Bo Jackson Case

Another symptom of PTSD and an inferiority complex that Will frequently exhibits is the unprovoked outbursts of anger. Probably the most notable of these would have to be when Skylar asks him to go with her. Will becomes enraged. Shouting and yelling Will seems to have snapped. At one point he even grabs Skylar by the throat and pins her against the wall. Clearly Will has lost control at this point. Skylar merely asked him if he would come to California and he explodes. At this point the audience is sure that Will has some sort of problem. While some of the other occurrences could be explained, this last outburst definitely shows some signs of PTSD and inferiority complex

There are several ways to go about treating posttraumatic stress disorder patients. The conventional method is for the patient to undergo psychotherapy, but antidepressant drugs are often used as well (unknown, 1998). The method used on Will is psychotherapy. The goal in undergoing psychotherapy is to move the victim through the grieving process (1). Often times PTSD victims are stuck in one stage after their traumatic event, leaving them in a mild state of shock, which is what leads to their social withdrawal as well as their violent outbursts (Widom, 1999). The most difficult decision in determining how to go about treatment is determining how to move the victim through the grieving process. This point comes across clearly in watching several therapists attempt to help Will. Will has spent his entire life pushing others away and he has no problem doing it to the first couple of therapists he sees. Finally, his last therapist figures out that Will needs to understand that the events he encountered as a child were not his fault and that he doesn't have to hold himself accountable. The point at which Will realizes this is when his therapist, in the last session, repeatedly says, "it's not your fault" [click here to view scene]. At first Will just continues to push the therapist away, but he finally gives in and begins to cry. This is the point when Will finally understands that he doesn't have to be afraid anymore. What happened before is old news and nothing can be done about that. The next step in Will's treatment would probably be to go and set things right with Skylar, which is what he is heading off to do when the movie ends.

Another area that affects the relationship's communication competence is the situation (Adler, Rosenfeld,