Biomedical, cognitive behavioural and psychodynamic approach can be used alongside, as treatment methods to help Joseph with his disorder.
Psychodynamic approach assumes that the root of abnormality is due to unresolved childhood-trauma and personality-conflicts that are repressed in the unconscious mind (Gross, 2008). Therefore, psychoanalysis therapy can be used on Joseph to overcome his …show more content…
Joseph’s unhappy childhood). It then relieves the blockage and makes the unconscious causes conscious. However, this can be difficult to achieve as the patient’s ego tries to maintain its defences and can resist the therapist’s attempts. Psychoanalysis techniques such as free association and Freudian slips (Freud, 1901) can be used to encourage patients to freely say whatever comes to their mind, without censorship. Dream analysis which is another technique can be also be used. This technique states normally repressed material can enter consciousness during sleep because the ego defences are relaxed. Because this material is disturbing, it usually appears disguised in dreams. Therefore, dreams can be analysed for symbolic content that may reveal repressed desires.
In Joseph’s case, psychoanalysis therapy can help Joseph to face his childhood trauma, so that he is able to reach a resolution of that trauma and overcome his anxiety-disorder. Ego is prevented from maturing due to defence mechanisms such as repression, regression, displacement and denial. Therefore, it is important for Joseph to overcome his repression and allow the ego to fully …show more content…
These therapies can be used to identify Joseph’s distorted cognitions and disputing them to show they are irrational. It can be replaced with positive belief system and experiences, leading to a positive behaviour and outlook. For example, Joseph might not have received enough positive attention from his parents which led him to being felt lonely. He may be blaming himself for his unhappy childhood and his parent’s arguments. This might have created overgeneralisation, non-logical inference and dichotomous thinking (Beck, 1976) on Joseph. With the help of cognitive therapies, Joseph’s negative beliefs can be replaced with his positive beliefs and likeness (e.g. swimming and climbing mountains), thus treating his disorder. These therapies when used with drug therapy has been very effective to treat depression (Beck,