Essay on Social Support Theory: Understanding Traumatic Situations and Emotional Attachments

Terms associated with the concept: traumatic situation, family stress, unusual social behavioral, emotional attachment, depression, drug addiction, health, drug abuse, antisocial behavior, and poor school performance

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Social Support Theory

Concept Definition

Human life is radically contingent, and the world presents several joyful and adverse circumstances. Social support is one of the significant proponent within the family institution and across the community of humanity (Witkow, and Fuligni 531). The nature of human being revolves around social, economic, emotional and physical factors that are dynamic depending on the situations. In several instances, social support work at enhancing quality life among people within the family set up and the community. Alternatively, social support aims at preventing adverse life events among the family members and friends in the society. Social support is defined as the treasure derived from having friends, the community, family members during the time need in order to restore the adverse event in life with the intention of a positive self-image (Witkow, and Fuligni 531). This paper thus providing aims at providing a detailed and elaborate view of social support by the community, family members and the friends towards an adverse life event of certain life circumstances.

Communities around the globe are surrounded by various people such as friends, schoolmates, workplace colleague, and the extended family members. The institution of the family is the primary unit that introduces us to various people in society. A peaceful and harmonious family is dictated by good social, economic, emotional and physical factors (Witkow, and Fuligni 532). However, the adverse circumstances may alter the joy among the family due to several reasons affecting the peace among the members. The social support within the community plays a role in bringing joy among members of a family through the joint efforts of restoring the lost glory. Subsequently, it presents mechanisms to the victims to cope up with life crisis. Precisely, social support helps in predicting the health and well-being of affected members at the course of an adverse situation ranging from childhood to adulthood. The treasure of valuing members within the community is a psychological factor that improves the emotional aspects of people affected adverse circumstances in society (Witkow, and Fuligni 532). In this aspect, social supports prevent symptoms such as depression, and anxiety.

The absence of social support predicts deteriorating of mental and physical health of the affected individuals. Additionally, having such a society without social support create a cruel nation and unworthy social living standards. Parents are the first to identify the social involvement within the community but justifying their environment to their children (Witkow, and Fuligni 533). The positive values instilled among children translates to better social growth in society. Consequently, parents should support the community member and embraces humanity in case of adverse life situation to victims in society. The growth and development of children undergo different stages of life, and they should be well monitored until their maturity stage. Parental guideline and the community involvement in social support is a concern to the development of a moral society.

Applications

Application 1

At the age of 12 years, I experienced one of the traumatic situations of life that affected my emotional and physical development. During this period my father was undergoing a difficult moment of stage (IV) throat cancer illness. At the same time, my mother became the sole providers of our family with her low income as a casual laborer. My father before his illness was played a significant role as the head of the family. He offered financial, emotional and physical support in nourishing our growth and joy as members of his family. The extended family provided less social support to our family during this challenging moment of uncertainties. My mother was weakened by the stress of my father's health. I could not bear the situation as I also experienced less motivation in my academics and social activities in school. My class teacher has raised the alarm to my mother regarding my condition and declining trend in my score marks in my academics. The school presented fewer efforts towards my social and academic crisis as they addressed my mother for alternative solutions regarding this situation. My mother could not help since she could not accommodate the family stress of my father's illness. At home, my mother noted unusual social behavioral at our home rental residential home. For instances, she discovered that I do not complete tasks, difficulty in sleep and not interested in undertaking social activities with other kids within our home.

Weeks later, I lost my father due to throat cancer illness. The hospital health bill was unbearable, and at this moment we could the community stood by outside, and they dedicated their charity to our family. Moments after the funeral my mother managed the financial distress. However, we did not get much of the extended family support since we were in the United States of America away from our motherland Italy. We felt neglected during and after this period in our life since we did not receive much as of emotional attachment from the paternal side of our family.

Application 2

At the age of 16, exactly four years after the death of my father, I experienced another adverse circumstance in my life due to depression. During this time, my mother was the sole decision maker of the family and paid less attention to my social development. School became a hub to drug and substance abuse. My close friend in school introduced me to his friends and experts in sourcing drugs to school. I indulged in smoking marijuana at the age of 16 through my peers and months later I could not stay without it due to drug addiction. I brought several roles of cigar and marijuana during the weekends so that I could satisfy my thirsts for smoke in my lungs. Little did I know my general health and well-being could be altered due to drug abuse. Several months later my mother discovered I was developing low reaction time, antisocial behavior, and poor school performance. One weekend, my mother noted smoke emission from the window in my room. She could not let the smoke out without confirming the cause of smoke where she caught me pants down smoking marijuana. My mother did not believe that I was smoking marijuana and she immediately informed her friends within the residential home. Fortunate enough, she got to engage with one of the social counselor and a psychiatrist who came to my rescue regarding my social development.

Conclusion

In conclusion, social support is one of the key builders of the community and family institutions. Children usually watch their parents and roles in the society which translates to the development of positive image and moral standards among the people. The occurrence of adverse circumstances in the community is unavoidable depending on contingency of life events. However, people in a community can manage the stress associated with these circumstances.

Work Cited

Witkow, Melissa R., and Andrew J. Fuligni. "Ethnic And Generational Differences In The Relations Between Social Support And Academic Achievement Across The High School Years". Journal Of Social Issues, vol 67, no. 3, 2011, pp. 531-552. Wiley, doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.2011.01713.x.