Stress: Context and meaning

Summary:
The purpose of my thesis is to make a critical reflection about the concepts of stress, adaptation, crisis, illness, search for support and stress handling Stress is a worthy concept as to its originality and synthesis. Developed by H. Selye and based on his clinical observations establishes a common pattern of adaptive response of living beings in front of fear, what has allowed the study of threat response in animals and in men. However, his study has been segmented and typified as a stereotyped phenomenon, in spite of the evidence of the specificity in each individual. In further investigations with people, the finding of the relation of stress and psychopathology arose, but also the way of approaching its study, where is no consensus point. It was evident that the inter subjectivity was determinant in the trial of stressful situations; we are taught to recognize situations as stressful and the learning to face them, that is, they acquire a personal and interpersonal meaning.
 
For that, I will make a critical review of my researches and literature about the concept of stress and its implication, in an attempt to establish relations between biological, psychological and social aspects under a clinical and human interaction view, based on my professional experience. I try to rescue the way how it is developed the capacity of individual response and its social character, as much with significant figures as with more societal aspects, meaning that the stress response is also given in a context.I look for establishing a “dialog” relation between stress and crisis as phenomena that are defined by people as difficulties in front of fear, as well as critically looking the concept of adaptation in terms of their “desirability” in adverse environments developed by men. I will also explicit possible ways in which people face difficulties, some of them becoming stronger with resilient strategies, others feeling overwhelmed (illness included), emphasizing the strength that interpersonal relationships acquire, the search for help they define and the role played by the professional in this process.
 
From my clinical view, I will try to propose a more comprehensive handling of stress, from a social, psychological and a daily practical guide’s perspective. The result of my research will be published in a divulgation book format which corresponds to a revised edition of a previous one, which originality started from facts and discoveries and scientific definitions and is expanded to a criticism from the clinical and from the keys that grant more comprehensive boardings like the social constructionism. The value of the book will be given by the utility and comprehension for the layman.