Schizophrenia, a mental disorder, affects people between the age of 16- 30. Victims are mostly young adults who are during adolescence, while others are born with the disorder from birth. The causes of the disorder vary from genetics to brain development and natural birth complications. For others, the disease develops as a result of a viral infection. The disorder disorients a victim’s perception of the quality of life. People with schizophrenia find themselves disconnected from reality as they tend to isolate themselves. These people are also unable to tell fantasy from fact, which further detaches them from the rest of the world. Schizophrenia can manifest itself in various ways, and victims often display different symptoms. The following is an analysis of schizophrenia and the use of the psychoanalytic theory by Erich Fromm in counseling.
Schizophrenia causes an impairment of human nature with anxiety dominating the human physiology. The disorder disrupts a victim’s cognitive ability, emotional recognition and psychosocial functioning (Chien, Leung, Yeung & Wong, 2013). One loses the sense of self-care and social functioning thus affecting a person’s mental activities. Victims of the disorder are deprived of the elements of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Ellerby, 2016). When faced with anxiety, they fail to look after themselves as it affects their physiology. The hallucinations experienced by these people drives them away from feelings of safety and trust in themselves and those around them. Additionally, when they encounter delusions, they fail to achieve self-achievement causing the deterioration of their self-esteem (Ellerby, 2016).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The victims display symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, emotional disconnect, social isolation and lack of concentration among others (Chien, Leung, Yeung & Wong, 2013). The symptoms are further categorized into negative and positive signs. Negative symptoms are ones that affect creative ability, whereby one cannot express themselves through creative means. Positive traits, on the other hand, affect the changes of thought in behavior, often known as psychosis. The symptoms vary for victims as each one displays different traits.
Psychosocial treatment is the primary method used to treat this disorder, with different counseling needs being addressed. There are various counseling-related methods that counselors use on the victims. They include cognitive behavior therapy, art therapy, family therapy, personal psychotherapy, psychosocial therapy and social skills training among others (Chien, Leung, Yeung & Wong, 2013). Cognitive behavior therapy guides a victim on how to manage stress and factors that cause anxiety and depression, while art therapy teaches them how to express themselves creatively. Family therapy involves a patient’s family whereby they are shown how to cope with the symptoms and the mental state of the patient. Personal psychotherapy is whereby an individual is taught how to differentiate fantasy from reality, as well as how to shape their thoughts and behavior. Psychosocial therapy teaches the patient the value of inclusivity into the community by showing them ways in which they would socialize with members of the city. On the other hand, social skills training improves a person’s communication and social skills (Chien, Leung, Yeung & Wong, 2013).
The psychoanalytic theory by Erich Fromm is a development of Freud’s theory. Fromm advances that psychoanalysis is based on both the conscious and unconscious recognition of a person. Psychotherapy is used in therapy to enable the patients to achieve the best discoveries about themselves, by being aware of their human experience. Not only does psychoanalysis help patients to discover their conscious and unconscious selves, but also it allows therapists to get to and understand the cause of their disorder so that they maintain patients work through it successfully (Michels, 2017).
Human Nature
According to Fromm, human nature is best described through the sense of freedom that promotes radical humanism (Ferguson, 2016). This freedom shapes a man’s behavior reactions to his surroundings. Seeing as human nature is characterized by freedom, going against this naturally leads to the development of mental and emotional disability. Freedom, as explained by Fromm is the ability of one to have cognitive skills to make their own decisions as well as life to their full potential. Schizophrenic patients are deprived of this freedom as their psychosocial abilities are hindered, hence the development of the mental disorder.
Human nature is challenged by the quality of society such that if society infringes on man’s freedom, it causes destabilizes a person’s mental capabilities. On the other hand, human nature also varies depending on the type of society. A society that upholds human nature enables one to achieve their mental capabilities which distinguish human nature from animal nature. The freedom associated with human life promotes the role played by culture and social structures. Social cognition has it that man has five needs that allow him to achieve power and full potential. These are the need for relationships with family and others in society, need for transcendence, and the urge to have a sense of identity, need for belonging to a community and a culture, and the need to recognize reason versus irrationality (Ferguson, 2016). According to Fromm’s psychoanalytic theory, one gets to full self-actualization once they realize and comprehend their nature.
The views of this theory fit my opinions when it comes to counseling patients with schizophrenia. Such patients suffer cognitive and psychological as well as physiological disorders. Therefore, they need to understand that they should embrace their freedom to be able to actualize their full potential as human beings. Making them feel like part of society is one step towards psychosocial cognition that allows them to develop the sense of identity and belonging. More so, the theory focuses on thoughts, feelings, and actions of clients which is the goal of psychotherapy of patients with schizophrenia.
Patients with this disorder need to be wheeled back into reality whereby they realize themselves as part of a broader society. By focusing on their psychosocial needs, the therapy brings them closer to understanding who they are and developing a sense of reason. The psychoanalytic theory thus fits the needs of patients with schizophrenia.
Counseling relationship. Unlike Freud, Fromm proposes an empathetic connection between the client and the therapist. The therapist should be able to connect with the client and feel what they feel. The client needs to see themselves through the eyes of the therapist, hence the need for empathy. A close-knit relationship between the client and the therapist allows the client to build trust, and understanding of the cause of the patient’s condition. Both the client and the therapist have a role of being honest with each other. This way, the client is able to express themselves wholly.
The therapist should seek to understand the workings of the client's mind by asking the client what they think of them (Cortina, 2015). Understanding the perception of the client allows the therapist to guide the patient towards positive self-reflection, and getting them to be aware of their surroundings. The relationship should also be characterized by the freedom to express each other’s emotion. The therapist should be loving and affirmative to help the patient achieve self-love, inner peace and a positive attitude towards life (Symington, 2012).
Counseling process. The counseling process is a long one as symptoms do not subside immediately. The therapist would anticipate different expressions and emotions from the client throughout the whole process. In the beginning, the client would have a disillusioned perception of themselves that would contribute to low self-esteem and low self-worth (Chien, Leung, Yeung & Wong, 2013). The therapist would get to understand how the client thinks by asking questions about their personal views of themselves and factors around them. At first, the client would fail to recognize themselves as their perceptions are influenced by delusions and hallucinations. These factors would cause the client to have mixed emotions. The therapist would then work towards achieving a positive self-perception of the client.
As counseling progresses, the client would display several changes as they become aware of their social surrounding. The answers they would give at this point when asked a question would show their psychosocial awareness. The client here would begin to understand the emotions that lie within him concerning certain aspects of their lives
The third marker the therapist would look for is the expression of emotions and cognitive abilities. At this stage, the client is fully aware of their cognitive skills as they can differentiate various things that elicit different feelings from them. This stage is where the client is much aware of their emotions and can be able to express themselves adequately.
The other marker to look out for is participation in psychosocial activities. The client would be ready to interact with others and be aware of himself and his social environment. Here, he would take more activities that allow him to associate with other people in the society. By being aware of the society around him, he achieves a sense of belonging and becomes part of the community and the culture. Eventually, the client obtains self-realization, which is a marker that he has made good progress in the psychoanalytic therapy. Self-realization is where a person is fully aware of themselves, their environment, their behavior, and thoughts- what is referred to as the conscious and unconscious
Techniques. Fromm’s psychoanalytic theory presents specific methods to be used in psychotherapy. The techniques that the therapist would use when dealing with a patient with schizophrenia would be relatedness, affinity and cultural competence. The goal of psychotherapy is to establish how a patient perceives culture and to use that perception to achieve mental well-being. Relatedness would allow the therapist to relate to the patient and understand the source of their beliefs about themselves and their society. The therapist puts themselves in the client’s shoes by being empathetic and getting to be as one with the client, a center-center relationship (Tummala-Narra, 2015).
Cultural competence refers to a person’s position in the social context based on social interactions. Cultural competence urges a therapist to expand his examination of the client, by allowing a self- narrative disclose. This method enables the therapist to know the history of the trauma and the genesis of the deflection from sociological activities. Moreover, such competence allows for both the therapist and client to give their views on cultural context and their understanding of the conscious and unconscious. Through understanding the clients’ opinions on cultural context, the therapist can uncover the experiences of the client leading up to social oppression and the stereotypes involved. As it is, schizophrenia patients are isolated because of the nature of their conditions, a factor that leads to social isolation. Culture is used to capture, understand and repair self-damage (Tummala-Narra, 2015).
Evaluation of client progress. There is a vital need to monitor the development of the client to prevent symptom remission, as well as ensuring recovery. As counseling progresses, the client develops a change towards their psychosocial cognition. They produce a better and more positive sense of self (Lysaker, Glynn, Wilkniss & Silverstein, 2010). Coming to self-realization is the marker that counseling has been successful. When one perceives themselves as part of the society and can control their behavior, then the advice is said to be successful. Psychoanalytic counseling aims to ensure that the client achieves a better emotional experience. Once the client realizes this, it proves the success of the exercise and warrants termination of the process. The client can have the human experience that allows him to be one with human nature. The freedom to choose between good and evil and to have control over the thought of behavior is a sign that warrants termination.
Different markers measure the success of the practice. The exercise is considered successful once the client has a positive perception of themselves and their lives, as meaningful and relevant people in the society. More so, the client should be able to understand his strengths and weaknesses and be able to apply them in his daily life. Declining symptoms with no remissions are also a sign of the success of the process (Lysaker, Glynn, Wilkniss & Silverstein, 2010).
Application. The psychoanalytic approach towards counseling focuses on positive interpretations of repressed material and the defensive processes (Cortina, 2015). The plan allows one to express their deepest emotions and fears and in turn change them to strengths. Patients can reach their unconscious and suppress- even eliminate- feelings of depression that affect their cognitive abilities, as they work towards achieving a better sense of self. The therapy gives one control over their emotion and psychosocial wellbeing, causing them to enjoy human nature, in the sense of freedom. Patients can create better emotional experiences as they interact with the therapist.
Additionally, the therapy is a two-way interaction that requires empathy from the therapist to be able to understand the client (Cortina, 2015). This interaction enables both of them to be able to experience each other’s thoughts and emotions, creating a sense of trust and eventually belonging to the client. Therapists engage emotionally with their clients, giving them the opportunity to experience humanity.
The strengths of this therapy are its emphasis on the human experience and allowing one to have the best human experience. At first, the client might face problems in expressing themselves. However, over the course of the therapy, they can open up and be part of human nature which shifts their self-perception. The theory is most suitable when dealing with diverse clients facing mental disorders as it allows one to get back in touch with the inner self to achieve psychosocial freedom.
In conclusion, schizophrenia disrupts cognitive and functioning abilities of a victim, causing them to be out of touch with the world. Its symptoms vary and are mostly characterized by hallucinations, delusions and language difficulties. Various therapeutic efforts are made towards mitigating the effects of schizophrenia such as cognitive based therapy, psychotherapy, family therapy among others.
The psychoanalytic theory by Erich Fromm, which is a revision of the method by Freud suggests that the human experience and the understanding of both the conscious and unconscious are essential in psychoanalytic therapy. The theory promotes inclusivity of all human beings and gives patients a new way of cultural comprehension, to ensure that they fit in it. The theorist views human nature as being driven by freedom; hence the theory strives towards achieving this freedom. The techniques used in the treatment are empathetic and create a human experience for the patients. This therapy can be used with diverse clients facing mental disorders.
References
Chien, W., Leung, S., Yeung, F., & Wong, W. (2013). Current approaches to treatments for schizophrenia spectrum disorders, part II: psychosocial interventions and patient-focused perspectives in psychiatric care. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment , 9 , 1463-1481.
Cortina, M. (2015). The Greatness and Limitations of Erich Fromm’s Humanism. Contemporary Psychoanalysis , 51 (3), 388-422. Doi: 10.1080/00107530.2015.999297
Ellerby, M. (2016). Schizophrenia, Maslow’s Hierarchy, and Compassion-Focused Therapy. Schizophrenia Bulletin , 42 (3), 531-533. Doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbt119
Ferguson, I. (2016). Between Marx and Freud: Erich Fromm revisited. International Socialism Journal , (149), 1-16.
Lysaker, P., Glynn, S., Wilkniss, S., & Silverstein, S. (2010). Psychotherapy and recovery from schizophrenia: A review of potential applications and need for future study. Psychological Services , 7 (2), 75-91. Doi: http://doi.org/10.1037/a0019115
Michels, R. (2017). The relationship between psychoanalysis and schizophrenia by Richard Lucas ‐ A commentary. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis , 84 (1), 9-12. Doi: 10.1516/9wlm-6r1h-l3cc-et00
Symington, N. (2012). The essence of psycho-analysis as opposed to what is secondary. Psychoanalytic Dialogues , 22 , 395-409.
Tummala-Narra, P. (2015). Cultural competence as a core emphasis of psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Psychoanalytic Psychology , 32 (2), 275-292. Doi: 10.1037/a0034041
