Case Study Being Bullied With Her Family's Dysfunctions

Mary’s childhood experiences of being bullied along with her family’s dysfunctions are contributing factors to Mary’s diagnosis. Growing up Mary was not able to rely on her parents for love, affection and emotional attunement. Mary’s mother drinks excessively, is often intoxicated leaving Mary no choice but to grow up on her own. At the same time Mary had a distant relationship with her dad. Mary had wanted to spend more time with her father, but outside of work, Mary’s father had chosen to focus on his hobby of taxidermy instead of building a relationship with Mary. The relationship between Mary’s mom and dad seemed nonexistent with minimal interaction. Not only was Mary’s mom a disengaged parent, she was also insensitive when speaking to Mary. At one point Mary’s mom had told Mary that she was an accident. On top of the lack of connection with her parents, Mary was also bullied at school. At school Mary was bullied by her peers for having a birthmark and laughed at for her clothing and her haircut. Mary also felt disliked by her …show more content…
Mary kept herself busy through making noblets, taking care of a pet rooster and picking up the mail for her neighbor. It seemed she was an obedient child in order to not burden her parents, but also to win approval or love from them. After being bullied at school, Mary copes by hiding in her safe place, or a treasure chest. This activity seems to help her to decompress feel safe to express her sadness through crying, all while escaping the world. Since Mary had no siblings, and no friends at school, she reached out to Max through the mail in hopes of developing a meaningful connection. Max becomes a vital source of support for Mary giving her a sense of existence, validation, and self-esteem. In college, Mary uses Max as an inspiration and source of motivation for her