When is it too much?

I guess it's something that I have asked many times.  When is enough, enough?  When should I just say, okay, I need to stop?  When should I tell myself to cut the stress off?  When should I give up?

It's not always about something big and important.  Small things should be easy to say "That's it" to but that's not always the way.  I had a couple instances where I knew right away that the line was crossed.  I acted accordingly.  I find myself, however, constantly turning back to this question at some point in the year. 

To be a bit morbid on the subject, this is something that any advanced cancer patient has to face.  When will there be no more options?  What will I do then?  Will I choose to end things on my terms or to let nature seize me?  What is too much when it comes to treatment side effects?  When is the quality of life diminished to the point of not being life any longer?  It's something no one should have to face and decide on.  But some of us do.

On a less deadly topic, sometimes you do your best but the effects are toxic and you need to just walk away.  It can be a relationship, a job, a career, a hobby, a volunteer event, or a situation that you turned around and realized you fell into it long ago.  In those instances it is best for your mental sanity to try to stop.  That's when you need to look out for your mental well-being.  The stress that something, even out of good intentions, has turned toxic and it can do a lot to you.  Stress can effect a lot of your body and you don't generally realize it until you get a chance to detox.  If you step away from the cause, sometimes just as your mind has decided that you finally need to stop, that can start the healing process. 

Once you have accepted the path you need to take, even if it means burning bridges, or temporarily cutting ties, you might find the air less dense or less thin as it had been.  Your shoulders may stop slumping.  Your heart might feel lighter.  It'll still take time to fully recover, but you might be able to feel that you did what was best for you and your well-being.  Even if it isn't the best for all parties involved.