The biopsychosocial model is frequently used in counseling to better understand the patient and the external factors that are involved in his life and health condition. Such an approach is based on the premise that the sociological, psychological, and physiological aspects of one’s health are interconnected, and analysis of all factors can aid in developing the most accurate and effective treatment plan (Doyle, 2020). The case of Ben can also be analyzed through the perspective of a bio-psychological model as many factors are involved in his drinking.
There has been a positive tendency in Ben’s drinking problem after he has found a job. The psychological pressure of being unemployed was managed in an unhealthy way. Once the pressure was removed and Ben started working, he started to feel better about himself and stopped drinking. However, once the job started to be a burden, unhealthy coping mechanisms reappeared, as Ben began drinking again, and it had negative consequences on his social well-being.
It is important to note that this unhealthy coping mechanism could be learned from his father’s abuse. The behavioral responses are linked with an individual’s defense system that motivates him to either a manner of taking charge to change the situation or running away from the situation (Bolton & Gillett, 2019). His behavior of Ben may be linked to the trauma experienced during childhood, and stressful situations may trigger him to act in a self-destructive way. In this response, he resorts to drinking alcohol in unprecedented amounts just to calm himself from the rage he experienced towards other people (his clients) or himself as he is not satisfied with his life (Saxena et al., 2022). Therefore, the social factors that trigger Ben’s drinking should be addressed by a counselor to develop healthy coping mechanisms instead of drinking.
References
Bolton, D., & Gillett, G. (2019). The biopsychosocial model of health and disease: New philosophical and scientific developments (p. 149). Springer Nature.
Doyle, N. (2020). Neurodiversity at work: a biopsychosocial model and the impact on working adults. British Medical Bulletin, 135(1), 108.
Saxena, A., Paredes-Echeverri, S., Michaelis, R., Popkirov, S., & Perez, D. L. (2022). Using the biopsychosocial model to guide patient-centered neurological treatments. In Seminars in Neurology. Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc..