Personality Development According to Freudian and Adlerian Theories

Antonio's Personality Type According to Freudian Theory

Background History
Antonio is one of three children. He has two older brothers and currently lives at home with his mother and father. He has a very close relationship with his mother, but a poor relationship with his father and his brothers. From as early as he could remember, his mother played an instrumental role in his life. He referred to her as being very nurturing and understanding of his many downfalls.

Growing up, Antonio did not have to do much for himself, as his mother always ensured that his needs were met. In reflecting on his relationship with his mother, Antonio mentioned that “Up to this day, my mother continues to ensure that I am fed and have clean clothes to wear”. He boasts of their close, loving relationship and stated that he can tell his mother anything, without feeling judged.

Antonio reported that his father was very strict with him, often picking on him for not being as bright as his older brothers. The relationship with his father has been strained ever since he was a little boy. According to his father, Antonio’s mother contributed to him growing up to be a failure, as she was too easy on him and treated him as if he were “fragile and not to be mishandled”. At the age of 14, he was given the opportunity to compete overseas in an international Debate Tournament, along with fellow team members from his high school. However, because the school only sponsored travel for the team members and the team coaches, his mother was unable to go with him for support.

Antonio was devastated about the thought of not having his mother around and felt that he would not be able to manage the demands of the tournament without her. As such, he gave up this once in a life time opportunity and opted out of the trip. This resulted in the disqualification of his team from the tournament. Antonio’s father made reference to this incident and blames his mother for stifling the potential he had to be something great. She however feels that Antonio made the right choice, as she could not handle the thought of him being in a foreign country without her.

His father often told him that he would not amount to anything in life and that even if he did, it would have had to be a miracle in order for him to fill the shoes of his brothers. He reported feeling inadequate compared to his brothers who are both successful businessmen living in the United States, however, he does not think he is brave enough to branch out and leave his mother behind.

Freudian Defense Mechanism Used by Antonio

He was often teased by his brothers while growing up because he was not “as bright” as they were and was often called a “sissy” and ‘mama’s boy”. He reports that while he feels inadequate, he has never felt compelled to compete with his brothers, as his mother often made it very clear that he was special and did not need to overexert himself.

At the age of 19, Antonio enrolled at the Ballpark Community College, 10 minutes away from his home. He made the decision to not move away for college as his brothers did, because he did not want to be too far from home. He described his college years as being rough, as he had difficulties finding and sticking to a major. In addition to having challenges deciding on what major to choose, often starting programs and then switching to other majors, he found the demands of the college environment to be much greater and even at times unbearable. After 3 years of indecision, he decided to drop out of college. After this, Antonio spent much of his time at home in his room, watching TV.

While his mother was content with having him at home, his father, who became increasingly furious about his son’s lack of ambition, had given him the ultimatum to find a job, if he desired to continue living within their household. After two months of seeking a job, Antonio was hired as a Customer Service Agent at a Call Center. However, since beginning this job, he has been experiencing chest pains, cold sweats, weakness and heart palpitations every day while on the job and has called off from work numerous days due to feeling ill. Antonio reported that when he was at home, he did not have these symptoms, but that as soon as he left out for work, he started to feel ill. His mother convinced him to resign from his job and stay home until he felt ready to do otherwise, however, his father is in disagreement with this and wants him to move out as soon as possible. When asked about his thoughts on the situation, Antonio stated that he is comfortable at home and finds the thought of moving out distressing.

Antonio’s brothers think of him as being worthless, because he has refused to try to accomplish anything great. According to Antonio, they think of him as being weak and accuses him of faking his symptoms, especially because after numerous trips to the Doctor, no biological basis has been found for his many complaints.

Antonio is often described as being a loner because people do not understand him. Despite this, he reports that he is not bothered by his lack of interpersonal relationships. He also stated that from as early as he could remember, he did not have many friends because they thought of him as being annoying and clingy. Antonio reports that he does not think of himself as being clingy and thinks instead that he is just more sensitive and desiring of closeness than other people.

Please answer the following questions below.
This should be no more than 3 pages double spaced, APA format, excluding your reference page. (15 Marks)
Questions
1. What personality (or character) type does Antonio display according to Freudian theory?
Provide evidence for your answer. At what stage is Antonio fixated, according to the Freudian perspective? Find evidence of fixation in the case study. What would have caused this fixation? (4 marks)

2. Find an example of a Freudian defense mechanism that Antonio uses in this description. Explain it. (2 marks)

3. Using Adler’s theory, explain how Antonio’s familial relationships may have contributed to his personality development. (3 marks)

4. Would a Freudian therapist view Antonio’s symptoms of chest pains, cold sweats, weakness and heart palpitations as a behavioral problem, in and of itself, or as a symptom of another problem? (2 marks)

5. What therapeutic techniques would a Freudian therapist likely use to assist Antonio with his challenges? What state of consciousness would be the focus of therapy? How does healing/improvement occur during Freudian therapy? (3 marks) References (1 mark)