortless Living, Marianne Craig recommends getting into the habit of postponing or resetting your goals - she points out that stress and dissatisfaction are often self-induced by never-ending deadlines and high expectations.

Bust stress: for an instant stress-fighting technique, John Clark, personal stress consultant from Preston, suggests the following: imagine an instant STOP sign in your mind and keep it there when you are stressed. It can block negative thoughts and the physiological stress response. As your thoughts can affect your body and mood almost instantaneously, this can remove stress very quickly.