Reacting to Stressor Events and Danger

This week, I learned about stressor events that affect individuals and families throughout life. I learned about both effective and ineffective ways of responding to and coping with these events. I learned about the ABCX family crisis model, how stressful events can turn into family crises, and what it takes for a family to pull through a crisis. Finally, I learned how the brain reacts when faced with danger. 

In the ABCX family crisis model, A, B, and C add up to make X. A is the stressor event and the difficulties it brings. B is how the family copes and uses its resources to deal with the event. If a family seeks out help, they are more likely to get through a challenge. Lastly, C is how the family views and defines the situation. If they see it as something catastrophic, they are less likely to get through it. If they view it as something that can strengthen their family, it will be easier for them to handle. X is the outcome; it can either become a crisis, or just something to be overcome. Stressor events turn into crises if it is something the family is unequipped to handle, or even if they just view it as something too difficult to overcome. 

Ineffective ways of coping with a stressor event include denial, avoidance, and scapegoating. These behaviors don't help to resolve anything, and it can cause things to get worse as the issue is allowed to continue. Scapegoating not only does not help the situation, but it also hurts the targeted individual. On the other hand, there are many things that a family can do to pull together and get through a challenging time. Some of these include having good communication between family members, being able to manage conflict well, having family traditions, accepting each family member as they are, and a having a strong commitment to the family. For spouses in particular, some things they can do to stay strong through tough times are go on dates, show expressions of love, and continue family routines. When spouses feel that they need some space and time, that is often when it is most important for them to draw together.

The top 5 most severe family stressors are as follows: the death of a child, the death of a spouse/parent, the separation or divorce of spouse/parent, physical or sexual abuse or violence between family members, and if a family member becomes physically disabled or chronically ill. Another extremely difficult stressor not in the top five is the abuse of drugs and/or alcohol. During any of these events, for a family to get through it and maybe even come out stronger, they need to pull together and decide on ways to make things better. This includes reaching out to family, friends, and the community for help.

In a slightly different vein, I learned about how three main parts of the brain act when things are okay and how they react when danger arises. One part is the frontal lobe, which is in charge of logic, decision making, and creativity. Another part, the limbic system, is over emotions, and controls the brain's automatic responses in the face of danger. Lastly, the brain stem regulates the body's metabolic functions, such as breathing, heart rate, sleep cycles, and digestion. When confronted with danger, the limbic system takes over, and the frontal lobe mostly shuts down. The brain stem increases heart rate and breathing, and it decreases digestion. Your body prepares to protect you, either following the pattern of fight, flight, or freeze. When the body reacts in a similar way to a perceived, but not necessarily real, threat, we tend to refer to it as anxiety. The mind perceives danger, and acts accordingly. This is why thinking and focusing is difficult with anxiety; the frontal lobe is not very active. Depression can occur when the mind perceives that there is no escaping the danger. Understanding this helps us realize how important it is to have control over our thoughts.