Describe and evaluate 2 approaches to the treatment of self-defeating behaviours free essay sample

Self defeating behaviours are present in every person on earth once they have developed enough and are able to copy, consequently our parents and siblings contribute In this essay I intend to describe what self defeating behaviours are, how they arise and describe how cognitive behaviour therapy and/or a person centred approach can be helpful in treating the client who presents for therapy to make changes to their lives. What is a self defeating behaviour? One definition of self defeating behaviour is â€Å"any deliberate or intentional behaviour that has clear, definitely or probably negative effects on the self or on the self’s projects† (Scher Baumeister 1988). How often do you hear someone saying ‘I have had a rubbish day I need a drink to calm myself down’ or, ‘I am going to treat myself to a cream cake to cheer myself up’? Theses actions are ok when done occasionally with no detrimental effects. We will write a custom essay sample on Describe and evaluate 2 approaches to the treatment of self-defeating behaviours or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However, if the individual is an alcoholic or morbidly obese the outcome for them could be catastrophic, even life threatening. They would not recognise their actions as being so as they see their response to the stress as normal and appropriate this can be described as a destructive coping strategy which in turn when repeated becomes a self-defeating behaviour (Module 5 p5). This is a subconscious response, a learned behaviour. The definition above suggests a conscious decision to deliberately sabotage the self, as on onlooker we would probably agree with that statement but the individual will see their action as a solution. There are a number of self defeating behaviours that will be recognised by us all over eating, excessive drinking, driving to fast, Beumister describes three categories of self defeating behaviour (Beaumister 2008) †¢Primary Self Destruction- when an individual deliberately harms themselves for instance cutting themselves or taking an overdose of pills. The individual foresees and desires the harm †¢Trade off – For instance someone takes up smoking, knowing it could cause cancer but knowing they can blame the cigarettes for the disease if it happens and not himself for taking up the habit. The individual foresees the harm but does not desire it. †¢Counter Productive Strategies – Teenagers fall into this category. Despite the advice of parents and teachers such as having unprotected sex. When an individual neither sees nor desires the harm which may result from their actions. I would suggest if an individual found themselves in the first two categories they may seek help but it is unlikely someone from the third category would feel the desire to seek help unless something drastic happened. As rational intelligent beings it seems ludicrous that we would want to cause ourselves harm so how does this kind of behaviour become part of our makeup? The probable cause for most people is low self esteem. Self esteem is described as ‘Confidence in one’s own self worth’ (Year One Module 4 p 11). If you are told often enough that you are stupid or useless you will believe the statements and continually live your life in such a way that it becomes true. For example, a person with low self esteem will choose a dead end job because they believe they are not capable of doing anything else. Low self esteem usually develops as in childhood. Parents who demand perfection from a child who can’t be perfect will cause the child to develop confidence problems leading to low self esteem, this leads to the individual who usually sets unachievable targets. Low self esteem manifests in many ways, the shrinking violet, the aggressor, the joker the perfectionist. Underneath these many guises is a person who feels unworthy and useless but to overcome they put on a false image. A study by Leith and Beaumister (1996) looked at the effects of bad moods on self defeating behaviours. The studies involved a number of students being coerced into becoming sad, angry, upset, embarrassed or all four and how it affected their approach to risk by asking them to take part in a lottery with a likely result of wining 2 dollars or a long shot of winning 25 dollars. Participants who just became sad appeared to take less risk than those who became sad and angry or embarrassed and angry these individuals became irrational and took greater risk. In relation to self defeating behaviour the study demonstrated clearly that trade off was the most likely category of self defeating behaviour to be increased whilst in a bad mood? Self defeating behaviours can be learned behaviour also. It is likely that if you come from a family where there is an alcohol issue or a weight issue you are more likely to have the problems yourself. This also applies to employment. Recent research has shown that we are currently experiencing a 3rd generation of unemployed in some families (Nicholas S Appleyard D 2012) in this article it is apparent that family members who can work display self defeating behaviour in their response to the journalist. The article also suggests that there are 6 million families with the same outlook. Despite the knowledge that self defeating behaviours are detrimental to ourselves and to society, we seem to perpetuate them. Sigmund Freud suggested that humans have an innate death drive that eventually causes their own downfall or death and. Martina Horner (1972) described her theory that women fear success and will display self destructive behaviour in order to fail due to their fear of becoming lonely, rejected and unromantically involved (Baumeister R Bushman B. p136-7). These theories have been dispelled due to research by social psychologists who have concluded that neither men nor women practice intentional self sabotage in their career paths or rarely perform intentional self destruction. Again trade off seems to be the destructive behaviour used by most men and woman. It appears that these behaviours are repeated over and over because the subconscious has stored them as the norm When our mind is confronted with a possible distressing situation tension is experienced an action occurs to prevent further distress which in turn reduces the tension. A coping strategy has been learned this is shared with the subconscious in case of future exposure thus an instant solution is available. The strategy may not be the most appropriate way of dealing with an issue but the desired result of reducing tension has occurred so the subconscious will now have this strategy instantly available. We have just learned a self defeating behaviour. For example an argument between parents is observed the child leaves the room. From then on whenever there is conflict the individual will run from it which will result in unresolved issues never allowing the individual to challenge and fight for their rights. The reasons we perpetuate self defeating behaviours can be broken down into 4 main reasons (Year 2 Module 5 pp8-16) †¢Minimising Effect – Taking away the option of choosing a healthy action for instance Ostrich Syndrome when we hide our head in the sand to avoid the inevitable. Not answering the phone in case it is bad news. Leaving a bill unopened to avoid acknowledging that you have been overspending †¢Are We Lying to Ourselves – The drinker who knows excessive intake could affect the liver but the news papers say red wine has a protective agent when taken in moderation. Despite this advice the individual is drinking heavily a bottle of wine a day but for him that is moderation. †¢Fear, Change and Feelings – The fear of failure or success. Failure in the workplace for fear of not doing a good job making excuses for not having a go or taking a risk. Fear of success If I do this well I will be expected to carry on taking more responsibility Fear of change, if I apply for the job and get it will I be able to do as good a job as the person leaving. Feelings are often cited as the reason for the self defeating behaviour. A woman may say every time my husband goes out I think he will meet someone else this makes me feel angry and when he comes home I accuse him of meeting someone behind my back to make him feel like I do. †¢The Final Nail in the Coffin – Disowning the behaviour. The most damaging off all. It has the most detrimental effects on the individual both physically and psychologically by separating the behaviour from the self. It allows the individual to totally disown any responsibility for actions or behaviours they display. Usual explanations to apportion blame would include, If only my parents had cared.. if only i didn’t have this illness.. if only the government would listen The sad thing is that the individual believes they are not responsible. The idea of just contemplating changing behaviour would be terrifying The good news is therapy can help these individuals change their behaviour and take control of their lives The difficulty here is establishing if the individual is determined to change and is strong and motivated enough to make the changes. It can be difficult for some clients to make the necessary changes if they come from a family where many generations have perpetuated self defeating behaviours breaking the mould can cause them to be rejected by the family . There are many therapies available to help treat a client with self defeating behaviours. The two therapies that I would like to explore to enable individuals to reach their full potential by shaking off their self defeating behaviours are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client Centred Therapy. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can be broken down into its component parts. Cognitive therapy deals with the thoughts behind behaviour, whilst behavioural therapy deals with managing or changing the behaviour itself. The two are most often used as a single therapy but are strategies in their own right. CBT deals with the here and now. (Cherry K 2012). The idea is to get to the point identifying the thought process behind behaviour, rationalising the thoughts and feelings behind the behaviour looking at the realistic outcomes of making changes and practicing the change for instance using role play which then enables the client to change a behaviour the client may be given homework to do keeping a journal to enable the client to look back and see progress. This can be very successful in dealing with phobias for instance if a client is unable to enter a room where there is a picture of a snake. CBT can be used by initially reasoning and rationalising the fear. Then having the client rationalise with them self ie have a conversation similar to the one we all at times have in our head. The client comes to a conclusion realising that being afraid of a picture is totally irrational as it can in no way injure them. Thus the beginning of change. Behaviour can then change, by the client being able to be shown a picture of a snake, in a controlled environment (the therapy room) this is known as desensitisation. If the client then wants to go on to eventually being able to hold a snake they can. The therapy is therapist led the pace is set by the therapist and usually brought to an end when the therapist sees fit. Client Centred Therapy first described by Carl Rogers centres on the therapist having certain qualities. ( Rogers C 1967 pp 283-284) †¢Congruence – The therapist shows their true feelings and is genuine in the client therapist relationship enabling the client to do the same †¢Unconditional Positive Regard – The therapist accepts the client for who they are and does not judge. Allowing the client to express themselves without fear of being rejected †¢Empathy – The therapist acts as a mirror reflecting back what the client says to enable them to understand their thoughts and actions more clearly Rogers felt that the therapist who had these qualities could enable the client to grow and change their behaviours by becoming more aware of themselves as an individual and more aware of the world around them. This model of therapy allows the client to take the journey at his own pace, allowing the client to explore his past as well as the present thus hopefully enabling and understanding the reasons for their own self defeating behaviours and acceptance of them to enable change and healing. Both models have their place in the treatment of self defeating behaviours. I wonder if change can be brought using CBT if the client never has a full understanding of where the behaviours came from and what caused them. On the flip side the individual who needs to be guided may feel lost in the person centred approach. This would bring me to the conclusion that one strategy may not fix all and that a mix and match may be more beneficial. CBT has proven that behaviours can change with guidance Pavlov’s dogs being a well cited method of stimulating behaviour artificially. Studies have shown that Client Centred therapy can be influential in changing behaviour, but for how long. I need to further explore the effectiveness of both to further my conclusion.