Enhance the Best Practice of a Diagnosed 36-Year-Old Woman, Barbara (Essay Sample)

Psychology
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Presenting The Problem
This study is conducted to enhance the best practice of a diagnosed 36-year-old woman, Barbara with a major depressive disorder. Based on the interview that was conducted, Barbara presents symptoms of depression she feels sad, low, and has difficulties sleeping. She admits to the worry she has brought to her husband. She is even temperamental but cannot afford the thought of the loss of her family or job. The depression that she has been experiencing has occurred for the fourth time now since the last month. She has even lost interest in sexual activities with her partner. Her worry portrays signs like someone was behind her every minute. She even lacks appetite and cannot accomplish simple tasks but is only able to stick to her phone. Depression is greatly affecting her life thus she made the bold decision to face it rather than think of other means. Her acknowledgment is basically due to the effect her depression is bringing forth to her husband and children.
Secondly, the depression she is experiencing can be seen to affect the social life she is involved in. This form of depression can make her distance from her husband and other family members including her kids. The expression that she has of sadness seems to be wrecking her life.
History of the Complaint
Barbara has reportedly been experiencing difficulties, especially for the last month. The events have occurred progressively four times for the last month. She even recalls her past life from which at the age of seventeen she broke up with her boyfriend. This was due to the same symptoms inclusive of the loss of weight that she was experiencing and the deficit in energy levels in her body. These were all symptoms that took place during her adolescence. She says that the symptoms that she portrayed took three weeks.
Diagnosis
Based on DSM-5, The client shows symptoms of a major depressive disorder. For an effective diagnosis to be enhanced, it should suffice that she first meets the major depression criteria. She portrays evidence for the following: a depressed mood where she feels sad, she has a loss of interest and pleasure, inappropriate guilt, loss of weight, and insomnia.
Barbara meets the following criteria for a major depressive episode:
Criterion A is that of a Major Depressive Disorder.
For criteria B, the "symptoms do not meet a Mixed Episode" (DSM-5-TR, p.356). this is because she has never reported a hypomanic depressive episode (Kazemi et., al, 2019).
Criteria C, the symptoms portray social impairment, occupation, and various functioning (DSM-5-TR, p.356). the symptoms she portrays have rose social problems and lack of interest especially sex with her husband.
For criteria D, the symptoms cannot be due to the effects of direct physiology or even a medical condition (DSM-5-TR, p.356). this is because Barbara is not involved in any substances.
Criteria E, the symptoms cannot be accounted for the loss of a loved one, bereavement. She has not reported any losses or deaths (DSM-5-TR, p.356).
Rule Outs:
There is a rule-out on Dysthymic disorder as the client's depression has not been persistent. Bipolar is also ruled out since the client does not exhibit manic episodes. Postpartum
onset specifier is also ruled-out as there has not been a general medical condition. Adjustment Disorder has also been ruler-out as for it, the client would have been dealing with moths of the stressor and is accompanied by suicide thoughts. Based on the case study Barbara did not portray such thoughts of suicide.
Pharmacological Treatment:
The use of antidepressants as medications has been commonly known to help patients deal with their depressions. They facilitate the elevation of mood and anxiety reduction. They are commonly used to calm the patient and improve the sleep cycle. These antidepressant medications are of two categories, to begin with, is the thymoleptic. This is a medication that enhances the stabilization of the mood. The effect brought to the patient may be manic or hypomanic. The medication is crucial in the mood regulation of the patient to stability. This medication is prescribed to clients who have bipolar disorders. The second medication is thymeretic, this is provided to patients to bring their mood lively. The mood of the patient is elevated once the patient takes the prescription. It is administered to the uni-polar. Most of the studies that have been conducted come into terms with the use of antidepressants to help patients deal with depression. Among the medications that were looked into by various studies are inclusive of amoxapine, imipramine, and amitriptyline (Cipriani et., al, 2018).
The studies that were conducted indicate also that the antidepressants used are effective to the patients and only have a few distinctions between them. The reports that were gathered also indicated a slight deficit of patients from taking their dosage as instructed, some tend to indulge in quantitative dosage. Most of these medications are meant for depression. They are inclusive of tricyclics(TCAs), the Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
The TCAs are used as major antidepressants. Based on their initial study, they have noted placebo-control trials on meta-analyses from which their significance and consistency were more efficient as compared to that of the placebo. Their use was based on patients who underwent severe depression. They were also noted to be significant especially to patients undergoing sedation. The percentage of effectiveness that they have been seen to carry is approximately 60-75% based on the reduction of depression from patients. They also result in limited serotonin reuptake to the neurons. Other than the fact that they contain these merits they also contain side effects which are inclusive of blurred vision to the patient, disturbances of the memory, and the gain in weight (Davies et., al, 2018). The typical TCAs that were commonly used to minimize depression rates are inclusive of doxepin, imipramine, and desipramine.
Pharmacological treatments from time to time have been noted to be efficacious. With the use of these treatments, the clients that have been noted to be depressed have achieved partial relief.
Psychotherapy:
Among the various forms of therapy that have been employed to help patients dealing with depressions of all kinds are inclusive of psychotherapy. It has been the most effective method of therapy when it comes especially to patients dealing with depression (Wampold, 2019). Encompassing this form of therapy o patients has shown that the client can open up or relate to the preferences in need. patients who undergo psychotherapy are likely to come up with better means through which they can cope up especially based on their social, emotional, and psychological lives. It is used as a form of correction (Wampold, 2019). Among the major forms of therapy that are inclusive are:
Cognitive-behavioral Therapy
This is a psychotherapy technique from which various problems inclusive of depression or anxiety disorders can be solved. Multiple studies that have been initially conducted tell that the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy is key towards aiding patients with depression. Barbara may use this form of therapy to deal with her depression as will involve her effort and thinking patterns. For the effectiveness of this technique to work, the following are some principles that should be encompassed: to begin with is the individual conceptualization of Barbara's problems. She can look inwards and reflect on the core cause of all her problems. Individual conceptualization only digs a hole as to why. The rest is for her to enhance herself with the most suitable solution to aid her. If not so, with the help of the healthcare giver, she is likely to undergo all challenges with ease. Individual conceptualization encompasses an adequate and effective problem-solving skill through which her needs are to be met (Karyotaki, et., al, 2021).
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