case study

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Mrs. M shows some signs of major depressive disorder. Mrs. M has been experiencing intense sadness without any real cause which is causing her to feel overwhelmed and perplexed. The most recent incidence was when a dish fell on the floor and broke which led her to sit on the floor, hit the floor with her fist, and cry. She stopped crying when she became startled at the fact that her hand was bleeding from pounding the broken glass. She then went into her car to go to work, when she began to cry again for no reason. She eventually called in sick to work. Mrs. M's intense sadness, the above being one example, is a symptom of major depressive disorder.

Mrs. M has also been experiencing melancholic features such as a loss of interest in activities that are usually pleasurable. She has withdrawn herself from activities with her children, leaving the job to her husband. She has also withdrawn from her social contacts at work, no longer eating with her colleagues, but being alone as often as she can. Her usual close to infallible work performance has decreased having several mistakes. Mrs. M's lack of motivation and companionship are also signs of major depressive disorder. Mrs. M has also been under some stress at work wit

To further prove my hypothesis I asked Mrs. M about her family history of mental illness since mood disorders greatly involves genetics. Mrs. M stated that her mother was often on antidepressants when she was a child. She often heard her parents talking about it. This is a very important piece of information. In families in which one parent has a mood disorder, approximately 30% of the children are at risk of developing a disorder.

In the psychodynamic theory, depression is occurs if their parents failed to provide them with a stable and secure relationship when they were children. Mrs. M seems to have a good relationship with her mother now from the way she talks about her, but she could have been neglected to an extent as a child because of the mother's depression. The behavioral theory of depression is due to reduction of positive reinforcement. According to this view, depressed people withdraw from life because they no longer have incentives to be active. Mrs. M's boss had been scolding her for the past week, probably because he was under stress of his own, rather then giving her positive comments about her work, especially because she had taken on some new responsibilities. This may be the reason for her lack of motivation in the workplace as well as her depression.

Cognitive based therapy would also be effective in Mrs. M's case. This will involve a short-term structured approach that focuses on Mrs. M's negative thoughts and includes suggestions for activities that will improve Mrs. M's daily life. This technique involves an active collaboration between Mrs. M and myself and is oriented toward current problems and their resolutions. The cognitive approach involves didactic work, cognitive restructuring, and behavioral techniques. In these three steps, I will attempt to break down the maladaptive thinking patterns that underlie the depressed individual's negative emotions, such as

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Approximate Word count = 1293
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Science