Emotional Behavior: A Psychological Case Study

Mike’s thoughts alone did not cause his emotional and behavioral issues, but were likely due to a combination of biological (e.g., possible genetic predisposition), psychological (e.g., her negative thoughts and perceptions), social and interpersonal (e.g., inconsistent mother and few friends at school), and environmental factors (e.g., neglectful household). It is likely that Mike is currently experiencing significant emotional distress from his core beliefs and dysfunctional behavior (e.g., hair pulling, skin picking). Symptoms of psychopathology, consisting of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, are the consequence of core beliefs being activated by stressful events (Persons, 2008, pp. 29-31). There are three current situations involving …show more content…
As a result, behaviorally he would pull out his eyelashes and pick the skin on his fingers. However, Mike seems to adaptively respond by talking with Tom while they play online games together. Unfortunately though, this adaptive behavioral response is likely not always an available option to him. Another stressful situation for Mike is starting school and work. Mike’s self-critical schemas are also likely activated in these social settings. In academic and occupational environments, he likely has the automatic thoughts of “[I’m] dumb” and “others will notice [my] mistakes.” Mike likely articulates these cognitive errors, having learned them from his childhood and adolescent academic experiences, as well as during his work as an electrician in the Navy. He may also endorse assumptions such as “incompetent students fail classes” and “unskilled people will mess things up.” As a way to cope with intermediate beliefs triggered by these situations, Mike has likely developed compensatory strategies of avoidance. Mike drinks alcohol on the weekends, possibly to escape from his emotional distress. He also works a part-time job busing tables, a position that is more straightforward and does not require