Diagnosis and Treatment of a Patient

Recurrent Major Depressive Disorder is characterized by periodic Major Depressive Episodes that manifest in the form of a depressed or irritable mood, or ôa loss of interest or pleasure in all, or almost all activitiesö that is ôrelatively persistent,ö occurring most of nearly every day within a two-week period (DSM-III-R). In SusanÆs case, the depression is concurrent with cocaine and alcohol dependence, with Susan using an increasing amount of cocaine to achieve numbness ôso that nothing matters. Comorbidity of other disorders such as mood and substance-related disorders is typical with Borderline Personality Disorder, SusanÆs Axis II classification (ôPractice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Borderline Personality Disorderö). The increased drug usage was precipitated by an investigation by Child Protective Services following charges of sexual molestation against SusanÆs live-in boyfriend. During her recent hospitalization, Susan admitted having flashbacks of sexual abuse by her father that began when she was age 7 and continued until she was age 12, when she began menstruating. The association between the investigation by Child Protective Services and her own molestation is likely the key to her unresolved depression and the myriad symptoms she has complained of, since she has only recently begun remembering her molestation. This, in addition to her other Axis IV profile stressorsùunemployment and

. . .
ideration for Susan due to her long-term lack of employment (Wright et al., 1161). Cognitive therapy is especially effective with regard to SusanÆs depression and suicide attempts, as it helps patients identify destructive thoughts and their impact on feelings and behaviors and then substitute constructive thoughts that reduce the feeling of hopelessness (Reilly, 26).á Another treatment option for Susan is cognitive behavior theory (CBT). CBT ôfor anxiety and depressive disorders is well established as a promising and frequently effective treatmentö (Brewin, 33). CBT has developed ôpragmatically to deal with often difficult and refractory problems,ö which makes it an appropriate treatment method for Susan, since she has recurrent substance abuse and depression problems (Brewin, 33). CBT is also considered an effective suicide prevention treatment strategy, a significant factor given SusanÆs past suicide attempts (Laux, 380). Now that Susan remembers her sexual molestation as a child, these memories coupled with the molestation of her own daughter create a situation where her unpleasant memories of the past can be continually reactivated by ôsituationally accessible memoriesö (Brewin, 33). BrewinÆs CBT approach empowers the
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Engaging Susan, BrewinÆs CBT, Westermeyer Computer-assisted, CBT CBT, Retrieved December, Westermeyer Behavioral, Protective Services, Patients Susan, Report IDS-SR-30, Taylor Roche, cognitive therapy, retrieved december, borderline personality, 10 2005, december 10 2005, december 10, retrieved december 10, brewin 33, et al, patients borderline personality, december 9, keeping mood, computer-assisted cognitive, december 9 2005, retrieved december 9,
Approximate Word count = 1821
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Diagnosis and Treatment of a Patient