Stress

I think stress is a very important topic to be covered, especially since we are college student and well-college is very stressful. In the book the book it states that accumulated stress over time, including daily hassles, are more devastating than an isolated major stress. The book used a good example of Hurricane Katrina. Years after the tragedy occurred, half were resilient while half were still traumatized. Those who were still traumatized from the hurricane weren’t traumatized from the hurricane but from the ongoing problems that occurred after the hurricane. These problems included frequent moving, changes who the caregiver, changes in school, and other problems. How a person reacts to an event can impact the stress.  If a person interprets events connected to their family’s poverty as a personal threats it will be more stressful for them.  But if I person does not take it personally and their family was not chaotic they are more resilient. A really stressful event could be conflict between their parents, especially if they think they are the reason for it. The book states “when children do not perceive that marital conflict is threatening to them and do not blame themselves they are much less troubled.”(355) Myself, and I’m sure many other students, can relate this back to themselves. As for me, I knew by parent’s marital conflict and nothing to do with me so it wasn’t that stressful. I think for everyone there is definitely stressed involved but how you perceive there problem amount in the stress level.