The New Family Norm
Personality theories
A theory can be defined as a theory of reality which helps in understanding, explaining, predicting and controlling that reality. A theory can also be defined as a guide to action. Mostly when we talk about the personality of a person, we are talking about the behavior that makes that person different from others perhaps unique. This feature of personality is referred to as individual differences. As it is evident, some people are neurotic, others are not, and others are more introverted while other people are more extroverted and so on. Erik Erikson and Sigmund Freud are some of the known thinkers behind some of the best personality theories.
The personality theories include biological theories, behavioral theories, psychodynamic theories, humanist theories, trait theories. Biological theories suggest that the genetics of a person are responsible for their personality. A research on heritability indicates that there is a connection between personality traits and genetics. Hans Eysenck was one of the biological theorists who linked biological processes to the aspects of personality. Eysenck suggested that introverts have high cortical arousal hence they avoid stimulation while extroverts have low cortical arousal leading them to seek stimulating experiences. Behavioral theories say that personality is a product of the interaction between an individual and the environment. The theorists behind these theories study measurable and observable behaviors and a result they do not agree with theories that take into account internal feelings and thoughts.
Sigmund Freud has a heavy influence on the psychodynamic personality theories and he emphasizes the influence of childhood experiences and the unconscious mind on personality. The psychodynamic theories of personality include Stages of Psychosocial Development by Erik Erikson and Psychosexual Stage Theory by Sigmund Freud. Sigmund Freud believed that the three personality components were the id, ego and the superego. He suggested that the id is responsible for all the urges and needs while the superego is responsible for moral and ideals. The ego regulates between the demands of the superego, the id and reality. Erik suggested that personality progresses through a series of stages with conflicts coming up at every stage. He continued to say that the success on the stages was depended upon the success of overcoming the conflicts.
Humanist theories stress on the importance of individual experience and free will in the development of a person’s personality. Theorists behind the humanist theories emphasized the model of self actualization which is an innate requirement for personal growth which motivates the behavior of a person. Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers are the theorists who came up with the Humanist Theory. The approach of trait theory is one of the biggest areas in the personality psychology. This theory suggests that personality is a composition of a number of other broad traits. The five factor theory and the Eysenck’s three dimension theory are some of the well known trait theories.
Types of stress
Stress can be defined as a type of change which causes psychological, physical or emotional strain. Nevertheless, not every type of stress is negative or harmful. The different types of stress we encounter include: acute stress, episodic acute stress and chronic stress. Acute stress is the most regular type of stress. Acute stress comes from pressures and demands of the near past and also the anticipated pressures and demands of the near future. This type of stress is exciting and thrilling in small doses even though too much of it is very exhausting. An example is a run down a very challenging ski slope early in the day is exhilarating. The same ski late in the day can be wearing and taxing. A ski that is beyond a person’s limit can lead to broken bones. Similarly, overdoing on a short term stress leads to tension headaches, psychological distress, stomach upsets and other symptoms.
Because acute stress is short term, it does not have time to do the extensive damages that are associated with long term stresses. The effects of acute stress include emotional distress, muscular problems, stomach problems and elevation in blood pressure. When acute stress crops up in a person’s life, it is highly manageable and treatable. However, there are people who frequently suffer from acute stress. They are always in hurry but every time they are late. They take too much. They are not able to organize the swing of pressures and demands that are self-inflicted hence screeching for attention. Such people are said to suffer from episodic stress. They seem to suffer from unending acute stress. Often, people suffering from acute stress are short-tempered, over aroused, anxious, tense and irritable. They are often described to have high nervous energy. Their interpersonal relationships worsen rapidly while other people respond with a real hostility and as such working environments become stressful places for them.
Episodic acute stress has another form which is as a result of ceaseless worry. These people see disaster and catastrophe in all situations. They are seen to be tense and over aroused, but they are more depressed and anxious than hostile and angry. In most cases, personality and lifestyle issues are very connected and habitual to these people that they do not see anything wrong with the manner in which they conduct themselves. They always blame their problems on others and the external events. Most often, they view their pattern of interaction with others, lifestyle and the way they perceive the world as a part of what and who they are. Persons suffering from episodic acute stress are severely resistant to changes. Promise of reprieve from discomfort and pain is the only thing that can bring them back on track and in treatment of their program of recovery.
Chronic stress is referred to as grinding stress which wears a person each and every day. This stress destroys minds, bodies and even lives of people. It causes havoc after long abrasion. Chronic stress is the stress associated with dysfunctional families, poverty, unhappy marriages or despised career. It can be described as stress of unending troubles. Some chronic stress can result from traumatic childhood experiences which are internalized and as such they remain present and painful and they even affect personality and the worst part of the chronic stress is that sufferers get used to it. Chronic stress results to death through violence, suicide, stroke, heart attack and even cancer. Because mental and physical resources are exhausted due to long term abrasion, chronic stress is not easy to treat. Complete treatment of chronic stress requires an extended medical in addition to stress management and behavioral treatment .
Effects of stress on family
Not many people would disagree if one suggested that there is nothing like a perfect family. Nowadays, it is very difficult to find a family that is happy, stress free, relieved and united. The levels of stress in today’s families have continued to increase tremendously. For the reasons that a family is a closely bonded institution, the problem on one family member easily becomes the problem of the other family members. This causes increased stress levels for the entire family. Family members suffer from stress due to very busy schedules and also have so much they are supposed to do in a very short span of time and as a result they do not find time to speak to each other or even share the problems they are facing.
Some effects of stress on a family include family quarrels which are one of the most common results of stress as stressed people do not have the ability to stay calm for long periods of time. Family members lose their temperament and finally it damages the life of the entire family. Another effect of stress to a family is less or no communication amongst members of the family and as such they do not settle their differences at all. Stress can also lead to poor health of the family members as different people do respond differently to stress. Others stop eating while others eat a lot of food when they are stressed.
Coping with stress
At times, it may seem there is nothing one can do to get rid of stress. However, there is much control than one might think. The simple realization that one is in control of their life is the beginning of stress management. Coping with stress is all about being in charge of one’s emotions, thoughts, schedules and the manner in which one deals with problems. Coping with stress can be broken into the following stages: Identifying the source of the stress, evaluating the ways in which one handles their stress, avoiding unnecessary stress, adopting the stressor, accepting things that can’t be changed, making time for relaxation and adopting a healthy lifestyle.
References
Ackard, D.M., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Story, M., & Perry, C. "Managing Stress for a Healthy Family." American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2006): 59-66.
Lindzey., Calvin S. Hall and Gardner. Theories of Personality. NewYork: John Wiley and Sons, 1998.
Melinda Smith, M.A. and Robert Segal. Stress management. 17 June 2012. 25 October 2012.
Rychlak., Joseph F. Introduction to Personality and Psychotherapy. Boston: Houghto Mifflin, 1973.
