Carolyn Burnham-

Carolyn Burnham

A psychoanalysis by Emily Putnam and Gabby Derosier

Narcissism Personality Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive Disorder

Treatments(continued)

I would not recommend the use of client-centered therapy for Carolyn because although reaching self-acceptance would be good, she needs a therapy that focus on how those current issues can be handled. Behavior therapy would not work either because much of her issues have to do with past experience, and simply applying learning principles to eliminate anxieties wouldn't be sufficient. And although cognitive therapy my help to teach her new constructive ways of thinking, she needs an approach that more directly deals with her anxieties rather than just her feeling of low self-worth. Cognitive-Behavioral therapy would help deal with her obsessive-compulsive disorder, her current relationships need to be managed more directly. Lastly, biomedical therapy would not help with Carolyn's disorders because they are not necessarily the result of a chemical imbalance and could not be helped using a biological form of treatment.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety related disorder, but the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Fifth Edition (DSM-5) does not classify it, along with Posttraumatic stress disorder, as a specific anxiety disorder. In layman’s terms OCD is when someone’s unreasonable thoughts and fears (obsessions) lead to repetitive behaviors (compulsions). People suffering from only one of those factors (obsessions or compulsions) may also be diagnosed as having OCD. OCD can be especially destructive when the person does not rationalize that they have obsessive-compulsive tendencies, when they do not conceptualize their behaviors as unreasonable. And if these behavior are indeed recognized some people try to suppress or ignore them, which leads to heightened anxiety and distress.

Panic Disorder

Narcissism is when someone has excessive self-love and self-absorption; Narcissism Personality disorder is when someone has inflated self-infatuation and a cavernous need for admiration infatuation, which is accompanies a paucity of the ability to be empathetic towards others, that masks copious underlying insecurities and low self-esteem that can be vulnerable to the faintest of criticism. Unlike OCD and Panic Disorder, Narcissism Personality disorder is a personality disorder not an anxiety disorder. This means that Narcissism Personality disorder is a disorder in which a pattern of deviant or abnormal behavior that the person doesn't change even though it causes emotional upsets and trouble with other people at work and in personal relationships.

Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder that consists of panic attacks. Panic attacks can be described as unpredictable episodes of intense fear and/or apprehension where the person experiences physical symptoms such as, but not limited to: chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, trembling, dizziness, and choking. These episodes usually last for several minutes and are often followed by worry of a next attack. Panic disorder affects every 1 in 75 people; currently six million American adults suffer from this disorder each year, of which women are twice as likely to develop this disorder.

In the 1999 drama "American Beauty", suburban mother and real estate agent Carolyn Burnham suffers from various debilitating anxieties and personality disorders. The most apparent disorders she displays are narcissistic personality disorder as well as obsessive compulsive disorder, which result in a panic attack and erratic behavior.

OCD Analysis

In this scene Carolyn exhibits primarily obsessive-compulsive behaviors. She repeatedly says to herself “I will sell this house today; I will sell this house today”, this mantra perpetuates itself into an uncontrollable fetish of a thought to the extent where it becomes unreasonable. Wanting things to be tidy in a house that you’re selling as a real-estate agent is normal and excepted by she engraves this thought, this will into her being as it is the only thought in her head. This is an obsession, Carolyn not only takes this “I will sell this house today” out in the actions but translates it into her being as if it is her only purpose; the thought becomes her if you will. Subsequently, this obsession leads to compulsive behavior, which in her case is cleaning every inch of the house. Having things neat is one thing, but what makes her actions compulsive is the extent she takes it to. The nit-picky cleaning, the dissection of every nook and cranny in search of a blemish is an urge that she can’t help execute, always in all ways. Another example of this behavior is when she attends her daughter’s cheer-leading performance and she says “I watched you very closely, you did not screw up once”, she is always looking for the blemishes to unhealthy extent to where it is detrimental to herself perception and personal relationships.

Panic Clip explanation

In this scene, Carolyn is seen to have an anxiety induced episode due to the fact that has not been able to sell the house. She repeatably yells at herself to "shut-up", calling herself names like "weak" and "baby", and slaps herself. This attack is most likely the result of Carolyn feeling as though she has begun to lose control over her life and her current situation. Carolyn is currently unable to keep her family life controlled, so she most likely felt as though the one aspect in her life that could provide her with some form of relief would be success in her profession. The attack is triggered by the small amount of failure she experiences when trying to sell this house because of the lack of hope she feels, and her built up anxiety.

Dinner clip explanation

In this clip, Carolyn displays narcissism personality disorder by showing concern for her well being without considering how her family will be affected. Her husband is the one who made the choice to quit is job because it what was best for him; however, Carolyn views this as a situation that will hurt her. As her husband attempts to justify his decision, she doesn't listen and worries that this now makes her the only one who is supporting the family. Despite her husband's struggles, she chooses see how the situation will affect her life.

Treatments for disorders

The course of treatment I would use for Carolyn would most likely be psychodynamic. The focus of most of her disorders stem from her relationships, and it would help her to restore an awareness of her own feelings. This therapy would help to reveal her past experiences, and how these anxieties developed. Through the use of interpersonal techniques, Carolyn could focus her thinking on immediate issues and effectively handle her family and work situations.