Social Work Case Study: Basic Anxiety

Case Study 10
According to Horney, basic anxiety, a feeling of being isolated in a dangerous world, usually is a result of poor treatment, psychologically and physically, by their parents. This basic anxiety is fought using protective devices that give an ephemeral release of pain and makes an individual feel safe. As a result, a neurotic need develops to rebuild the safety of the surrounding environments. These needs are typically compulsive, rigid, and used indiscriminately in the unconscious mind. I believe that Shimin uses the detached type of neurotic needs to alleviate his basic anxiety. The detached types uses withdrawal to protect themselves, often moving away from people, being secretive, unwilling to share personal information with others, and often avoidant of others. This detached style is
Specifically, he displays primarily the neurotic need for self-sufficiency and independence, and aspects of the need to restrict one’s life within narrow borders. Following the outlines for the need for self-sufficiency and independence, Shimin consistently estranged himself from those around him by residing in an apartment rather than the dorms for example. He frequently expressed his dislike for expressing emotional feelings, and by avoiding interpersonal contact was able to maintain an illusion of personal superiority, whether or not it is an actuality. Also, he specifically stated that he believes independence and sufficiency are better than interaction in the class room and believed it would garner respect from his fellow classmates. I also believe that he embodies aspects of the need to restrict one’s life within narrow borders, specifically the portion where he avoids teaching for fear of being demeaned and reprimanded by his supervisors. Also, he performed better when he was submissive as a teaching assistant to his boss, rather than being out teaching his own