Stress Case Study: How One Woman Manages Her Stress

Identified risks and resilience factors in Max’s life 

The following are the risks factors in Max’s life: 

First, Max works a lot of hours that include rotating shifts for both evenings and weekends that makes him strain because the body needs enough rest and when stretched or overworked can result to other health complications in both the short-term and long-term. He has no control over the decisions relating to the workload that Max gets daily and, hence, makes it difficult for him to plan his job. Working a lot of hours without rest, hence, becomes risky to Max life. The second risk factor that Max experiences is a financial strain as he is the sole provider amidst growing demands and needs of the family. He has no other options or alternatives to additional financial income other than relying on the job income to meet his needs as well as the family. Third, Max eats a diet high in fats and smokes on a daily basis that is a risk factor in his life as they have proved over time through evident research that such type of diet and smoking habits can lead to chronic diseases such as heart failure and heart diseases, diabetes and cancer among others. Fourthly, the neighborhood that Max lives in that has become unsafe, overcrowded and high in crime increases his risks to encounter negative consequences resulting from the external factors that affect his life and health either directly or indirectly. On the contrary, Max lifestyle also notes some positive measures and steps that he has taken as part of his lifestyle that increased the resilience in his life enabling him to cope with the stress and challenges encountered in life. 

Resilience factors in Max’s life: 

The first is Max is married and as a family person and has two small children with a family dog that help comfort him and give him hope for the future as well as urge to work harder and succeed in bringing up his family. Second, the vast social structure that Max has includes family, and good friends give him assurance of support of any nature if he requires of them. The pool of friends, thus, gives him courage and shoulder to lean on when the need might arise relating to challenges and opportunities in his life. Third, Max attitude, desire and vision of him as a good family man keeps encouraging him and ensure he stays focused in the course of realizing his dream and vision even in situations that he might experience challenges in life and things not working the way he had projected or anticipated. Further, he still focuses on his vision as a result of the positive attitude towards family life and in particular as a loving husband and father of his two children. The busy city where Max and his family live also has opportunities that Max or the wife can exploit to support the family and provide additional income for the family and address the increasing financial needs. Lastly, Max exercises regularly that have enabled him keep fit and, hence, fulfill his job requirements as well as help him stay in shape as far as health matters are concerned. Exercise has many benefits, and in the contemporary times, many health professionals have encouraged people to use regularly as among the measures that support preventive health care services (Langhammer, Stanghelle & Lindmark, 2008). 

Factors put him at risk for stress and disease and which buffer him against stress and help him to cope 

The factors that put Max at the risk of stress and illness include the following. First, his habit of eating food or having a diet high in fats puts him at risk of developing obesity that can result in high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The condition is highly linked to coronary heart disease and stroke as well as diabetes among another chronic disease such as cancer. Treatment of such diseases is also expensive that many people have strained to acquire the resources and, hence, if Max might get such diseases resulting from his unhealthy fat diet. It adds more stress family (Arditti, 2015). Secondly, the habit of smoking on a daily basis would lead to addiction that also causes for much heart and lung disease that are chronic and expensive to treat, that if it can add more stress to him. Also, cigarettes are expensive are not a basic need that can be done with. If Max quits smoking and directs that money to important issues such as supporting the family, it might help him not only avoid diseases that can result from smoking habits, but also enables him stabilize financially and, hence, eliminate stress he is experiencing as a result of financial strain. Max works for many hours without enough rest including weekends and evenings shifts to raise enough income for the family and has no control over the workload that he handles. He is, thus, prone to exploitation and overworking that can result in body fatigue and even disease if not handled properly. It can be a cause for more stress as when the mind and body are worked out, the output and work rate drops that can be a cause of incompetence that can make him lose his job at the automobile assembly plant, hence, can be a source of stress and disease. Finally, The city that Max live in is overcrowded and insecure, and this can be a cause of panic and stress especially as a man who has a responsibility to protect his family. Lack of safety and security that is a major factor for any development to take place can result in developing stress because it creates fear and increase vulnerabilities. 

The factors that help him buffer against stress and help him cope include: First, has a job that earns him an income despite the fact that it is not sufficient enough to meet all his family needs. Secondly, Max has a positive attitude towards family and wants to provide the best to his family as a family man, father, and husband and, therefore, it encourages him and gives him hope even amidst challenges. He is trying and has provided the family pet (dog) that they can have fun playing with and other family support. Thirdly, Max exercises regularly and it helps him keep stress away as well as prevent disease and condition such as obesity that can lead to chronic illness expensive to treat (Martínez Larrad et al., 2016). Finally, his broad social networks of a good friend and family enable him to share and ask for help from his friends when the need might arise to overcome challenges that he experiences and, hence, help him cope with stress and disease. 

Explanation of each factor as a risk or resilience factor and how it is related to stress, disease, or coping 

Overworking results to fatigue that can cause stress and a drop in production by employees. It might in the worst situation lead to loss of a job that can increase more stress to family and result in other negative consequences such as family break-up among others. The financial strain experienced by Max as a sole provider causes stress that has increased the frequency of arguments with his wife. He needs to look for an alternative or other ways of getting additional income to manage the ballooning family expenses. Diets rich in fats and smoking habits have caused many diseases that are chronic related to stroke and coronary heart disease. Also, cigarettes are also expensive and the money, when channeled to pressing family needs, can eliminate stress as well as prevent diseases related to smoking. The overcrowded neighborhood that is also insecure increases stresses not only to Max but also his family. Continuous stress can also lead to developing other health challenges such as diabetes and high blood pressure. 

On the resilience, Max is married and is a responsible man with a family that helps him comfort and cope with challenges of life. His friends and family also help him deal with stress by sharing his thoughts and experiences with them as well as getting support from them in times of need. His attitude towards family enables him to deal with challenges and ensure his family remains intact despite the challenges realized in life. The city gives him and his family opportunities to exploit on additional ways to increase their income and, hence, help him cope with the challenges experienced. Finally, exercises that he has chosen as part of his lifestyle helps him avoid disease and cope with his unhealthy eating habits of diets rich in fats and possible disease in future related to obesity. 

References  

Arditti, J. A. (2015). Family Problems: Stress, Risk, and Resilience . Malden, MA : Wiley-Blackwell 

Langhammer, B., Stanghelle, J. K., & Lindmark, B. (2008). Exercise and health-related quality of life during the first year following acute stroke. A randomized controlled trial. Brain Injury , 22(2), 135-145. 

Martínez Larrad, M. T., Corbatón Anchuelo, A., Fernández Pérez, C., Pérez Barba, M., Lazcano Redondo, Y., Serrano Ríos, M., & null, n. (2016). Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk: Variations in Visfatin Gene Can Modify the Obesity Associated Cardiovascular Risk. Results from the Segovia Population Based-Study. Spain. Plos ONE , 11(5): 1-11.