Anxiety Disorder Psychoanalysis: A Film Character's Analysis

This essay provides a psychoanalytic analysis of anxiety disorders, using the film "What About Bob?" as a case study. It explores the etymology of anxiety disorders, the various phobias exhibited by the character Bob Wiley, and their relevance to diagnostic criteria (DSM-5). The essay also discusses different treatment approaches, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), contrasting them with the methods portrayed in the film. It examines the film's representation of symptoms, treatment effectiveness, and the portrayal of mental health professionals. The conclusion offers a personal judgment on the film's accuracy and its impact on the understanding of anxiety disorders, acknowledging both its entertainment value and its potential misrepresentations of neurological factors.

Running head: ANXIETY DISORDER PSYCHOANALYSIS
ANXIETY DISORDER PSYCHOANALYSIS
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note

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Introduction
With definition to psychology, every human mind or individual has two sides of the
personality. Sometimes under circumstances of strain, the shadow side of the human mind forces
the individual to exhibit and initiate a certain pattern to respond against certain situations giving
rise to a feeling of threat or anxiety (Charney et al., 2013).
This essay deals with an example of a film character undergoing a series of disorders
(anxiety) and explains about the etymology of the disorder with relevance to the respective
model and classification. This essay further entails about the treatment that can be used to treat
these kinds of disorders with contrast to the best treatment for this disorder.
The purpose of this essay is to analyze and understand about the anxiety disorders along
with its etymology and treatment with contrast to the film character portraying the disorder in
this essay. This also helps in analyzing and relating the different aspects along with the
behavioral criterion to classify this disorder with both reality and fantastical culture.
Situational analysis
As per the topic, the character upon which the analysis has been done is Bill Murray’s
portrayal of a psychologically challenged individual in a film named “What about Bob?”. In this
movie Bob (Bill Murray) is a patient of a psychiatrist named Dr. Leo Marvin (Played by Richard
Dreyfuss). In this film, another colleague who was fed up, treating Bob has referred Bob to Dr
Marvin. This movie portrays Bob as a complete collection of anxiety disorders (phobias) or in
other words, he is an individual with multiple anxiety disorders such as agoraphobia (fear of
being in places with difficult exit), nosemaphobia (fear of illness), spermaphobia (fear of germs),

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hydrophobia (fear of water), achluophobia (fear of darkness) and tonitrophobia (fear of
thunderstorms). Not just these bob has fear of elevators, fear of height along with dependency
disorder, multiple personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (Ollendick, King &
Yule, 2013).
Etymology and symptoms of anxiety disorder
As per the topic, the character in the movie portrays a various kind of phobia or anxiety
disorders. In other words, the character undergoes severe anxiety or panic attacks due to certain
situations that effectively triggers the behavior and reaction like trauma and tends to stay in a
state of panic and anxiety at all times (Charney et al., 2013).
According to the etymology, anxiety disorder is a group of mental disorder that is
characterized by significant feelings of anxiety and fear regarding some uncertain events that
may or may not occur in the future. This may be accompanied by symptoms such as increased
heart beating, shakiness, numbness, dryness in the throat, fear, perspiration, breathlessness and
avoidance (Willgoss & Yohannes, 2013). In simple words, anxiety disorder or phobia is a kind of
behavioral disorder, where an individual faces two or more phobias at the same time (American
Psychiatric Association, 2013). However, it can be justified that anxiety disorders are
accompanied by or follows a chain of disorders such as schizophrenia, avoidant personality
disorder and depression (McCance & Huether, 2015).
As depicted in the movie, Bob faces anxiety disorder, which in turn is teamed with
obsessive-compulsive disorder and avoidant personality disorder (Iverach & Rapee, 2014).
Therefore, the theory about anxiety disorder has been justified and correctly portrayed in the
film. Nonetheless, the demonstration of the symptoms as explained in theories has been rightly

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illustrated in the film, with clear exhibition of tension, avoidance and feelings of threat.
Therefore, with comparison to the literary context, Bob clearly meets the Diagnostics and
Statistical manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)V criteria for multiple specific phobias, which is
common and it can be added that phobia tend to be formal revolving around emotional or painful
events, though no insight has been provided regarding Bob’s past life (American Psychiatric
Association, 2013).
Best treatment approach with contrast to the film
Based on the theories of treating this disorder, it can be proposed that anxiety disorders
are the most easy and treatable form of disorders, than the other psychological disorders, as
classified under DSM V (McCance & Huether, 2015). In other words, the treatment is highly
effective and more likely to produce positive outcomes or reduction in the symptoms. Based on
the theories and research works, it can be considered that Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is
the most effective treatment for treating such conditions (Wells, 2013). However, other treatment
methods tend to be ineffective for the same. Some of the other approaches are effective such as
supportive psychotherapy and psychodynamic or psychoanalytic therapies, nonetheless, the
results are unpredictable. Effective use of medications containing beta-blockers like Propranol
(please note that these medications should be taken under physician’s instructions only) can help
reduce the reception of catecholamine, thus strengthening emotional or fearful memories
(Steenen et al., 2016). However, it can be analyzed that Bob’s behavior are presented as general
anxiety disorder and depression with OCD focusing on the contamination and the safety.
Nonetheless, the problems are not represented to be potentially physical with no relevance to
glucocortcoids, serotonin or dopamine but his unrealistic choice of not acting and baseless fear
(Willgoss & Yohannes, 2013).

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In addition, the film portrays a fictional best seller, which is a book of treating anxiety
disorder with no professional help but self-help by taking “Baby Steps” or one by one step to
move away from the fear. With contrast to reality, this is predominantly conditional and depends
on the patient undergoing the crisis. It can further be added, that Dr. Marvin uses a simplified
model of cognitive behavior therapy, which in turn proved beneficial in the treatment as well as
used as one of the best methods of treating the disorder, in the realistic situation (Christophersen
& Vanscoyoc, 2013). This method in reality is only helpful in treating children but effective in
treating adults as well. The film exhibits some exposure therapy, which was consistently
ineffective for reducing the fear (Rodrigues et al., 2014). Thus, it can be concluded that
helplessness and glucocorticoid levels cannot be altered easily, whereas the mere proclivities can
be changed under circumstances.
It can also be contrasted that in the first scene of the movie, refusing to treat the patient,
by the first psychiatrist before coming to Dr. Leo Marvin can be classified as one unprofessional
move in practicing psychiatry, which is in turn holds no connection with reality.
Conclusion (Personal Judgment)
With help of this essay, it can be concluded that the film contain some faintly realistic
treatments such as the casual use of CBT, exposure and systematic desensitization therapy, while
the character of Bob Wiley portrays a humoristic reality of the individuals undergoing anxiety
attack with close relevance to the symptoms and etymology of the disorder. However, it can be
concluded that even though the film is entertaining, it somewhat misrepresents the conditions
portrayed by ignoring the neurological changes associated with such kind of disorders. It can

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further be added that the defeat of Leo Marvin as a doctor and emerging of Bob Wiley as a
winner is considerable uplifting yet a demoralizing of the practice and treatment.

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References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
(DSM-5®). American Psychiatric Pub.
Charney, D. S., Buxbaum, J. D., Sklar, P., & Nestler, E. J. (Eds.). (2013). Neurobiology of
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