Case Facts
Abraham presented general symptoms of a Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Abe experienced extreme fatigue, sadness, worry, paranoia, guilt, restlessness, and lethargy, which predicts his condition to MDD. The client was specifically concerned about the abrupt changes in his feelings, emotions, and thoughts after the closure of his grocery. Abe depicted intrapersonal conflicts because he could not employ more workers or retain the initial staff who worked for him.
Predisposition
No family member had been linked to anxiety-related disorders by the time the client was admitted to the local medical facility. The family history of a mental disorder might only be linked to the trauma experienced by the members while at refugee camps. Moreover, neither did the client inherit medical factors nor genetic contributions from his lineage. Abe depicted acculturation disparity of stress because he believed in working with people from divergent cultures. The disengaged family environments and a few friends contributed to the social predisposition of Abrahams’s mental instability. The psychological elements of predisposition link Abe to aggressiveness and suicidal thoughts that accumulate into his problems with MDD. The patient also depicted some form of shyness, social withdrawal, and conservatisms of information.
Precipitants
The onset of the problems associated with MDD began with observing particular social, physical, and psychological stressors in Abe’s life. The economic turmoil of business closure and bankruptcy affected the client’s mental stability. He feared rejection from society and some family members who entrusted him with the role of a breadwinner. The physical stressor of trauma reminded the client of the harsh environments they experienced in refugee camps; he imagined himself in simar conditions and immediately developed a Major Depressive Disorder. The side effects of the social stressors experienced by the client during childhood promoted the development of anxiety. Abraham’s father often yelled at him, and the issue affected him until adulthood.
Maladaptive Patterns
The client’s behaviors were consistent in how he thinks, acts, and defends himself in stressful and non-stressful circumstances. Although the client exhibited anxiety behaviors, Abraham had a functional strength of forgetting things quickly. The adaptive pattern allowed him to counterbalance his dysfunction. Abe is physically and spiritually strong based on his upbringing; his parents and grandparents often reminded him to remain irrespective of life challenges.
Protective Strengths and Factors
Abraham could decrease the likelihood of developing the clinical condition of MDD based on his strengths. The client depicted courageous acts while undergoing individual and group therapy. First, he promised to walk the journey with the psychiatrist, irrespective of the outcomes. The confidence relayed by the client showcases his willingness to regain his well-being and healthcare. Abe wanted to be alone in the counseling room because he had accepted his condition and wanted the specialist to help him nurse the MDD. Secondly, the patient strongly believed in his family as a support system, which is why he mentioned everyone in his first therapy session. The positive support system generated by the family existed because Abe was a family influencer who cared about his parents and elder siblings’ welfare. Thirdly Abe had well-developed coping skills necessary for the fast healing of clients diagnosed with MDD. Finally, Abraham had a compelling motivation for therapeutic sessions.
Perpetuates
Abraham’s clinical situation was confirmed through his behavioral patterns. The environment in which he lives and work also perpetuated the severity of his condition. Abe was used to job safety since his entry to America. The social class of the client was ranked at the middle level based on his occupation; Abe was a store manager at a local grocery. The individual job description was propagated with numerous promotions. As an entry-level employee, Abe gained skills and experience, which facilitated his employers to promote him to the senior level. However, the abrupt changes in the running of the business changed his attitudes, feelings, and emotions about employment. Abraham fell into depression based on his job loss and inability to fund his needs and those of the family. Abe has never lacked a job since high school; thus, the major depressive disorder might have originated from his first experience of joblessness. Abe’s reception of the bankruptcy news facilitated his fears of experiencing fatigue, guilt, restlessness, and lethargy. The fear of hurting his employee also contributed to the psychological challenges experienced by Abraham.
Abe, like any other client diagnosed with mental disorders, had problems with his recovery and growth. First, the patient did not accept his state of mind; it took him some time to accept that the chain store had run bankrupt and would soon face closure. The recovery and growth of clients with Major Depressive Disorders work bests for patients who accept their conditions in the first phase of diagnosis (Naheed et al., 2019). However, Abe illustrated rigid traits to acknowledge his mental condition, which is why he got accompanied by his parents to the ABC mental facility for counseling. The client had a strong self-belief in helping families through job creation. Abraham might have faced difficulties spreading the news to his workers. He felt disappointed by his inability to control the situation.
In addition, the historical narration about the client’s upbringing in Syria and Iraq as a refugee might have contributed to the MDD. The conditions in refugee camps reminded him about hunger, insecurity, and improper healthcare situations. The client developed MDD because he was guilty of causing pain to the affected workers; the employees faced a harsh life characterized by unemployment challenges. The childhood experiences in refugee camps created more pain of anxiety for Abraham.
Treatment Plan
Abraham was placed under medical care to help reduce the symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder. The interventions adopted in his case consisted of medication and talk therapy. The client first experienced a stable mindset with the assimilation of the joint regimen of medications. The treatment plan prioritized the specification of dosages under a restricted schedule and duration for the cure. Antidepressants worked best for the client during his nine days of hospitalization. Prescribing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake worked well in stabilizing Abe’s mental disorder.
Secondly, Abe was subjected to an intensive group counseling session. According to Sperry and Sperry (2019), Abraham required group therapy to convince him that other people were also experiencing similar problems. The camaraderie importance of group therapy also motivated the patient to understand the different perspectives by which MDD occurs and affects people. Abraham could understand his problems based on observing other people’s cases and encounters during group therapy. The client developed confidence from the group therapy issued to him to the point that he understood his situation. Abe was apologetic to his parents for the pressure he put on them after finishing the group therapy sessions.
The admission of Abe at ABC community mental hospital facilitated the initial steps of registering for psychiatric medication. Abe was given medication to eliminate the symptoms of mental health disorders. According to Li et al. (2021), psychiatric medicine reduces the chances of relapse of mental disorders among clients. Therefore, the medical team at ABC health facility professionally treated the symptoms of MDD. The client’s response to individual and group therapy exposes Abraham’s strengths in accepting his condition.
Behavioral therapy works best for clients who participate in the active decision-making of their treatment plans. The treatment of Abe at ABC medical institute exposed the hospital’s ethical and decision-making considerations while handling patients. The facility’s psychiatrist resected the client’s privacy by allowing nobody in the counseling room when Abe visited him for the second session on cognitive development. Abraham’s father remained in the car because he respected the patient’s safety and privacy. The decision by the patient to confess about his past must have been incited by the positive bonding of the counselors handling his case.
Prognosis
Abraham is expected to respond positively to treatment based on his current relationship with the psychiatrist handling his case. In Sperry and Sperry’s (2019) opinion, a client’s willingness to cooperate with the medical team and family members associated with treating a recurrent problem helps such people heal faster. Similarly, Abraham has a positive relationship with his parents and the ABC medical staff. The client will likely experience fast responses to the medical plan associated with his condition. Abe might heal from the Major Depressive Disorder within a month and remain with little medical attention aimed at eliminating the symptoms of MDD.
The client’s readiness for changes is unmatched; Abraham is prepared and willing to lead a different life from what he is currently exhibiting. Abe promises to register for bible classes to amend his spiritual growth and nourishment. The patient believes that reading the bible would eliminate the suicidal thoughts lingering in his mind. Moreover, the client is ready to release his parents from the stress he put on them; Abe yearns to have his jovial family back and refute the withdrawal attitudes he presently showcases. Abraham will also show strong affection for change based on his ability to associate with therapists and medical specialists treating his MDD effectively.
References
Li, Z., Ruan, M., Chen, J., & Fang, Y. (2021). Major depressive disorder: Advances in neuroscience research and translational applications. Neuroscience Bulletin, 37(6), 863–880. Web.
Naheed, A., Islam, Md. S., Hossain, S. W., Ahmed, H. U., Uddin, M. M. J., Tofail, F., Hamadani, J. D., Hussain, A. H. M. E., & Munir, K. (2019). Burden of major depressive disorder and quality of life among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder in urban bangladesh. Autism Research, 13(2), 284–297. Web.
Sperry, J., & Sperry, L. (2020). Case conceptualization: Key to highly effective counseling. American Counseling Association; Counselling Today. Web.