Relação entre resposta de esquiva e crenças de incapacidade e dependência: análise de um caso clínico

Abstract

The life experiences that make up the history of each subject are permeated by various singularities that constitute who we are and how we see the world around us. The impacts of childhood events and family dynamics influence the way we organize ourselves in adulthood and are related to the origin of core beliefs present in the cognitive model that dictates automatic thoughts, generating feelings and behavioral responses that may be adaptive or maladaptive. In this context, anxiety-related disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, are related to maladaptive responses to some beliefs about reality. The clinical case described in this article is a black woman who lives with the chronic condition of breast cancer and presents a possible case of GAD, being analyzed the relationship of these factors with the development of some of her dysfunctional thoughts. The general objective of this article is to present a construction, using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as a basis, of the analysis of a clinical case with symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), with the presence of dependency and incapacity schemas, related to a restrictive family upbringing, with low development of autonomy. As specific objectives, it seeks to describe and analyze the main techniques used to reach the goals set by the patient, in order to achieve new steps in the improvement of her quality of life. The therapeutic process in question used as main strategies the strengthening of the therapeutic alliance through the creation of bonds, empathic understanding of the patient's condition, and the modification of her dysfunctional beliefs, using psychoeducation as the main tool. The results obtained were: cognitive flexibility, increased repertoire to deal with anxious symptoms, and resumption of some activities that the patient no longer felt able to perform, associated with the use of the ability to exercise autonomy and dependence.