Which negative stress response is demonstrated when the client says, 'Everything will be fine if he keeps up these bad health habits, because they’ll kill him, and then I would be free' ?

Which negative stress response is demonstrated when the client says, 'Everything will be fine if he keeps up these bad health habits, because they’ll kill him, and then I would be free' ?

• A. Denial
• B. Wishful thinking
• C. Rationalization
• D. Projection

Answer: (B)

Wishful thinking is a coping style where a person hopes for a relief from distress by imagining an outcome that would free them from stress, even if that outcome is unrealistic. In this case, the person expresses that continuing unhealthy habits will kill the other person, and that death would somehow make their own situation “free.” That shows hoping for a drastic, favorable change to happen without addressing the underlying problem or taking constructive action, rather than facing the issue directly. It’s not denial, since they acknowledge the harmful situation and its consequences; it’s not rationalization, which would involve justifying the behavior with logical-sounding reasons; and it’s not projection, which would involve attributing one’s own feelings to someone else.

Wishful thinking is a coping style where a person hopes for a relief from distress by imagining an outcome that would free them from stress, even if that outcome is unrealistic. In this case, the person expresses that continuing unhealthy habits will kill the other person, and that death would somehow make their own situation “free.” That shows hoping for a drastic, favorable change to happen without addressing the underlying problem or taking constructive action, rather than facing the issue directly. It’s not denial, since they acknowledge the harmful situation and its consequences; it’s not rationalization, which would involve justifying the behavior with logical-sounding reasons; and it’s not projection, which would involve attributing one’s own feelings to someone else.