Stress in Family Relationships: A Focus on Differentiation

Abstract

From a systemic perspective, studies, research and reality (clinical and social) point to the importance of family, social and work relationships to increase the level of negative stress that leads to illness. On the other hand, looking for friends and family was the most used strategy to deal with stressors in improving the quality of life of the individual. Based on clinical experiences in the private clinics and clinic at the Center for Improvement and Care in Psychology (CAAPSY-Niterói), with families and couples, it was observed that the symptoms observed by us in family systems are related to stress and anxiety, so present in everyday relationships, arising from the undefined hierarchy, rigidly symmetrical or complementary communication, and especially from the low differentiation between members, which is our focus of reflection.