Psychoanalytical theory
Sigmund Freud invented the psychoanalytical theory. According to Freud, anxiety is one of the most crucial feelings in the explanation of the psychoanalytical theory. Mental conflict is usually as a result of anxiety because, through bad feelings, these conflicts reveal themselves. Freud explains that there are two types of anxiety. The first is neurotic anxiety, which is a type of anxiety that comes as a result of responding to a specific experience. The other is automatic anxiety, which is a reaction that comes after a traumatic experience and is usually a result of helplessness ( Elliott, 2015) .
In this case, therefore, Alice is going through automatic anxiety. The loss of her husband triggered her automatic anxiety. In the absence of her husband, Alice feels that losing her job will make her unable to raise her children well. Her fear and anxiety can be treated through a form of psychotherapy known as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This method of treatment is highly effective when it comes to dealing with anxiety (Butler, 2010) . The therapy would help Alice to identify and manage factors that lead to her anxiety.
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Behavioral theory
The behavioral theory emerged as a reaction to the psychoanalytical theory in the early 20 th century. According to this theory, a person’s observable behavior is influenced and learned from the environment. For instance, Alice was affected by the fact that her husband died and that he had no insurance. As much as she has a well-paying job, Alice is apprehensive when she thinks of the possibility of losing her job. Unlike the psychoanalytical theory, this method uses scientific methods to describe behavior. The method analyzes anxiety by defining it as a response to fear ( Drummond, 1993).
Alice's anxious response to possible adverse outcomes are observed in her pacing when alone, absent-mindedness, tiredness, and stress. She has extreme fears of losing her job. Apart from that, she has thoughts of worst-case scenarios that could snatch her children's good-life.
Alice has a stable work history, which means that she is not going to lose her job any time soon. However, due to the fear of losing her job, anxiety is the only response she has to the problem. This can be treated using behavior therapy, whereby unhealthy and destructive behaviors are identified and changed through behavioral approaches (Springer, 2012) . Alice should consider visiting a behavioral therapist.
Cognitive theory
From this perspective, anxiety and fear are motivated by three main reasons. The first is the loss of control. Alice experiences loss of control due to the unpredictable and uncontrollable events in her life. The fact that her husband died without insurance was an unforeseen event. Currently, she has a job but cannot control the time at which her services might be irrelevant. She could be laid off at any time. This factor has led her to have anxiety and stress.
The second factor is the inability to make an effective response. Alice does not have an alternative job. She does not know how to respond to the threatening event of losing her job. She has children to take care of, and losing her job would mean that her children could starve and be homeless. This makes her feel helpless, and as a result, she has anxiety and stress.
The final factor is state and trait anxiety. As a mother with two children and a stable job, Alice is comfortable with the life she is living but does not have another plan if her job is taken away. This explains her inability to stop worrying and being anxious. Her condition can be treated by cognitive therapy, which deals with the elimination of negative thoughts that cause anxiety (Bieling, McCabe, & Antony, 2009) .
Social learning theory
Social learning theory deals with the scientific study of how the presence of others influences a human being's behavior, thoughts, and feelings. For instance, when Alice is alone, she often paces. She does not pay attention at meetings and is often embarrassed. The social theory shows that human beings tend to hide feelings and behaviors when around people. According to this theory, these feelings are in the form of psychological factors that influence a person's interaction with others. The fact that Alice loses track of what is said at meetings means that her communication with her colleagues and bosses is poor. She is, most likely, isolated at work.
Additionally, this theory emphasizes the importance of the social context in a person's life (Detweiler, Comer & Albano, 2010). For instance, when a person observes the events that take place in someone else's life, it tends to affect their reaction towards life. In this case, therefore, Alice must have had anxiety and stress by looking at someone who’s life events were closely related to her life events. She has the notion that because it happened in a certain way, she would end up almost the same as the other victim. Her condition is managable by the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). In CBT, the therapist focuses on specific behaviors that have been developed over time and how the environment has influenced them, making it easier to tame and eliminate negative behaviors.
Biological theory
This theory explains the behavior and mental processes of a person using the principles of biology. When anxiety and stress are understood from this perspective, three main conditions are considered stimulants. The first condition is response unavailability. This one explains Alice's inability to handle her anxiety, which has led to sleeplessness, fatigue, and stress.
The second condition is overstimulation, which refers to a person's mind flooding with information. Alice has overstimulation when she regularly rehearses worst-case scenarios. She is always worried and often thinks of being unable to provide for her children in the event she loses her job. The last condition is cognitive incongruity, which is the difficulty of accepting a bad experience. Alice does not want to reconcile with the fact that she lost her husband and that there is no one else to help her raise her children.
According to this theory, the motivation of fear and anxiety is stimulated by the Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) system. GABA system refers to a transmitter inhibitor found in the body that helps to maintain the flow of information in the brain hence reducing neural transmissions. High neural transmissions cause anxiety and stress. This can be treated through the use of medications such as antidepressants and Serotonin–Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors, which relax the mind reducing the flow of information ( Gelder, 2006).
References
Bieling, P. J., McCabe, R. E., & Antony, M. M. (2009). Cognitive-behavioral therapy in groups . New York: Guilford Press.
Butler, G. (2010). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: mastering clinical challenges / Gillian Butler, Melanie Fennell, Ann Hackmann .
Detweiler, M. F., Comer, J. S., & Albano, A. M. (2010). Social Anxiety in Children and Adolescents. Social Anxiety , 223–270. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-12-375096-9.00009-2
Drummond, L. M. (1993, March). Behavioral approaches to anxiety disorders. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2399722/
Elliott, A. (2015). Psychoanalytic theory - an introduction . Palgrave Macmillan.
Freeman, D., & Freeman, J. (2012). Anxiety: A very short introduction . Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Gelder, B. D. (2006). Toward a Biological Theory of Emotional Body Language. Biological Theory , 1 (2), 130–132. doi: 10.1162/biot.2006.1.2.130
Springer Verlag. (2012). Behavioral Theories and Treatment of Anxiety .
