Michaels Stress - Case Study Example

Download file to see previous pages Michael would like to change his job responsibilities to be more adaptive to a broader visitation schedule, however the financial worries associated with his move seems to conflict with his ethical and emotional stability, thus creating anxiety and physical health problems. This scenario is causing conflict so intense that it is physically impacting Michael’s long-term health prospects. Additionally, workplace concerns over potentially losing his job further complicates his ability to approach the situation as it would lead to financial ruin and homelessness associated with unemployment. He worries, essentially, that he would be short-listed as a potential layoff candidate if he were to ask his superiors to adjust his schedule. Question 2 Fortunately, Michael is fully functional and there is no evidence that his own self-concept or self-esteem has been impacted negatively. It is mostly the anxiety caused by a variety of family-related and workplace-related situations that are causing his frustration and internal conflict. Anxiety is not necessarily a product of self-esteem problems, but is an outcome of externalized stressors that are creating the scenario where Michael must choose between two consequences, both of which maintain negative consequences if he approaches them in the pursuit of improving his family lifestyle. Michael seems to be withdrawing from his problems by avoiding managing them, such as asking his superiors for a more flexible schedule. There is no evidence that his self-concept has been affected negatively, only that Michael seems to have a lower locus of control, meaning that he believes external scenarios are directly responsible for his problems. Otherwise, Michael does not seem to manifest long-term self-esteem problems. Question 3 Adjustment is defined as “any effort to cope with stress, whether successful or not” (Morris & Maisto, 2005, p.452). Michael, as a fully functional person, is weighing the demands of his external environment against his desire for more realistic possibilities related to his career and his family life. He seems to understand, fully, the burdens that the external environment places on his life and feels trapped by circumstance with his externalized locus of control beliefs. His recent life changes have left him unable to adjust successfully, however he is at least not manifesting more complicated emotional or cognitive problems such as avoidance or concentrated withdrawal. He is clearly feeling pressured by what is occurring in his work life and family life and is doing the best he can to maintain a positive outlook despite the consequences of approaching the situation with direct confrontation. In Michael’s case, personal growth can be achieved, since he really is affected by circumstances out of his control, through exercise, meditation, and practical physician visits or counseling sessions. Question 4 Michael, again, shows all of the traditional signs of a fully functional person and does not seem to be manifesting any of the traditional defense mechanisms commonly found in such scenarios. He recognizes the source, effectively, of his problems and considers their impact if he were to confront them head-on. For example, he is not projecting his anger, denying the existence of the problem, or displacing his feelings by shifting his aggressions onto another person or object, as described by Freudian beliefs related to defense mechanisms. Instead, Michael is simply allowing his externalized stressors to create physical symptoms that could be controlled with active counseling and a trained person to help him work through his difficult ...Download file to see next pagesRead More