Written Assignment – Depression

Depression
Name
Institution Affiliation
Date
Depression
What would you tell your cousin about this disease?
He needs to know that depression is a common disease which can affect anybody. Many great people like William Styron, Mike Wallace, Art Buchward, Dick Caveth among other great people overcame depression and lived normal lives. As much as he needs the support of friends and family to fight depression, personal initiative is fundamentally beneficial. If he does not fight depression with the aim of overcoming it, he is likely to suffer other ailments like osteoporosis in the long run. He must strive to heal so that he does not activate those cells in the brain which lead to depression. If these cells are continuously activated by stress or depression, they can lead to chronic depression which can make someone insane. He should not allow his life to be held hostage by depression.
How would you help him find the best treatment possible?
The best place where he can seek treatment is from institutions which specialize in such cases. Through such institutions both the family and the victim can be treated. The family needs to be treated because they are the first victims of the patient’s symptoms. Depression leads to depletion of social support and a strain on economic resources or even desertion. In a specialized institution, treatment begins with correct diagnosis. When the patient eventually heals, with the assistance of friends and family, they can then address the core problems that could have lead to the illness.

Conversely, the family needs to heal so that they embrace the victim and desert the problem (Gabbard, 2004).
Another alternative place to find treatment is within the family. Many mental patients in America stay within the family. The family then provides basic needs and social support. This is not the best place to seek assistance because it can lead to chronic depression.
What type(s) of therapy would you recommend?
Psychotherapy is one form of treatment which is recommended and aims at analyzing individual thinking of a patient. This helps bring the patient back to the acceptance as well as give them tests to see if they are getting back to their normal self. The success of this method of treatment entirely depends on the patients’ willingness to accept help (Panel 2003).
Also, group therapy can also be used for treatment. It instills interpersonal communication which helps builds relationship between the patient and the doctor. This presents a platform where patients talk about their problems, opening up their minds and sharing their challenges during the period of illness and appreciate that they are not alone in this fight against recovery (Teasdale, et al 2000).
How would a psychologist determine his or her behavior to be normal or abnormal?
To determine behavior and conclude whether the person is sane or insane the patient needs to be reintroduced to people they know, friends and family. This may lead to social associations or resistance that will help give an accurate diagnosis. It helps the patient to do self-diagnosis. The patient will begin to feel joy and love for those closer to them. This is a more direct and practical approach to measuring statistical data. This will be what determines if medication and therapy worked (Gabbard, 2004).
Bottom line, assistance should be given to victim and family because both of them are directly affected by depression of a member. Counseling supports the family by empowering them to accept the victim and manage post depression symptoms.
References
Gabbard, G. (2004). Long Term Psychodynamic Therapy. Texas: University of Texas.
Panel, G. (2003). Depression in Primary Care. Journal of Affective Disorders, 31, 81-90.
Teasdale, D., Segal, V., Williams, G., Ridgeway, A., Soulsby, M., & Lau, A. (2000). Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 68, 615-617.