Applying the Family Systems Stressor-Force Inventory

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The object of the evaluation is a family who is facing some problems. The family consists of Cherie, a female Caucasian, age 55, Mark, age 61, Caucasian, and their son Ryan, age 24, Caucasian. Sheri earns $21,600.00, Ryan earns $37,000, and Mark has no income. Cherie has a BS in Liberal Arts education and is a clinically certified problem-oriented life coach. Mark is a BS in Computer Science and is an ordained minister. Ryan is a student doctor of psychology. Sheri is disabled due to a congenital heart defect and chronic lower back pain. Ryan is in good physical health and suffering from some anxiety. Mark suffers from obesity and hypertension.

Mark left the family after 33 years of marriage under the pretext of “finding himself.” According to the woman, their relationship was fine, and her husband’s departure was impulsive and ill-considered. The couple has a son in common, Ryan, who is very helpful to Cherie after what happened. Because of this, he faces the consequences, such as psychological problems. Mother and son are very close; they support each other as much as possible and go through difficulties together. Ryan is very angry with his father, so they do not keep in touch. Cherie’s son’s girlfriend, Samantha, plays a role in this story and assists the family. Mark’s brother helps the family financially. Cherie has strong religious beliefs about marriage, for which she cannot accept that Mark is leaving. Thus, she experiences feelings of anger and bewilderment. The woman’s pet, Simba, helps the woman psychologically.

By taking the Family Systems Stressor-Force Inventory (FS3I) that Cherie responded to, the conclusion is that the family is experiencing many problems. In the first section, the following situations were rated “5” (high-stress level): self-esteem, lack of joint time in the couple, lack of distribution of responsibilities in the family, marital relations, holidays, relatives, and finances. The next section describing the impact of Mark’s care on the health and stress tolerance of family members and the family as a whole requires attention: a score of “5” received four items out of 12. High stress levels are caused by the situation, affecting family interaction and communication, the family’s normal lifestyle, the family’s ability to work together as a unit, and the family’s future. The next section is the strengths of the family system, with nine of the ten questions receiving a score of “1”, which means there are virtually no strengths in the family. A score of “3” was given to the item of religion, which brings family members together.

Family and marriage are social institutions to which all people are subject. Everyone is included in them in one way or another or at least has a relationship with them as one of the oldest human social formations. An integral part of the everyday life of modern people, marriage and the family have, throughout human history, been of interest to thinkers, scholars, scholars, and researchers (Karimov, 2021). People tend to change: a person who has entered a marriage and been in it long enough may have changed his or her beliefs and outlook on life (Raley & Sweeney, 2020). Misunderstandings that occur in families cause a chain of problems, including psychological disorders (Ardi & Maizura, 2018). That is why it is important to consider all the problems that arise in a marriage and not ignore them. Most divorces can be avoided with a simple conversation (Oren & Hadomi, 2020). Since the two spouses can keep a family on the brink of divorce, they must act together. Many of the problems faced by spouses often need a deeper analysis. That is why people turn to therapists, thereby saving their marriage.

One problem in this family is the dysfunction of one of the spouses. The emergence of dysfunction in the activity of one of the spouses is because a large amount of undifferentiated emotionality is concentrated in the adaptive position of one of the partners (Keller, 2019). The desire to adapt to the spouse, to his dominant position, is constantly manifested in his behavior. The pseudo-self of the adaptive partner is gradually absorbed by the pseudo-self of the dominant, forcing the latter to assume more and more responsibility for both (Kerr, 2019). The spouse who has been in the adaptive position for a long time gradually loses both the need and the ability to make decisions independently, constantly dependent on his or her spouse. And then, according to M. Bowen, small stress is enough to give impetus to the breakdown of the adaptive partner (Keller, 2019). Dysfunction can result from emotional distress, illness, or drunkenness. Such dysfunctions often become chronic and difficult to eliminate. Marriages of such spouses are very strong. Dysfunction can be the result of emotional distress, illness, or drunkenness. Such dysfunction often becomes chronic and difficult to cure. Marriages of such spouses with dysfunction are very strong. At times, chronic illness or disability alone may be the only signs of a low differentiation profile and lack of non-differentiation in interpersonal relationships. The partner with disabilities is grateful for care, attention, and concern, while the over-dominant receives recognition. The family in question has no disabilities, but the spouses have health problems.

The next problem noted in the family is the differentiation of self. Self-differentiation is the degree of fusion of emotion and intelligence in a particular person. The concept of “level of differentiation” was introduced by Murray Bowen (Popovic, 2019). Differentiation is a characteristic of the family system as well as individual functioning. Bowen argues that “the higher the differentiation, the better people function. They are more flexible, adaptable to stress, and more free from all kinds of problems” (Frost, 2019, p. 138). The more fused emotions and intellect are, the lower the differentiation and level of functioning. Humans, unlike animals, can make extensive use of their intellect, which allows them to behave rationally even in emotionally stressful situations, to rely on facts when assessing reality, and to be guided by their principles and goals when a decision must be made.

The problem with family projection is present in this example. It is the process by which parental undifferentiation harms and impairs one or more children’s functioning in the father-mother-child triangle (Kerr, 2019). There is some fixed amount of undifferentiation in every married couple. Moreover, it can be distributed through four channels. Thus, there are families with practically no marital conflict; the spouses are healthy, and the child has maximum problems. On a more subtle level, the projective process is related to the maternal instinct and the degree to which anxiety allows it to materialize during pregnancy and in the first months of the child’s life. The process begins with maternal anxiety, and the father is supportive in helping her realize maternal anxiety. The child responds to the mother’s anxiety with her anxiety, which she mistakenly perceives as the child’s problem (Kerr, 2019). The parents begin to overprotect the child, converting their anxiety into excessive care for the child. A pattern of infantilization of the child is established, in which the child gradually becomes more and more problematic and demanding (Chavkin, 2020). Once the process has begun, it can be further motivated by both the mother’s and the child’s anxiety.

Emotional isolation is a huge problem in families. It is a problem that can be decisive in many cases. Speaking of isolation, sociologists have in mind various phenomena, loneliness and feelings of longing among them. For example, in its comfortable amount, ordinary solitude is part of the norm: even an extrovert needs to spend time with himself or herself to replenish resources. If seclusion becomes a problem, when the connection with society and relatives is gradually broken, and a person feels increasingly isolated from life, pathological isolation is meant.

The problem in this family is the financial situation. Cherie does not know what her spouse will do next or if he will sell the family home. Mark’s brother helps Cherie financially. Thus, the family’s financial situation is low. The family’s physical condition can be portrayed this way: Mark suffers from obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. Cherie has a congenital heart defect and chronic lower back pain, but she exercises regularly and tries to maintain her physical condition. Ryan has an active lifestyle and has no physical health problems. The family’s goal is to recover from Mark’s departure, maintain financial health, and fully separate from her husband. Cherie needs to get past this stage and continue to live life to the fullest, doing what she enjoys to avoid psychological problems. She needs to take some of the responsibility off of Ryan and let him live his life to the fullest. She can be prescribed antidepressants to restore her psychological health. Since Cherie’s physical health can worsen under stress, she needs to see a doctor and monitor her well-being. The woman needs to undergo counseling to avoid further psychological problems.

References

Ardi, Z., & Maizura, N. (2018). The psychological analysis of divorce at early marriage. International Journal of Research in Counseling and Education, 2(2), 77-82. Web.

Chavkin, A. (2020). A Family in Crisis: A Family Systems Theory Approach to Arthur Miller’s “I Don’t Need You Any More”. Arthur Miller Journal, 15(2), 141-162.

Frost, R. T. (2019). Use of differentiation of self in family research. In Handbook of Bowen family systems theory and research methods (pp. 138-156). Routledge. Web.

Karimov, U. U. (2021). Scientific and Theoretical Foundations of the Formation of the Social Environment in the Family. Oriental Journal of Social Sciences, 37-40. Web.

Keller, M. N. (2019). Bowen theory: 49A systems model for family research. In Handbook of Bowen family systems theory and research methods (pp. 49-61). Routledge. Web.

Kerr, M. E. (2019). Bowen theory’s secrets: Revealing the hidden life of families. WW Norton & Company.

Mohlatlole, N. E., Sithole, S., & Shirindi, M. L. (2018). Factors contributing to divorce among young couples in Lebowakgomo. Social Work, 54(2), 256-274.

Oren, D., & Hadomi, E. (2020). Let’s talk divorce-an innovative way of dealing with the long-term effects of divorce through parent-child relationships. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 61(2), 148-167. Web.

Popovic, M. A. J. A. (2019). Bowen family systems theory (pp. 43-69). Springer Publishing Company.

Raley, R. K., & Sweeney, M. M. (2020). Divorce, repartnering, and stepfamilies: A decade in review. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(1), 81-99. Web.

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Applying the Family Systems Stressor-Force Inventory

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