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WTL

STRESS

2. Stress, Culture, & Coping

● What is the relationship between stress and culture?

The relationship between stress and culture is that cultures impart belief systems that could

change the way people make meaning of stress. For example, Christianity says same-sex

attraction/marriage is wrong so many people who are LQBTQ hide out which can cause them

stress. Both stress and culture combined are called culture stress. Cultural stress is the stress that

results from adapting to a new way of life in a different culture. For example, moving from a

place one grew up in into a brand new place with different accustoms can cause stress and

isolation. Overall, culture has its own stress involved therefore it plays a role in stress.

● What is the relationship between coping and culture?

The relationship between coping and culture is that a person's choice of coping skills in any

given circumstance is influenced by their culture. For example, in the Latinx culture going to

therapy is seen as a bad thing. For some Latinx people, therapy is needed as a coping skill, so to

not bring shame to their culture they choose an alternative coping skill which could sometimes

not be the better option. Having coping skills can also help decrease the cultural stress one may

feel which was discussed in the previous question. For example, good coping skills to use to

overcome cultural stress are to learn and share knowledge of different cultures, work on

communication skills in that culture politely, and participate in any traditions they may have. In

conclusion, having coping can create stability in culture.

3. Take The College Undergraduate Stress Scale

● What aspects of college life do you find most stressful?

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Some aspects of college life I find most stressful will have to be living on my own. Before

college, I would depend on my parents to cook for me, be there for me when I was sick, and tell

me what to do overall. I would also depend on my parents for transportation which leads me to

my second stressor, I do not drive and it makes me feel useless because I cannot get around or

even find a job. College is self-paced however, it is tough to lose track of time which is another

aspect of college that I find stressful. I sometimes lose track of time to eat or go to the gym,

which later affects my physical health and makes me feel insecure. Last but not least the grades

aspect of college stress, my current GPA is not good but also not that bad which is why I want

to bring up my grades and have all A’s this semester.

● What makes these aspects more stressful than other aspects of your life?

What makes these aspects more stressful than other aspects of my life is that all these aspects

affect me mentally. Living on my own makes me miss my family which leads to me falling into a

depression episode. Having no transportation for me to get a job stresses me out because my dad

is struggling financially so I want to help out and this stress just causes more cortisol stress in my

body to create more body fat. Having no time to eat healthily or to eat in general and go to the

gym affects me mentally by increasing my body dysmorphia. Then again last but not least my

grades in college, I want to have all A’s this semester to make my parents proud and to increase

my GPA so I can get accepted into TWU’s Dental Hygiene program. It is very important for me

to graduate and make it so I can honor my parents and their sacrifices which is why these aspects

of college that stress me out are more stressful than any other.

PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS
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3. Your friend Noriko emails you. She is worried about her brother. He's depressed, and

she doesn't know what to do. This article offers seven major suggestions.

● Using all 7 of those suggestions, write Noriko an email. (Identify each of the suggestions

you make in parentheses next to its section in your Noriko email.)

Hello Noriko,

I cannot imagine the difficulty your brother and your family are going through. I am writing

this email to you to advise you to be there for your brother, especially during these times, being

there for your brother in any tiny or major moment can assure him that he is loved. It is

important that you can support your brother during this time by reminding him that his pain is

valid, as tempting as it is to say “it’s okay” or “it will get better” that would only make him think

that you do not validate his emotions. Having a family member who has depression is a very

delicate situation because it is a major factor that leads to suicide which is why asking your

brother if he is having suicidal thoughts is not a bad thing, it might even help to prevent any

suicidal event to occur. Once you ask if he is having suicidal thoughts and if he says yes then it is

okay to converse about the seriousness of death, mention the hotline suicidal numbers and

possibly a psychologist. If he does end up needing psychological help it is important for you to

accompany him during this process and make it as easy as you can. However, remember to take

care of yourself as well, and set up some boundaries not all of this relies on your hands but as

well as your family as a team effort. Lastly, it is important for you to know that depression is not

something you can recover from, it takes a lot of patience but remember my advice I hope your

situation works out.

4. Visit The Schizophrenia Oral History Project, where people with schizophrenia have

shared their stories. Choose a person to learn more about.

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● Paste a link to the person's bio.

https://schizophreniaoralhistories.com/luna/

● What is the person’s name and what do they do in life? Describe their milestone events,

such as their first memory of symptoms, their first diagnosis.

This Person's name is Luna and she used to work at Mcdonald's to save up money to get her

GED and go to nursing school. Now she attends the GCB (Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health

Services) which helps her with her schizophrenia. Her first memory of symptoms would be after

the police took her children away because of the bad conditions and then got sent to jail so then

she found out she has schizophrenia after experiencing symptoms. She said she took medication

that made her sleepy but she would still experience hearing voices, she did not want to tell

anyone because they would call her crazy. She would only tell people closest to her. Luna likes

going to the GCB because of the good doctors.

● What’s it like for them to live with mental illness? From your textbook, identify the major

symptoms of schizophrenia. Which of those symptoms does the person describe? What reactions

did you have as you read their story?

For them to live with this mental illness is hard, especially for Luna. She said she once lost track

of her oldest child and could not find her. The major symptoms of schizophrenia are hearing

voices and taking pills for ten years causing them to be sleepy. The reactions I had while reading

Luna’s story were sympathy and admiration. It hurt me to know all the trauma and difficulties

she went through, especially during her pregnancies. The admiration I felt toward her was

because even though she was diagnosed with schizophrenia she did not let that stop her from

pursuing her dreams of getting her GED, going to nursing school, and getting her Permanent

Residence Card.
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5. Models of Mental Illness

● Summarize the four models.

The four models of mental illness are biological, behavioral, cognitive, and psychodynamic

models. The biological model thinks that our genetics and physiology play a role in how we

behave. The behavioral model is a model of psychological illnesses that considers the overt

behavioral patterns that learning and the effect of reinforcement contingencies create. The

cognitive model explains how ideas and perceptions affect how individuals feel and act. The

psychodynamic model aids individuals in comprehending their feelings and underlying

behavioral patterns. They all make an effort to elucidate the reasons and remedies for all

psychiatric diseases, albeit from various angles.

● How would each model explain depression?

Each model explains depression in their own different way. The biological model would explain

depression by using genetics, hormones, diets, and stressors. The behavioral model would

explain depression by altering the patient's behavior and/or surroundings and reestablishing a

suitable schedule of positive reinforcement for the individual. The cognitive model would

explain depression by providing individuals battling addiction or depression with new coping

mechanisms, such as journaling or meditation. Lastly, the psychodynamic model would explain

depression by encouraging introspection and meditation about oneself. Overall, all of these

models lead to mental illnesses.