Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): A Case Study

Major depressive disorder, we all have probably heard of it, but do we really know what is it is ? Major depressive disorder is “a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest… major depressive disorder or clinical depression, affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems”(Mayo Clinic Staff). Having this disorder puts you in a very unstable position because you are constantly feeling depressed so it affects the way you think and feel and that can be very dangerous. Sometimes this happens to a person for one day, but put yourself in the shoes of someone who experiencing this for more than two weeks? When you have major depressive disorder, the signs of depression disorder can last for two weeks or more(myers646). This dis order must be treated immediately because “depression may make you feel as if life isn 't worth living”(Mayo Clinic Staff). Feeling this way can lead you to doing things that you can not take back such as committing suicide and sadly that can happen when you have major depressive disorder. Kiyohara and Yoshimasu conducted a research that showed that 90% of suicides have were dealing with major depressive disorder(qtd. in The World Health Organization). Throughout this paper I will be discussing the causes, symptoms and treatment when dealing with major depressive disorder.

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.

Major Depressive Disorder or MDD is a very common clinical condition that affects millions of people every year. According to the Agency for Health Care Policy & Research, “ depression is under diagnosed & untreated by most medical doctors, despite the fact that it can almost always be treated successfully.

One disorder that really strikes a nerve with me is Major Depressive Disorder. After being incorrectly treated and misdiagnosed for several years, I have finally found relief in SNRI form, after many failed attempts with SSRI drugs.

The following essay is a case study of a client named John who is suffering from major depression and was sent to see me for treatment by his concerned wife. I will provide brief background information about John then further discuss interventions and strategies I believe can be applied in each session with my client in order to make John's life more manageable. In the essay, I will be writing as the therapist, and the sessions are based on a ten week period.

A depressive disorder can be debilitating, affecting a person’s capacity to perform everyday tasks. A MDD is defined as having separate episodes of at least 2 weeks’ in length involving definite changes in mood, cognition and in normal everyday functioning. According to the literature, the first depressive episode in a MDD occurs in the mid-twenties. However, it can also

Regarding the source and development of MDD, there are a variety of theories. Biological theories appear to be the best supported by research. Major depressive disorder has a strong possibility having a polygenetic predisposition, as well as having an origin on the X chromosome. Those who have a family member diagnosed with depression have a 30% chance of developing the disorder and the concordance rate among monozygotic twins is as high as 46% (Comer, 2015). This disorder could be the result of decreased activity in the reward system and decreased sensitivity to norepinephrine and serotonin. Other possibilities include low thyroxin, high cortisol, and a damaged immune system. These can cause aggravated and depressed moods. In a different

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a mental disorder characterized by behavioral, emotional, and cognitive symptoms that include but are not limited to the loss of pleasure or interest in activities (anhedonia), sleep disturbances, appetite changes, guilt or worthlessness, fatigue, lack of concentrating and/or indecisiveness including emotion dysregulation (mood swings) and views of the negative affect. People with MDD have five or more depressive symptoms, including sad mood or loss of pleasure, for two weeks. Symptoms must be present nearly every day, most of the day, for at least two weeks. MDD is one of the most common psychological disorders.

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.

Major depressive episode (MDE) is a single experience of these symptoms over a 2 week period while MDD is a chronic disorder in which multiple MDEs. The main symptom that must be present for a diagnosis is either a depressed mood or loss of interest in activities that were once considered pleasurable. Children and adolescents may be observed having irritability rather than sad mood and display outward signs of anger. The patient may also have feelings of hopelessness, helplessness or worthlessness. Appetite can increase or decrease which may cause weight fluctuations; children may not be gaining weight as expected. Sleeping problems such as insomnia or too much sleep can occur. The patient may complain of fatigue or loss of energy and

The American Psychiatric Association (2013), Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM), explains that Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has features of depressed mood present nearly every day for most of the day. The American Psychiatric Association (2013), also explains MDD, as highly comorbid with insomnia and fatigue. Many people may experience depressive symptoms somatically and may also initially explain their symptoms as an overall sadness (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Features of MDD affect functioning in various aspects of a person’s life. For instance, a person may experience loss of pleasure in various activities they once

diagnosing MDD and GAD per the DSM V and the ICD-11 (Bernet, 2010) According to

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a very common diagnosis in the mental health field. It is important that clinicians understand MDD thoroughly as it is such a common diagnosis. Many clinicians will be faced with working with clients with a diagnosis of MDD at some point in their careers so it is important to review the criterion and study the diagnosis. Major Depression Disorder requires a distinct change in mood usually a transition into feelings of sadness and hopelessness. This is usually accompanied by several symptoms such as sleep disturbances, irritability, suicidal thoughts, physiological changes amongst other symptoms that will be later discussed in this paper. The presenting symptoms must last at least 2 weeks

At any given day, millions of people suffer from mental illnesses and disorders. These illnesses affect his/her daily life, the way one interactions with others, and how one views him/herself. This is no different for Jessie, a 19-year-old male who is unable to cope with the stressors of college, body image issues, family struggles, and several other negative relations. Given his behaviors and actions, I was able to diagnose Jesse with major depressive disorder and bulimia nervosa. The comorbidity between these two disorders only magnify the symptoms and issues that Jesse undergoes.

“Disillusionment, heartbreak, hurt, hopelessness and confusion are common characteristics of couples and families who seek assistance from counselors, psychologists and pastors” (Yarhouse & Sells, 2008, p. 15). I feel an important part of therapy is that an individual, family member or friend recognize the disillusionment, heartbreak, hurt, hopelessness and confusion in themselves. I have suffered from depression on and off since I graduated high school. I did not recognize it in myself but I felt all of those feelings. It was my sister how brought it to my attention and encouraged me to seek help. Part of not recognizing it in myself was not wanting to admit that something was wrong. Most of my depression is related to the identity of