The movie The Antwone Fisher Story deals with the life of a young African-American man who suffered a troubled upbringing and his struggle as an adult to cope with what he went through. Since he was a victim of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse in his childhood by foster caretakers, it is safe to say he suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, seen through his recurring flashbacks of the abuse; his violent outbursts as a way to cope with his tragic life, and low self-esteem due to not ever received words of encouragement from his caretakers.These behaviors are clearly abnormal because they are not what a typical young adult would show. Because Antwone Fisher did not meet his parents, grew up with violent foster caretakers, and never received support from anyone who cared for him, he was not able to develop coping skills necessary to confront life’s struggles.
He definitely acted impulsively when he felt attacked by others who belittled him, through his anger outbursts. Despite the many attacks he suffered he only acted on them, when he felt he could not take it anymore; after having bottled them up inside.In regards to the therapy he received to overcome his behaviors, the film demonstrates the ideas of resilience, the ability to rebound from dangerous practices and high-risk situations for psychological and social maladjustment. It also presents psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Fisher suffered sexual abuse by a babysitter in a foster home. There are various factors that lead to his terrible temper against the world and sexual abuse is one of them.
Therefore, as angry as he was, he managed to keep it all in his heart without sharing it with anyone.Fisher showed qualities of reliance through refusing to participate in criminal acts and violence that would have been so easy to him, specifically after being at reform school. Instead he decided to join the Navy. Fisher was also enabled to gain courage by his girlfriend Cheryl.
Through her, he was able even to search for his biological family. The flow of the events in the movie presented a pace for behavioral and mental growth of Fisher. In life, change is always inevitable; some people are most of resistance to change because of various reasons.For instance, in the case of Fisher, he was resistant to accept change in his life because of his abusive past experience. He was resistant in letting go of dreadful temper and thus, he had to undergo various treatments with a psychiatrist who at last helped him through the use of psychotherapy to overcome his fears.
The psychiatrist succeeded in his treatment by being gentle and compassionate while asking questions. He also assisted Fisher to understand various patterns of self-loathing that have been carried forward from generation to generation.If I had treated Fisher, I would have followed the same method not only because it was successful, but because of the amount of emotional damage he endured. He had taken so much abuse and simply took it and did not fight back even when he could. I believe only with psychotherapy, as opposed to other approaches, was he able to free himself from what was holding him back and preventing him to move on with his life.
The doctor had to apply an integrative method that linked psychodynamic, behavioral, humanistic approaches in order to achieve his goal in Fishers life.
