Psychology

Stress is experienced by all people regardless of place and culture. Culture, along with other factors such as sources of stress, experiences in life, and form of treatment plans, influences stress and stress management. Cultural biases are very evident in stress management plans and in the application of treatments.

This paper will be presenting various stress management treatment plans applied in different situations. Most philosophies behind stress management treatment plans are influenced by Western culture. For each given situation, the problem will be discussed. The goals of the therapy will be presented along with the methods which will be explained in detail. The treatment methods are expected to be more technological, physiological, and direct but still somatic in nature. A personal situation that will be talked about later will employ the Stress Inoculation Training (SIT) which is more rational and coherent.

Philosophical and socio-cultural aspects of stress management are very essential in assessing stress responses among individuals. Stress management treatment plans are not only based on clinical knowledge and empirical data but also on the understanding of history and culture. To cite an example, stress-induced diseases like hypertension and cancer are caused by the modernization of human life. The modern-day culture of the society exposes individuals to high levels of stressors.

Migration, age, and status affect the mental state of an individual. (Lehrer, et.al., 2007). Immigrants to any country have higher chances of being stressed since they are exposed to different types of environment. Young people are more exposed to diverse behavioral patterns and problems that is why they are more likely to be depressed. Social status dictates the psychological condition of an individual. For instance, people with a relatively low social status in life tend to be more discontented causing them to desire for more things. Due to their low social status, they are unable to acquire pleasures causing them to be depressed.

In the first situation, a 65-year old female suffers from hypochondriasis after going through a difficult divorce one year ago. Hypochondriasis is a disease induced by stress. Consequently, stress was induced by a social factor which is marriage. Age could also be a factor in the health situation of the individual under study.

Social anomalies contribute to stress. In the given situation, a problem with marriage was the major factor in distress of the female. The contemporary society is characterized by the formation of various social institutions where there should be social order. These social institutions are marriage, family, organization and government.

Marriage status usually dictates what a person can or cannot do. The goal of the treatment plan is to help the female adjust to her marriage status. Since the female is going through a difficult divorce, she finds it hard to assess her capabilities. She feels that she needs someone in order for her to be successful, and that is her husband. She then undergoes tremendous stress because of the loss of her husband.

First, the female should have a self-assessment. In this way, the female will be able to appraise her coping capabilities on the situation. Her emotional and physical situation will both be considered. Schemas will be developed to help the female estimate the demands of her marriage status. She discerns what is more important to her  marriage, health, or both.

The next step is for the female to have a secondary appraisal and reassess her coping skills and capabilities after a thorough self-examination. Secondary appraisal will be conducted along with the females significant others. Since the female is going through a difficult divorce, she should seek for social support to help her cope with the situation. The society can help her establish a good and stable support system that can help her develop a functional character and a healthy being. Her emotional responses regarding the situation can facilitate in the assessment of her health situation. Her response should be away from fears and disbeliefs which can add up to the stress she is experiencing right now and eventually, worsen her health situation. Her response should be aimed toward an effective and functional individual regardless of the stress she has gone through. The stress management plan is expected to last for about three months because the health status of the female will be considered.

The second situation deals with a 40-year old Hispanic male with a Type A personality who had a heart attack recently. Type A personality along with Type B personality are considered as risk factors for diseases of the heart. A person with Type A personality is characterized by time consciousness, competitiveness, aggressiveness, and status orientation. A person with this personality is most likely to be an achiever. This type of people is oriented towards superiority which is later interpreted as stressors. (Bates, 2006).

Stress and depression may take in many forms. As mentioned earlier, stress is influenced by socio-cultural factors. Hispanic depression is cultural and sociological. Changes in the environment caused the evolution of Hispanics. Hispanics are those people who experience stress and depression through physical impairments. They usually experience body pains, headaches, and the like. Their behavioral patterns tend to be affected by the changes in their physical state. To cite an example, Hispanics have changed their eating habits, sleeping patterns, and behaviors.

The client featured in the second situation needs to undergo effective stress management. The goal of the stress management plan for this individual is for the person to be able to adapt to his personality. The client should also be more patient and should lessen his time urgency as well. This can prevent him from being irritable and frustrated. He should try to be less competitive and less oriented towards achievement. The problem with a person with type A personality is that he wants to achieve more and to desire for the best. His longing for achievement and excellence causes him to be stressed because he tends to do more.

He should be overt in order for him to be properly exposed to his environment. Thus, he should avoid being workaholic and reduce stress-related activities. According to Friedman (1996), the symptoms of type A personality are easily recognizable that is why a person can be easily prevented from acquiring this type of personality. Time duration is expected to be one month since the stress management plan will focus on the intrapersonal phase of the person.

The third situation deals with a 19-year-old returning Iraqi veteran who believes his posttraumatic symptoms are interfering with his ability to return to work. Posttraumatic symptoms are considered to be brought by post-traumatic syndrome also known as post-concussion syndrome. This set of symptoms is experienced by a person for a number of days, weeks, months or even years, depending on the adjustment period of the person suffering from a trauma. Post-traumatic syndrome causes a person to malfunction physically and behaviorally. A person who suffers from post-trauma usually experiences headache and irritability. People who suffer from post-traumatic syndrome often seek for physical and behavioral therapy. In the short run, they can take pain relievers to ease physical pain. The most advisable form of physical therapy is rest. Enough rest will enable the individual to function properly and go back to his normal situation. (Lehrer, et.al., 2007).

In the given situation, the Iraqi veteran is disturbed by the trauma. He finds it hard to go back to work because his normal functioning as an individual is perturbed by the awful experiences of his being an Iraqi war veteran. The goal of the stress management plan is to improve the condition of the war veteran by helping him recover from his trauma. Since he was a war veteran, he had a bad environment which added up to his trauma. The stress management plan should help him wipe out those negative experiences and replace them with positive outlooks in life. His emotions will be given attention and his thoughts will be improved. This stress management plan enhances the coping capabilities of the individual, thus, enabling him to act normal and unstressed.

The stress management plan will involve interpersonal interaction with a counselor who will help him recover from his trauma. Clinical treatments are the most helpful in treating his condition. Plan will last for two months depending on his reaction and responses.

Stress Inoculation Training (SIT) is a form of cognitive-behavioral training. It is multifaceted because it explores the experience of an individual undergoing stress which is interpreted in various perspectives. (Terell, 2007). SIT identifies stressors which aid in the proper treatment of the stressed individual.  The individual is exposed to different factors which may help him identify the stress he is experiencing, and also adjust to his current situation.

SIT is different from the other cognitive-behavioral training because it is universal. SIT is designed to be applied to different types of people regardless of age, gender, culture, and social status. It does not come up with a specific plan unlike the other forms of cognitive-behavioral therapy. The individual under this training enhances his coping capabilities and skills in order to develop a new attitude.  His current state of mind will be altered and usher in a new way of psychology.

The first step in the Stress Inoculation Training is conceptualization. The source of stress is identified through interviews with the person involved and the people in his environment. The individual and his situation is assessed and evaluated for possible psychological and behavioral conclusions.

In the given situation, first, I will let the person narrate her story in details. From her narration, I will identify the stressors involved in her situation. Inquiry will be in the form of deductive question and answer. We should be able to dig into details and explain why the situation happened. Short-term or long-term behavioral stress management plan goals will the be established. The most important thing to do is to let her have a self-appraisal. Seen this way, she is able to engage herself in different feelings and behaviors based on her assessment of her current situation. She scrutinizes her current situation and finds answer to every question she has on her mind.

The next step is to identify the degree of coping difficulty. This is important so that she may take appropriate steps in managing her stress. The significant others of the person should also be considered. They will play a major role in helping the person cope up with her distress. Appraisal will again be done but this time, it will be executed with the help of her significant others.

The second phase involves the recognition of her coping capabilities and skills. There are various ways of coping with a stressful situation based on a persons extent. It depends on her what mode of coping she prefers. For example, if she chooses to cope with the situation interpersonally, then the help of her significant others is needed. In the intrapersonal point, it is important if the woman knows how to manipulate her current situation into a manageable one. It depends on her wise choices and careful decisions.

Skills training is a part of stress management. She should practice solving problems in hypothetical situations. In this way, she is able to weigh down choices and learn to prioritize things. She also learns to anticipate difficulties and problems that may arise during the stress management process. She prepares herself for possible stressors that she may encounter as soon as she is relieved from stress. Thus, she prevents herself from being exposed to stress and its forms.

The final phase of the SIT is the application of the coping mechanisms and skills developed. This phase encourages her to be more vigilant and prepared. Moreover, this phase develops new coping techniques and skills. Through these new skills, the individual anticipates possible stressful situations and the likelihood of their occurrence. The use of imagery is helpful in the execution. I will expose her to different imaginary stressful situations at an early point. I will assess her coping capabilities and assess her improvement, if there are any. Through this training, she develops an early response system which enables her to be more prepared for a possible stressful situation. She should develop a new stressors detection system which helps her to anticipate possible stressful situations. Her environment and her actions contribute to the stressors. It is also recommended she has self-control. I will reiterate to her that escape is not a form of avoidance but rather a form of self-control.
Follow-up sessions are encouraged in order to stabilize her mental and psychological state. It is important to include her significant others. These people aid in the stress management of the individual. It is also relevant to know if some people also encountered the same problem that she has encountered. It will be beneficial to me because the individual will serve as a resource person. This makes it easier for her to cope up with stress most especially if the person with the same situation effectively managed his stress.

Lastly, the stress inoculation training helps the individual to develop his coping capabilities and skills in order to have effective stress management. In a situation where solution is not readily available, effective stress management helps the individual to easily cope with the situation. Various forms of physical and cognitive-behavioral treatments are available. According to Terell (2007), Stress Inoculation Training is a form of immunization where the person undergoes attitude change. Stress level can be more complicated if we feel that we are helpless and hopeless regarding the solution of the problem thats why we have our significant others. It is always advisable to predict the possible consequences of such situations. A sensible behavioral plan helps us to conveniently and successfully cope up with stressors.