Psychodynamic Model Of Abnormality In 'Shameless'

In the showtime drama “Shameless”, Frank Gallagher is a horrible alcoholic, narcissist, drug addict, and father of 6. By the age of 52, Frank has had an extremely reckless life. From passing out drunk in countless places around town to completely crazy tasks to get money, it is obvious that Frank has no boundaries. Although he does not keep a steady job, he is willing to do anything for the quick cash he lives off of. He is married to his wife Monica, who is bipolar and also has major addiction problems. Aside from Monica, Frank has no strong, lasting relationships because of his destructive behavior (Shameless,John Wells).Although Frank is above average intelligence, there is an obvious question that comes to mind when considering his character:

He has 6 children who constantly clean up the messes he makes and take care of him to the best of their abilities, so what causes Frank Gallagher’s madness and how can it be fixed? Frank Gallagher from Shameless exhibits the psychodynamic model and the behavioral model through the hard childhood that he had and through the destructive behaviors he exhibits.
The psychodynamic model of abnormality “is based on the work of Sigmund Freud. It is based on the principles that psychological illnesses come about from repressed emotions and thoughts from experiences in the past (usually childhood), and as a result of this repression, alternative behavior replaces what is being repressed”( Cardwell,Mark). There are cons of the psychodynamic model such as the therapy itself is usually over quickly. It can be brief because of the belief that the current actions exhibited by the patient are created by something in the past,and once it is discovered the behaviors are supposed to be changed (Abnormal Psychology). It also does not consider the Biological aspect of a person; because a person’s behaviors could be due

Therefore, psychiatrists practicing the beliefs of this model would prioritize changing the behavior over identifying the cause of the dysfunctional behavior.”(Cardwell, Mark). There are cons to this model because it does not observe the patient’s emotional issues or their background which could be causing the behaviors presented. However, this model has many pros, such as the ability to observe behaviors that the patient is clearly exhibiting instead of what might be causing their behaviors. Predicting the reason for the behavior is a much longer process, but can give the patient skills to help them work through their problems and fix them quickly. For Frank Gallagher, this approach to fixing his behaviors could work because his problems are very clear. Frank has many observable issues such as alcohol and drug abuse, lying, and inability to take responsibility. By using forms of conditioning such as operant conditioning, Frank could eventually change his behaviors. Operant Condition is applied by removing the reinforcement, such as alcohol in Frank's case, and replacing it with positive behavior that could ultimately lead to distinguishing his