Evaluation of Two Approaches to the Treatment of Self-Defeating Behaviour - Essay Example

?Describe and evaluate two approaches to the treatment of self-defeating behaviour Self Defeating Behaviour Syndrome The Self-Defeating Behaviour is a psychic syndrome in which the person affected by such counters emotional struggles regarding one’s professional and personal life. The person starts behaving in such peculiar and negative moods that trigger faltering relationships within one’s domestic and professional environment. In fact, the person suffering from this syndrome produces a lot of negative energy within himself or herself that results in making the person lose confidence in the way of conducting the work efficiently. Thus eventually it results in failure in accomplishing the said objective which amounts to individual frustration. The event of losing confidence culminates in the failure of each of the different tasks taken by such person even if one possesses the optimum potency in completing the desired task. Psychologists have outlined some basic traits which help them to understand the emergence of the Self-Defeating Syndrome. Persons with such syndromes would try to evade the final completion of any particular task undertaken by him or her. These people generally feel outweighed by the amount of tasks entrusted on them which leads to tension and frustration. The losing of trust over oneself makes the persons deny any possible suggestions rendered by other people to help in the solving of the task. These people behave pessimistically and thus happen to fall short of meeting tasks on time. All such above factors make the person take resort to addictions to reduce the amount of frustration in them and create a vicious environment. Continuous negative behavioral impulses like lack of attention or lack of proper attendance results in loss of work. (Merriment, n.d.). Origins and Causes of Self-Defeating Behaviour Psychologists state many reasons that lead to the emergence of Self Defeating Behavior Syndrome. At the very outset the people suffering from the syndrome of Self-Defeating Behaviour reflect a position wherein they have lost both the mental and physical confidence required to perform a particular task. These people suffer from a belief that they are incompetent enough to fit into the social dimension of performing jobs successfully. This sense of inferiority developed in their minds amounts to making them all the more depressed and outweighs their potency. Further the lowering of their self confidence also greatly impacts their interpersonal skills which socially exclude them from their external environment. The factors of social exclusion limit the interactive sphere of the people which thereby amounts to events like severe depression and frustration. The people suffering from this psychiatric syndrome also reflect a negative belief about other people dwelling in the external environment. This amounts to restraining oneself from mixing with others which again amounts in increasing the element of frustration in them. High amount of social exclusion in these patients makes the people get outdated about the different social developments taking place resulting in loss of efficiency and competency. (Slusher & Anderson, 1989, pp. 11-14). The increase in the element of frustration and depression among individuals in different countries has made them to increasingly take resort to things like drug and alcohol to reduce the effect of the tensions. However, in the other way round taking increased resort to such objects make them feel more defeated and decreases their potencies. (Gallozzi, n.d.). In addition to the above factors some previous psychological effects also lead to the emergence of Self-Defeating Behavior among individuals. Psychologists observe that certain traumatic factors affecting early childhood of different individuals amount to create a mental blockage in their minds for which they exhibit the lack of confidence in their activities and also in mingling with other individuals. Early childhood trauma restricts the personality growth and development of the individuals leading to fear of the developed society. Self defeat syndrome also gains ground in situations where the person possesses some hidden passions that affect their working and domestic environment. It amounts to affecting their reputation in both their outer and inner societies. Self-Defeat Syndrome also arises in events where the individual has a very talkative personality trait and divulges in gutting out personal information to others. In the latter half such erroneous behavioral conducts makes the individual feel shy and guilty that makes the person to conceal him and her from the society. Some persons reflect behavioral traits in which they like to be treated as subordinates and be given loads of work to operate on. These persons fail to manage and motivate other people to cooperate with them in reducing the effect of work load. Thus they start feeling bogged down by heavy work pressures which eventually results to frustration. Individuals suffering from Self-Defeating Behavioral Syndrome for their fear of mingling with developed societies feel the lack of proper enjoyments with other people and feel the pain of being socially alienated. These people often become the subject of rebuke by other people living in the society, which further dampens their spirit, and make matters worse (Masochistic Personality Disorder, 2010). Combating the menace of Self-Defeated Behavior Syndrome Persons affected by Self Defeating Behavior endeavor to retrieve attempts in order to combat the incidence of such psychic ailment. In the first case the individual is required to identify specific individuals or parties who influence the defeat of such individual’s self-conception. In this case the individual must also endeavor to understand the interest of parties who are affected by the conducts of him or her. Secondly, the parties having been identified who affect or become affected by the conduct of the individual the person must further endeavor to reach them to gain their assistance in developing the personality traits that have got tarnished. In the third case the individual must make group selections of two Self Defeating Syndromes in order to transform them. However the process of selection of the syndromes must be carried out with the due cooperation of other individuals recognized in the first case. This helps in enhancing the belief patterns of the Self Defeated individuals with regards to their external social environment. Fourthly having gained the beliefs of external interest groups the affected individual must infer whether the Self Defeat Syndromes identified are feasible enough. The suggestions given by the interested parties should be given special consideration even if it requires identification of other Self Defeating Behavioral Syndromes. Fifthly, the affected individual along with the other interest groups must endeavor to apprehend what the change brought about in behavioral patterns would amount to. This would help the individual in measuring the level of changes brought about so that they can relate such to the other interest groups to earn their view. In the sixth case the individual must specify a certain time period in which such person can visit the interested parties to evaluate the amount of changes brought about. Closer performance based on observed time periods helps in rendering efficiency to the endeavors made in changing behavioral patterns with expert views generated by the individual’s peer groups. The individual in the seventh case can also encourage the other interested parties in changing their behavioral patterns towards him or her and also with regards to other individuals affected by such psychic ailments. Finally with the gradual progress along the above lines the separate individuals can work in a collaborative atmosphere to change other behavioral traits which are also creating obstacles in the field of personality development. The above endeavor would rightly help in creating an environment of trust among the affected individual and other people in his or her external environment and thus gradually evades out the social fear from their minds. (Goulston, 2005). Treatments offered to Self-Defeated Behavior Syndrome The patients suffering from Self Defeated Behavior Syndrome are offered specific treatments by different psychiatrists and psychoanalysts working around the globe. Out of the different treatments offered to the patients suffering from the above syndrome two most popular are the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and the Cognitive Behavior Therapy. The Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy was first formularized by a psychoanalyst named, Albert Ellis. He devised the therapy during the period of 1950s. The Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy works based on a certain assumption that the emotions and behavioral traits among individuals develop based on the conditions of the specific situations which these people face. The theory holds that specific factors depending on the individual’s knowledge, physical and social environment govern the application of the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. Thus this theory formulates three specific areas which contains firstly of an event which is taking place in the external environment. The second element focuses on the cognitive or knowledge factors of the specific individual which draws an opinion on the happening of the event. Finally the third element hints on the different activities which the individual is expected to take in consequence to his inhibitions about the occurrence of the event. This third element was further developed at a later stage to incorporate the different emotional and behavioral conducts of the certain individual in the light of the views drawn on the event. The Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy works based on specific techniques like ‘Cognitive’, ‘Emotive’ and ‘Behavioral’ which culminate to form the treatment offered to the psychological patients. In ‘Cognitive’ techniques used for treatment the rationalistic views are drawn from practical social events to challenge the irrational thinking potential of the patients. This helps in reducing the intensity of such irrational thoughts. In the second case the use of ‘Emotive’ techniques forces the individual to apprehend the normal behavior situations or normal conducts which the individuals can attain in the light of the given potential. ‘Emotive’ techniques also consist of putting the person to a shameful position so that such individual can by self administration change the behavioral conducts to avoid future shameful consequences. The third technique used in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy consist of ‘Behavioral’ techniques in which the individual is encouraged to take part in social groupings to shed his or her fear of developing social interactions. Development of social interactions on a large scale helps the individual to evaluate the level of one’s one understanding which helps them for future rectification. (Ellis, 1913, pp. 2-4, 8-10). Another main therapeutic treatment offered by psychoanalysts in this direction is the Cognitive Behavior Therapy. This system of therapy directly focuses on altering the emotional, behavioral and thinking processes of the individuals as a key to their wellness. This therapeutic pattern earns success in situations to reduce the propensity of self-defeating thinking in the minds of different individuals. The pattern of therapy provided in this treatment consists of subjecting the patients to problem solving models wherein the participants are asked to make analysis of specific rationalistic outcomes and situations. The participants in the course of the analysis are required to provide strategies for solving the intensity of the problem. The Cognitive Behavior Therapy encourages the views of the patients by drawing their attention to the way the treatment would be executed. Outcomes and results of the therapy are also discussed with the patients to provide a holistic satisfaction of the type of treatment offered. The specific risk factors of the different behavioral ailments are strongly monitored in the course of the treatment offered by Cognitive Behavior Therapy to reduce the chances of their reoccurrences. (Andrews, 2010, p.1501). The two therapies mentioned above viz. the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and the Cognitive Behavior Therapy counter some specific similarities and differences in their approaches towards providing treatment to patients. Observation states that Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy offered to individuals are generally of two types viz. general and specialized. To this end, it is held that General Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy is more or less similar to Cognitive Behavior Therapy. The General Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy functions on a generalized plane without taking resort to preferences. However, the Specialized Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy has separate preferential rates for which they come to share individual differences with Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. The differences are mainly analyzed based on the parameters of Cognition, Emotion and Behavior. Differences based on Cognition can be underlined as follows. Firstly, Cognitive Behavior Therapy unlike Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy does not function on a philosophical ground. Further the ideal of humanism is intrinsically ingrained in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, which is optional in case of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Again, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy indulges farther than only changing the behavioral patterns like Cognitive Behavior Therapy. It seeks to bring about a change in the emotional pattern of the patients. Cognitive Behavior Therapy is also found using a sense of humor to narrow down the results, which in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy are dealt of with based on understanding of the activities of the nervous system. Differences based on Emotions of the two treatment methods are that while emotions are generally held as good in case of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy those are analyzed based on their ill effects in case of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. The different negative emotions like anger, sorrow and frustration are analyzed on the situations of unfulfilled desires. The Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy conditions tend to evoke lesser emotional touch among the medical professionals and their patients than what is observed in case of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Finally, Behavioral differences between the two types of treatments occur in that the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy works less in changing the impractical thinking patterns of the patients which is closely monitored by Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (Ellis, 1980, pp.325-328, 332-334, 337). Strengths and Weaknesses of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy The significant strengths and weaknesses of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy are underlined as follows. In terms of strength the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy gains popularity for their simplicity. Further it works based on understanding of the maturity levels of the different patients. It also specifically hits on the issue of the problem and is not a vague chapter. However, the treatment pattern is often criticized for leading people in the wrong direction. Also it is held to work less significantly in emotionally disturbed patients than in strong individuals (Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy, n.d.). Strengths and Weaknesses of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy The patients subjected to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy become able to come out of the realm of erroneous and irrational thoughts and thus moves to a stress free situation. This treatment has earned considerable success in reducing the propensity of events like phobia, depression and emotional and psychological stress in the different patients. The main weakness this treatment suffers from is its increased focus on experimental data. Another weakness associated with this treatment model is reduced humanistic touch, which is rightly emphasized, in other psycho therapies (Criticism of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 2009). Conclusion The Self-Defeating Behaviour in an individual is mainly responsible in reducing the potencies of performing effectively in a competitive environment. The patient starts suffering from effects like trauma and depression, which culminates in disturbing his working patterns leading to events like loss of job. This further dampens the person’s confidence levels for which the patient resorts to social alienation. Several types of treatments are given to change the behavioral traits of the individuals. Out of that the treatment of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and the Cognitive Behavior Therapy are worth mentioning because of their scientific and disciplinary approaches in treating such. However these approaches also counter some specific similarities and differences, which judge their efficacy in specific situations. They also counter certain strengths and weaknesses, which encourages the growth of criticisms. References 1. Merriment, (n.d.). “How to Recognize Self-Defeating Behaviour”, Retrieved on February 4, 2011 from: http://www.ehow.com/how_4823516_recognize-self_defeating-behavior.html 2. Slusher, M. & C. Anderson. (1989), “Belief Perseverance and Self-Defeating Behavior”, Retrieved on February 4, 2011 from: http://www.psychology.iastate.edu/faculty/caa/abstracts/1985-1989/89SA.PDF 3. Gallozzi, C. (n.d.), “Self Defeating Behavior”, Retrieved on February 4, 2011 from: http://www.personal-development.com/chuck/self-defeating-behavior.htm 4. “Masochistic Personality Disorder”, ptypes.com (2010), Retrieved on February 4, 2011 from: http://www.ptypes.com/masochisticpd.html 5. Goulston, M. (2005), “Get out of your own way: recognize and overcome self-defeating behaviors in yourself and others”, Retrieved on February 4, 2011 from: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_10_50/ai_n15791958/?tag=content;col1 6. Ellis, A. (1913), “Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy”, Retrieved on February 4, 2011 from: http://myauz.com/ianr/articles/lect6rebtellis.pdf 7. Andrews, G. (2010), “Talk that works: the rise of cognitive behaviour therapy”, Retrieved on February 4, 2011 from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2353033/pdf/bmj00572-0009.pdf 8. Ellis, A. (1980), “Rational-Emotive Therapy and Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Similarities and Differences”, Cognitive Therapy and Research, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 325-340. 9. “Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy”, thedepressiontreatment.com. (n.d.), Retrieved on February 4, 2011 from: http://www.thedepressiontreatment.com/depression-treatment/rational-emotive-behavior-therapy.htm 10. “Criticism of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy”, stresscenter.com. (2009), Retrieved on February 4, 2011 from: http://www.stresscenter.com/mwc/anxiety-treatment/criticisms-of-cognitive-behavior-therapy.html Read More