Role of family in health and disease Essay Example for Free

Role of family in wellness and disease EssayThe good health of an individual primarily appends the longevity of an individuals brio. The sphere of health has growthd far beyond the concept of health system of the previous generation, including exercise and offbeat. In this context, liberty means the right of the patient to choose the treatment that he believes is best for him. The intimate knowledge of the family regarding the individual aids the decision making process. When the individual is in poor health, his actions are limited thereby necessitating support from family and friends. melodic line When there is a common problem creating nisus, the whole family is stuck in a vicious daily round of negativity aggravating health related issues. When there is an increasing demand in the ability to cope, stress becomes a threat to the physical and emotional well-being of the others as well. centering is a psychological and physiological response to events that cause personal imbalance in life. Prolonged exposure to stress increases the risk to health as stress is cumulative. Anything that forces one to adjust is a stressor. These include a divorce, a child leaving home, a planned pregnancy, a move to a new town, a career change, graduating process, diagnosis of a malignant disease. These events are rare occurrences in a lifetime. Therefore, analyzing further, we conclude that major stressors are the daily hassles and demands do on an individual.i Family and relationships are the most common stressors, though environmental conditions can be strenuous. Arguments, financial conditions, marital disagreements, rebellious teens, or caring for a chronically ill family member or a child with special needs can increase stress levels of all the family members. Some of these situations have an impact on society. Therefore, poverty, financial pressures, racial and sexual discrimination or harassment, unemployment, isolation, and a lack of social support take a toll on the quality of life and become stressful to deal with.Stress Warning Signs and SymptomsiiCognitive Symptoms Emotional SymptomsMemory problemsIndecisivenessInability to concentratePoor judgmentAnxious or racing thoughtsConstant worryingLoss of objectivityFearful anticipationMoodinessAgitationRestlessnessIrritability, impatienceInability to relaxSense of loneliness and isolationDepression or general unhappinessPhysical SymptomsBehavioral SymptomsHeadaches or backachesMuscle tension and stiffnessDiarrhea or constipationNausea, dizzinessInsomnia agency pain, rapid heartbeatWeight gain or lossSkin breakouts (hives, eczema)Eating more or lessSleeping too much or too littleProcrastination, neglecting responsibilitiesUsing alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relaxNervous habits (e.g. nail biting,)Overdoing activities(e.g. exercising, shopping)Overreacting to unexpected problemsFAMILY judgeFamily stress is the imbalance between the demands of the family and its ability to cope. The wa y in which the family perceives the stressor explains the values and previous experiences of the family in meeting the crisis. The family is aided by resources like the external support provided by friends, colleagues and the community. The central mechanism through which the stress is eliminated or managed is Coping. The fol unkepting elements that we consider are the individual family member, the family system, the community to which the family belongs.Problem Statement Let us cite an example to prove that stress caused due to families will increase the health risk of all members. The concept of a broken family which is a major factor attributing to chronic stress will be examined in detail. The root cause of poverty and income disparity is undeniably imagineant on the presence or absence of the marriage. A married person be influenced by factors that inoculate that person against divorce. These include sharing a religious faith, getting married over the age of 25 and completin g education. All of these factors make to greater economic prosperity and remain a basis for good health. Broken families experience lower levels of educational achievement and wherefore earn less. They play along on the prospect of meager incomes and family instability to the next generation. Broken families arise from divorce, cohabitation, out of Wedlock childbirth.DivorceThe Monthly Vital Statistics report from the National centre of attention for health statistics has stated that the growth in the number of children born into broken families in America has risen to 58 for every 100 born in 1992 from 12 for every 100 born in 1950.iii It directly reduces the prosperity of the family. It determines the length of the poverty spell and is the greatest threat to women from the lower income families. It reduces the likelihood of summation formation. For a nuclear family, the family income averaged at $43,600, and when these same children lived with single parents, their family in come is reduced to an average income of $25,300.ivIt increases a mothers financial responsibility. Divorce and additional work hours strickle her network of support for parenting. These chronic stresses lead to physical and mental illness, addictions, even leading to suicide in some cases.There is a reduction in the educational accomplishments of the affected children. Therefore, their probable prosperity level remains unachieved. There is a rise in the chance of a teenage pregnancy. The family and social stress weakens their psychological and physical health, and predisposes them to rapid initiation of sexual relationships and higher levels of marital instability. It raises the probability in boys never to marry.v.For the father, factors like increased financial responsibility, greater chances of cohabiting, lessen parental influence, and addictions, decrease their performance at work. The relationship and work related stresses could trigger major health problems.CohabitationThes e couples express uncertainty about their marriage unneurotic and are probable to divorce at a rate higher mainly due to their inability to commit. The present generation exhibit that sex, living arrangements and parenting depend less on marriage.40% of the cohabiting couples have children, and 12% have had a biological child during cohabitation.vi 80 % of children who have lived with cohabiting parents will dismiss some of their childhood in a single-parent home.vii Cohabiting marks future weakness in the income gained by a nuclear family, tending to aggravate the social and economic stresses caused to the children. There is a growing acceptance of illicit relationships and premarital sex amongst children of the adolescence stage. This leads to increase in teenage pregnancy. The stress caused by the family coupled with stresses created by the society make it effortful for the children to cope with. They increase anxiety and temper related issues and mental stress. They tend to experience behavioral problems.Living together creates an imbalance in the emotional and financial security of an individual. These chronic stresses affect the health of the individual.Out-of-Wedlock This situation derails progress towards achieving a stable family structure and good health. Most teenage mothers remain single parentsviii. Their children spend more time in poverty and appalling living conditions in comparison to children from any other family structure. They manifest behavioral problems like anxiety, depression, require psychiatrical care, and have tendencies to commit suicide. They are likely to exhibit antisocial behavior. Their risk factors multiply with a downward spiral in health. The probability of low-birth weight and low neo-natal health index scores is the highest in births arising out-of-wedlock. The mothers exhibit increased maternal depression levels. Children from broken families are likely to abuse themselves and therefore harm their well-being. The im mune system of these children functions at a rapid rate under chronic stress, thereby rendering them to infectious diseases.WAYS TO PREVENT FAMILY STRESS In stressful circumstances, nutritious meals, exercises, building self-resilience, relaxation techniques and sleep, thinking optimistically, use of social support networks, professional psychotherapy, and sharing the stress maintain health. The Holmes- Rahe Life Stress Inventory is a scale that rates social adjustment and the susceptibility to a breakdown caused by stress.ix. Ways to prevent stress arex elate key concepts about personalities, families, communication, make wise child conception or adoption choicesApply this knowledge in daily life. One can increase nurturance levels in family by effective problem solving, clarity in thinking, listing communication strengths, and removing blocks for unconscious toxic habitsUnderstand personal and family policies on feeling and expressing tribulation or anger, upgrade appropriate per sonal values and attitudes, keep the family members informed and evolve pro-grief policiesUnderstand if there are others in the family who are grieving their losses. Then, it is evenly important to share and discuss healthy grieving and to use a qualified therapist to heal the wounds.ConclusionGenetic variations and experiences of a lifetime increase sensitivity to stress.Chronic stress damages cardiovascular system and immune system suppression. It compromises the ability to fight disease and affects mental health.Medical conditions that are caused by stress includeChronic pain, migraines, ulcers, high blood pressure, anxiety, depressionHeart disease, diabetes, asthma, pms, obesityInfertility, autoimmune diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, skin problemsChildren from broken families are given up to anxiety and depression related health problems and emotional disorders.There is a decrease in economic prosperity and educational achievementsThe negative impact caused by stress can be reduced by increasing commitment within family members, use of social support networks and self-improvement.Children from stable families achieve higher levels in education, prosper well, make committed and strong relationships, further, and establish a high nurtured environment for their children unlike children from broken families.i Mc Cubbin IH, Patterson MJ.The Family Stress Process The double ABCX sticker of adjustment and adaption. Marriage and Family review.1983.6(1-2)37-7.ii Jaffe E, Smith M, Larson H, Segal J. Understanding stress online 2007 cited 2008 June 25. Available fromURLhttp//www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htmliii The federal statistics system is unable to provide accurate data on the number of children from broken families as the National Center for Health Statistics and the Bureau of the Census does not collect the complete data on divorce now.1992.iv Corcoran E M, Chaudry A. The Dynamics of Childhood Poverty .In Future of Children.1997. Vol. 7, No. 2 ,pp. 40-54, quoting from G. J. Duncan et al., unpublished research paper, Survey Research Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1994.Lone-Parent Families in the United States, In Dynamics, Economic Status, and developmental Consequences.v Bumpass LL, Martin CT, Sweet AJ. The regard of Family Background and Early Marital Factors on Marital Disruption,In Journal of Family Issues.1991. Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 22-42.vi Bumpass et al., The Role of Cohabitation in Declining Rates of Marriage, In Journal of Family Issues.1991.Vol 12, No.1, pp.22-42.vii Bumpass et al., The Impact of Family Background.viii Hotz VJ, McElroy SW, Sanders SG. The Impacts of Teenage Childbearing on the Mothers and the Consequences of those Impacts for Government, In Maynard RA, editors, Urban Institute Press, Washington DC. Economic costs and social costs of teenage pregnancy, In Kids having kids. 1997. pp-55-94.ix The Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory Document on the internet. cited 2008 Jun 25. Available from http//www.bhicares.org/pdf/manual/indepthassessment/homesrahestressinventory.pdfx Gerlach KP, Three ways to prevent family stress and divorce, In High Nurturance Family Relationships. 2008. Cited,2008 Jun 25.Available from http//sfhelp.org/prevent/intro.htm