Americans are stressed out and it may come as no surprise that the economy is to blame.

A new study by the American Psychological Association showed that 80 percent of Americans cite the economy as a major source of stress. That’s up from 66 percent in April.

In the Portland area, it’s no different. Local crisis centers report the phones have been ringing off the hook.

“We received an increase of 600 calls in the last month over the previous month,” said Leslie Storm, Director of the Crisis Line program at the Oregon Partnership Call Center. “We typically do not see that type of spike.”

Storm said that in the past few days, the center received between 15 calls from people in despair about their finances. On a usual day that number is one.

“We're seeing a rise in people saying I've lost my job, I've lost my health insurance, I don't know how I'm going to pay my rent,” Storm said. “Things that are directly related to the headlines. It's upsetting. It's really upsetting.”

She said many callers are turning to drugs and alcohol to deal with stress.

Storm said the center is receiving more calls from men than women.

“One gentleman called and said his wife had been in an accident and she lost her job and therefore they were no longer able to pay their rent,” Storm said. “So he, his wife, and their three kids were living in their car.”

More calls are also coming into Mental Health professionals at Kaiser Permanente Northwest. Officials there said, people are laying awake at night, worrying about their finances. Many are calling for sleeping pill prescriptions.

Storm said there are lot’s of simple ways to deal with stress. She advises taking a walk, eating a nutritious meal, calling a trusted friend or family member or spending time with a pet.

If that doesn’t help, call a professional. The LifeLine hotline is 1-800-273-TALK.