Betty Ford Case Study

In the study of abnormal behavior it is found to be behavior observed through others individuals, this failed to be observed within self. The capability of recognizing the living aspects, emotional, cognitive and the behavioral part of behavior needed initially in the steps to recognize the purpose associated in behavior. In this case study of Betty Ford, she was an individual that struggled with a form of abnormal behavior along with the ability to recognize it with the assistance of other individuals to be able to notice she made a difference in her life. In this case study, it will explain the aspects of her life and overview of how she was able to work with assistance in understand the addictive behavior she developed over time and beat the odds of becoming sober.

Biological Components

Unfortunately, Betty grew up as the daughter of alcoholics this was the platform that lead to her alcoholism predisposition that was biological. Unaware she was going to grow up and have an addiction of any sort and her father’s hidden alcoholism. His employment kept him away from home a lot oftentimes alcoholics and addicts find it easy to hide their stigmas that are stemmed from a genetic predisposition (Pinel, 2009). Betty was not the only family member that suffered from alcoholism, she later found her brother was afflicted also suffered from the factor that would support this reasoning (Meyer, Chapman & Weaver, 2009).

Pertaining to genetic predispositions, an individual do not need to be raised in the same environment of an alcoholic to become afflicted, individuals only have to have the inherited genetic predisposition (Pinel, 2009). Having a genetic predisposition regarding the addiction to alcoholism help set the platform to Betty’s components to alcoholism, along with many other components that allowed the genetic predisposition the ability to work together in Betty’s situation to be considered.

Emotional Components

The absence of Betty’s father doing her childhood affected her emotionally. His absence in her upbringing caused Betty to become deeply attached to her mother, whom as any other mother needing to play both roles of the parents in her home (Meyer, Chapman & Weaver, 2009). Mrs. Ford, Betty’s mother was known as a perfectionist who demanded the same of everyone around her a trait Betty admired so of her mother. When her father died Betty was only 16 years of age, she was able to lean on the strength of her mother to get her through the traumatic ordeal. Following the case study of Betty, the qualities she observed through her mother, she was plagued with the notion of never living up to her, this was the factor that lead to the development of the baseline her addictions.

As a young girl growing up Betty never had a drink, but later around the age of eighteen she developed a taste of alcohol as a social drinker. At this time in her life, she explored the modeling and dance industry in New York, the stress of the life style had an effect on which caused a shift in her self-esteem and emotional status (Meyer, Chapman & Weaver, 2009). This form of exposure was a major gateway into Betty’s path of dependency to alcohol. Betty was thrown into the world of partying at all hours of the night and found her peers at the given time seem to place pressure on drinking more than usual.

Once her mother the path of destruction she was falling into her urged Betty to return to Michigan (Meyer, Chapman & Weaver). After returning home six months later, Betty married a gentleman she knew from her childhood (Meyer, Chapman & Weaver). As many marriages, today, it did not take long before it was the end of her marriage. Betty found that her husband was not over the night life and party life style his actions affected her greatly because she was sure she was ready to settle down into a life of marriage and children. It did not take long before Betty met and later married a handsome fellow named, Gerald Ford. Gerald was from a very decent family he was known as one of the most eligible bachelors at the time in Grand Rapids (Meyer, Chapman & Weaver, 2009).

Yes, Betty truly was in love, but living the life of politic as the future first lady to the President of the United States was more than she bargained. Feeling lonely and placed aside of all, Betty was emotionally drained (Meyer, Chapman & Weaver). The situation she found herself in had a downward spiral that pushed her over the edge along with the aspect of having the biological trait that lead to her painful addictions. Cognitive and Behavioral Components

On the political trail, Betty gave birth four beautiful children, alone and keeping her home intact she found strength from the influence she saw in her mother throughout her childhood. It did not take long for Betty to be overcome with stress of the mental and physical aspect of a politician’s wife and a mother raising four children mostly alone, not to mention she developed a painful situation of a compressed nerve in her (Meyer, Chapman & Weaver, 2009). Due to the compressed nerve condition in her neck Betty was treated with pain medications prescribed to ease her discomfort, unfortunately, this cause another form of addition along with the drinking.

Betty was encouraged by her physician to continue her pain medication, unaware of her biological and emotional situation she was already plagued with. No one seem to notice the despair she was in which led to her cognitive and a behavioral substance-related turmoil she began living. Betty began experiencing a sense of emptiness and no self-worth that increased her emotional pain and dependency. Finding herself in a state of denial Betty needed to admit to herself that she had a problem with alcohol and prescription medication. In time, she had to come to grasp with the fact there was something wrong, and she needed to get some assistance before it was (Meyer, Chapman & Weaver, 2009).

Taking in consideration the biological and alcoholism predisposition Betty had to face her substance abuse problems was fore seen an instance that many might say was inevitable without some form of help early on her youth. Sadly with the state of be alone and suffering from the complication in her neck Betty suffered from depression and anxiety (Meyer, Chapman & Weaver, 2009). Through observation and case studies individuals who seem to have situations dealing with the issue of alcoholism are diagnosed with forms of depression and various other disorders associated with the mental status. With all the complications, Betty find herself in she is in harm’s way due to the continued use of alcohol and the prescribed medications (Comer, 2005).

Conclusion

As this case study looked at the unfolding of Betty Ford’s life, the understand of what lead to the unfolding of a beautiful woman into a woman riddled with depression, anxiety, alcoholism and a dependency to prescribed medication we needed to begin with the understanding of how it began. The aspect of individual’s genetic predisposition and a childhood flawed in perception her cognitive and a look at her behavioral fundamental conditioning actions associated with her relationship with her mother and peers. In the end, the intervention of her supportive family resulted in a lifesaving gesture that saved her and gave a new outlook in her life.