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The Theory Of The World

Decent Essays

The concept of ‘the world’ is significant as one’s interaction with the world could be either demanding or perhaps obstructive (Giles, 1982), as an adolescent’s interaction with the world are formed around loss and defeat (Giles, 1982). This idea of defeat and loss can cause much trauma for the adolescent, resulting in feelings of worthlessness, rejection and loneliness.

The last fold of the triad is ‘the future’. Beck (1967) alludes to the idea that a depressed individual’s thoughts about the future embody those of negative experiences (Giles, 1982). This notion can be seen in the life of adolescents as they may have encountered a previous event in which they have struggled with, perhaps in early childhood, now directly impacting their performance in every day life and the future. The concept of the future can be hard to change or alter as the depressed person may find it hard to look so far ahead or to work for change and improvement. A sense of future outlooking can put a direct strain on the adolescent, potentially causing suicidal thoughts due to feelings of hopelessness and a sense of pessimism (Beck, A. T., Weissman, A., Lester, D., & Trexler, L., 1974). There can be unrealistic perceptions of ‘the future’ as the individuals may have previously fixated on the past and the present.

It has only been in recent years that the idea of depression in adolescence has been acknowledged. Anna Freud is seen as a pioneer in her own right when compared to her father Sigmund

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