For this discussion, you will choose from one of the three “You Decide” case studies included in Case Studies in Abnormal Psychology. The case study you choose for this discussion will also be the case study you will use for your Psychiatric Diagnosis assignment in Week Six.

In your initial post, you will take on the persona of the patient from the case study you have chosen in order to create an initial call to a mental health professional from the patient’s point of view. In order to create your initial call, evaluate the symptoms and presenting problems from the case study, and then determine how the patient would approach the first call.

Create a document that includes a transcript of a call from the patient’s point of view based on the information in the case study including basic personal information and reasons for seeking out psychotherapy.

What would the patient say?

What tone of voice might he or she use?

How fast would the patient speak?

Would the message be understandable (e.g., would it be muffled, circumstantial, tangential, rambling, mumbled, pressured, etc.)?

The discovery of the unconscious is typically attributed to Freud even though it has roots long before Freud was born. Freud was, however, influential in popularizing the unconscious. Freud and his followers maintained that much of what influences us is unconscious. The better we are able to discover these influences, the more we are able to moderate or change these influences in our behavior, thoughts, and emotions.
• What implications does this have for morals and ethics?
• Address the issue of responsibility — for example, what implications does this have for acting-out or criminal behavior?
• What was Freud’s view of human nature?
• What role would this play in understanding the importance of therapy?
• How would Freud or a psychodynamic thinker evaluate the effectiveness of therapy?