Depression And Depressive Disorders: A Case Study

Depression is a clinical condition associated with the normal emotions of bereavement and sadness. However, this condition does not pass on when the external causes of these emotions dissolve and is usually inconsistent to their cause. In essence, the classic severe conditions of depression have not been attributed to external precipitating cause. One of the most common conditions of depression is Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), which is a psychiatric condition that impairs moods, behavioral patterns, and thoughts for a protracted duration. This psychiatric illness tends to impair the patient’s social functioning and quality of life due to its impacts on cognitive functioning. Some of the most common symptoms of the condition include difficulty in concentration, weight change, minimal interest in pleasure, high rate of suicide, and physical impairment. The severity of this disease was evident in the year 2000 when the World Health Organization ranked it as the fourth cause of disability and premature death across the globe.

A major depressive episode is not a disorder in itself, but rather more of a description or symptoms of part of a disorder most often depressive disorder or bipolar. A person suffering from a major depressive episode must have a depressed mood or a loss of interest in daily activities consistently for a minimum of a two-week time span (Psych Central, 2013). In diagnosing the mood must reflect a change from the person’s normal mood. A person’s daily activities and functions, such as work, social routines and friends, education, family, and relationships must also have been negatively impacted by the change in their mood. A major depressive episode is also identified by presence of five or more of the following symptoms. The patient can show signs of significant weight loss or weight gain even not dieting or trying to lose or gain weight. The patient will also display a change in appetite almost everyday, either with an increase or a decrease in their normal eating habits. The weight change is typically set at an increase or decrease in weight of more than 5% per month. The patient will display a depressed mood almost the entire day and this sadness, emptiness, loneliness, crying, and distant is observed by others or indicted by the patient, is typically

Discuss what the pattern of clinical scales on the PAI might look like for someone who has a primary diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder. Give a rationale for why you expect high or low scores on certain scales or subscales. (~1-2 paragraphs 8 points)

One of the researched anomalies of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is the decreased ability to keep cognitive control when faced with a negative distractor. This phenomenon has been attributed to decreased activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a region of the brain associated with cognitive control, and increased activity in the brain’s fear center, the amygdala.

Sadness is an emotional response that is typically triggered by a difficult or hurtful event in a persons life. Whereas, depression is a mental illness that may or may not be set off by a specific trigger.

This patient is a 53-year-old male who required inpatient hospitalization due to worsening of lower extremity wounds. He was sent to the hospital by his podiatrist for further evaluation and management. He reported that his wounds have opened up on his lower extremities with non-purulent drainage. He also developed diarrhea with a bowel movement of 3 a day for the last 5 days, and described it to be watery. His past medical history was significant for hypertension, type 2 diabetes, congestive heart failure, COPD, spina bifida / resultant paraplegia, morbid obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, asthma, arteriovenous shunt, multiple debridement, and amputation. He was taking doxycycline at home 100mg twice a day for his chronic suppressive therapy.

According to the World Health Organization, depression is an illness that affects more than 300 million people (World Health Organization, 2018). Depression is the manifestation of complex intersecting social, psychological factors and can significantly disrupt the day-to-day functions of sufferers (WHO, 2018). As a mood disorder, depression causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest (Mayo Clinic, 2018). Common symptoms of the disorder included feelings of sadness, hopelessness, irritability, loss of interest, sleep disturbances, anxiety and a myriad of other troublesome symptoms (Mayo Clinic, 2018). Depression, unlike a host of other morbidities, has a unique manifestation in all those it affects and may not

Exercise is the next step in combatting depression. Few chemicals are as powerful as the endorphins released during exercise. Not only do these "feel good" chemicals bring about a more joyful state of mind, but they encourage and promote future exercise which, in turn, releases more endorphins. The trick is getting a person suffering from depression to start the exercise regimen. Home health services will work with your loved one to find an exercise program that fits their physical and mental

Depression is a very serious illness and very common in todays society. However, some people do not even realize that they are suffering from depression, even though it is obvious to others. There are several different types of depression, “major depression, manic-depressive disorder, dysthymia, postpartum depression, and seasonal affective disorder” (Burke, 2008). My focus will be major depression, a continuous feeling of sorrow and despair, uncontrollable episodes of crying for no apparent reason, and loss of physical and or emotional interest to participate in any normal day to day routine (Burke, 2008). Depression affects everyone differently, in some cases depression can appear over night, whereas in other cases depression can grow over a long period of time and occur sparingly as episodes. An episode involves the individual to experience a “depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in most activities for a period of at least two weeks” (“Affective Disorders”, 2013). Major depression may be triggered by almost anything. Some of the more common causes of major depression are:

Worldwide it is the leading cause of disability. It costs America’s economy twenty-three billion dollars each year on medical exams and depressed individuals not contributing to society. Possibly they would reach out for help, if as a whole, they were accepted for who they are. Although people who are depressed need to reach out for their own guidance and help, others need to pitch in also. As a family member, friend or even a member of the community helping a victim of depression can change their life. Simply reminding them that they have worth, pointing out what makes them amazing or unique or recommending a therapist. If one suffers from depression exercising, yoga, getting extra sunlight, or listening to music can positively affect one’s mood. (“Depression” Kids Health”)

The case study depicts a female patient who is experiencing abdominal pain, but test results show that she is physically healthy. The doctor believes that the patient may have a mental disorder, but instead of diagnosing the patient, the doctor contemplates if he or she should give the patient a placebo drug. Lown states that “[equality and reciprocal respect are] the key [elements] in a sound doctor-patient relationship” (313). In the case study, the doctor is abusing his or her authority and manipulating the trust of the patient. The doctor is in the moral wrong because he or she is obligated to attempt to treat what ails the patient, and if he or she cannot, the doctor should refer the patient to a specialist who can.

Depression is a disorder ranging in severity and affecting an individual’s emotions and behaviors as well as impairing everyday functioning (Woo & Wynne, 2011). The disorder is is often noted twice as often in women as men (Sassarini, 2016). With this in mind, G.F’s presentation of symptoms including, sadness, depression, crying, insomnia, increased appetite with the inability to concentrate and fatigue categorize her depression as major depression. The diagnosis of major depression includes, the presentation of 5 out of 9 symptoms which G.F. has and requires at least one symptom include feeling depressed or a loss of interest or lack of enjoying anything (Trangle et al., 2016). Other signs of major depression consist of G.F.’s unkemptness

Emotions and cognition are fundamental to our existence. They are spontaneous but hard-wired and driven by cognitive perspectives. Our perceptions (what we see and how we process it) translate into thoughts that then translate into our emotions. Thoughts and feelings are very complicated and to a person suffering from a psychiatric disorder their perception and insight is usually impaired for this reason alone. As Stirling and Elliott (2008) point out mental illness is synonymous with neuropsychological problems. In addition to psychiatric disorders; motivation (or lack of motivation) plays a crucial role that defines their life; loneliness, isolation, lack of movement, inattention to ADL’s. As a psychotherapist, it is

Major Depressive Disorder is marked by sadness and any four of the following seven criteria: weight loss or weight gain, insomnia or hypersomnia, motor slowing or agitation, fatigue, worthlessness or guilt, impaired concentration, and thoughts of suicide or suicide attempt. Those with Major Depressive Disorder have never had mania or hypomania and may also have anxiety symptoms. When the Major Depressive Disorder is combined with melancholic features, then the person has a “loss of pleasure in all, or almost all, activities [and has a] lack of reactivity to usually pleasurable stimuli (does not feel better, even temporarily, when something good happens” (American Psychiatric Association, p. 185). Observations made by others, such as being tearful, is also a criterion of this disorder (American

It is being in a depressed state most of the time most days of the week. Symptoms of major depression include: loss of interest or pleasure in a person’s everyday activities, above normal weight loss or weight gain, and feeling tired or having no energy. A prominent sign of clinical depression is feeling worthless or guilty. This type of depression can lead to thoughts of suicide or harming one’s self.