A Depressive Disorder Case Study

Client problem

Horace is seeking psychological treatment because he is undergoing a psychological problem that has seen her become sad, socially distant and less productive.

Symptoms

Horace has been sleeping a lot and most of the time have problems getting out of the bed as well as the feeling of not wanting to engage in anything. Horace has alienated himself and distanced himself from friends turning down an invitation to social activities. Finally, Horace appears sad and does not take pleasure in any activity, and this behavior has been persistent for the past two months.

The problem history and effect of daily life functions

There is no history indicated of the problem that Horace has been going through, but the problem has been persistent for two months which has significantly affected his participation in social activities as well his desire to carry out day to day activities. Sleeping excessively affects Horace ability to contribute to the economy because of poor engagement in normal work activities that were easier for him previously. As a result, there is a significant likelihood that Horace will be unable to meet his accumulating bills. Further, the social functions of Horace in the community and friends circle are affected due to his inability to engage in social activities. Avoiding social functions and interactions will affect Horace ability to make and maintain friends.

Specific Diagnosis

The specific diagnosis for Horace condition is depression which is evidenced by oversleeping and social inactivity. Depression alters the sleeping pattern of an individual and also makes an individual less active and lack the energy to engage in activities that were earlier on easy for them. Horace has been oversleeping and at the same time withdrawn himself from social activities which is a sign of feeling worthless. The inability to complete usual daily tasks that were previously easy for him shows that Horace lacks energy which is as a result of depression (Greenberg, 2017).

General class(es) of disorders to which this disorder belongs

A depressive disorder is not characterized by a short mood change but a persistent feeling of sadness and worthlessness as experienced by Horace. There are a variety of depressive disorders that vary regarding duration and the extent of depression symptoms. Classes of depression include; major depression, persistent depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, psychotic depression and situational depression. The different classes of depression vary regarding the symptoms that the affected express and the duration which the patient suffers from the symptoms (Greenberg, 2017).

Recommendations and treatment

Early diagnosis of depression makes it easy to treat and manage. Depression treatment is easy and very effective and recurrent of the diseases can be prevented through earlier detection. Physical examination of Horace is important in the treatment process because of the possible presence of viral infections or a thyroid disorder that could be behind the depression. In the absence of the physical cause, depression can be treated using medication and psychotherapy. In this case, the sole cause of the depression is psychological and not physical. The newest and the most effective depression medication that Horace can use is the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors which include; Prozac, Celexa, Zoloft, and Effexor. It is important for Horace to take the regular dose of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor for at least three to four weeks after which Horace will experience a therapeutic effect (Chow & Issa, 2017). However, it is important to continue taking the regular dose to completion even after feeling better, and the medication should be stopped only under a doctor's directive. It is important to involve the family members to ensure that the patient adheres to the daily dosage as well as providing the patients with moral support. Further, the daily interaction of the patient with the family can be used to assess the recovery of the patient.

References

Chow, R. M., & Issa, M. (2017). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. In Pain Medicine (pp. 167-168). Springer International Publishing.

Greenberg, L. S. (2017). Emotion-focused therapy of depression. Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 1-12.