The main character of the movie “Sling Blade”, Karl Childers suffers from a psychological disorder that led him to the killing of his mother and her lover. The clinician dysfunctions must start with an understanding of the types of problems with which clients present.
A detailed description of the psychological problems is the most basic starting point from which to develop taxonomies of work dysfunctions, from which ultimately can be developed properly grounded theories and relevant intervention methodologies (Bleuler, 2001). Following DSM-IV multiaxial system and axis 1, Karl Childers’s behavior shows that he suffers from a psychotic disorder. This disorder is apparent when Karl Childers kills a lover of his mother, supposing that he rapes her, and then kills his mother when understands that she has a lover.
In terms of axis 2, Karl Childers suffers from a paranoid personality disorder. As with any branch of clinical practice, the clinician must rule out alternative explanations of client dysfunction to be able to focus on and effectively treat the presumed dynamic of the current presenting problem. It is therefore important for the clinician to keep the client’s work context firmly in mind in assessing work dysfunctions (Jessor and Jessor 2006).
In terms of axis 3, Karl Childers does not have unique medical conditions or illnesses which could influence his mental state or lead to disorders. Characteristics of the job conditions can directly affect and ameliorate individual psychological consequences of stress at work. Work dysfunctions may therefore reflect characteristics of the person, the job, or (perhaps most typically) both (Costa & Widiger 1994; Rahdert 2005).
In terms of axis 4, Karl Childers was brought into a single mother family, so he cannot accept the idea of sexual relations his mother has with men. At most in such cases, work is used as a metaphor for the client’s disconnection with reality, and work counseling serves as a focus for stabilizing and increasing the client’s reality orientation Personality problems create some of the most emotionally volatile and difficult to manage workplace problems, affecting not just the individual but often others in the work section or organization (Millon 2004).
Often, these difficulties assume proportions greatly discrepant with the precipitating conflict as individuals get locked into dysfunctional interactions and as conflicts become publicly manifest in the organizational context. In terms of axis 5, the behavior of the main character can be rated as 61-70 scores. This behavior is characterized by mild symptoms (depressed mood and insomnia) (Leonhard, 2001).
The main treatment method is psychotherapy. Chronic procrastinators who are perfectionists and who set too high a standard for themselves and others may need encouragement to develop less grandiose, more realistic goals. When appropriate, settling for acceptable rather than idealized outcomes, at least in certain situations and contexts, can be a desirable goal (Wolraich 2003). When there are more circumscribed dysfunctional work habits (e.g., underestimating the amount of time needed to complete tasks, tackling too simple tasks), an educative or educative—cognitive approach may be effective (Stoil and Hill 2001).
Perceptual inaccuracies occur in situations in which there is some important difference between consensually validated views of the situation and the perceptions. This category does not refer primarily to severe perceptual distortion in which the individual psychotically distorts reality (which falls outside the scope of employment dysfunctions). Perceptual inaccuracies instead refer to motivated, non-psychotic discrepancies between perceptions of the client and those of the others in the work setting. The question of control is important in many formulations of procrastination and needs to be explored in the client’s context.
References
Bleuler, E. (2001). Dementia praecox: Or, the group of schizophrenias (J. Zinkin, trans.), New York: International Universities Press.
Costa, P. T., & Widiger, T. A., (Eds.). (1994). Personality disorders and the five-factor model of personality. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Jessor R., & Jessor S. L. (2006). Problem behavior and psychosocial development. New York: Academic Press.
Leonhard, K. (2001). The classification of endogenous psychoses. New York : Irvington.
Millon T. (2004). Disorders of personality: DSM-III: Axis II. New York: Wiley Interscience.
Rahdert E. R. (2005). The adolescent assessment/referral system: Manual. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Stoil M. J., & Hill G. (2001). Preventing substance abuse: Interventions that work. New York: Plenum.
Wolraich M. L. (2003). The classification of child and adolescent mental diagnoses in primary care. Elk Grove, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.