For this Assignment, select one of the case examples in the Learning Resources Identify the major symptoms of depression and consider antidepressant medications that a psychiatrist might prescribe to treat the symptoms. Consider the role of the counselor in supporting the psychiatrist’s recommendations in the initial stages of psychopharmacological medication management. Finally, think about issues that may arise in the initial stages of treatment.
For this Assignment, select one of the three case examples from the Learning Resources. Analyze the case, determine the psychopathology presented, and describe the appropriate treatment methods for the client.
Based on the case you selected, write a 2- to 3-page APA-formatted paper that includes the following:
- Explain the symptoms that indicate depression and the medications that might be prescribed to treat these symptoms
- Explain a counselor’s role in raising your client’s awareness of medication-related effects
- Explain a counselor’s role in supporting the psychiatrist’s recommendations
- Explain two potential challenges that may occur in the initial stages of psychopharmacological intervention
- Explain one strategy a counselor might use to address challenges that arise in the initial stages of treatment
- Support your responses with evidence from the Learning Resources and other scholarly sources
- Here are the cause
- John John is a 45-year-old biracial man of African-American and Caucasian descent. He is attending counseling after becoming fearful of how “down” he has felt lately. It seems that the things that once brought John great joy no longer do so. He eats far less frequently than he once did; “food has no taste,” he says. John’s sleep has been affected. He says, “Months ago I couldn’t sleep enough. Now it seems that I have to force myself to do it. Lying in bed is misery—thinking about how many things I have done wrong in this life.” John has no wife or children, though he occasionally helps raise his goddaughters, as their mother works night shifts and relies on family and friends to help out. He finds his time with the kids more and more taxing.
- This is a surprising and painful fact, as he loves them dearly. He works as a handyman and has his primary needs met in terms of housing, food, and other essentials. He does not use alcohol or drugs. He wonders whether medication would be helpful, but John is unsure if he is willing to deal with the side effects. In particular, John worries that he might not be able to perform sexually, given what he has heard from friends that take them. Paulette Paulette is a 50-year-old Caucasian woman who has been married for 29 years. She has three adult daughters and one recently born grandson. Paulette feels “guilty” that she has not been able to “muster the energy” to visit her daughter and her new grandson—they live about 200 miles away. In fact, she has not spent much time outside of the house, other than to go to work and the grocery store. While she and her husband once enjoyed weekly weekend trips to the lake, she finds the outings more and more exhausting. It seems that every little thing is a chore. Paulette reports that her sleep is normal, but that she has been putting on a good deal of weight. “I’m a stress eater,” she says. She occasionally drinks alcohol, but “never to excess.” Many years ago Paulette experienced her first tonic-clonic seizure (she cannot recall how many years ago, but it has been more than a decade). Although she wants to talk about medication with a physician, Paulette is worried about the potential of some medications to lower the seizure threshold. This risk may be worth it, she acknowledges, given how important it is to her that her grandson knows and love her. 1 © 2012 Laureate Education, Inc. Marcus Marcus is a 31-year-old Caucasian law student. He feels “worn out, burned out, and busted.” He has no girlfriend or boyfriend, yet he has dated in the past. Although Marcus’ studies keep him occupied, he finds himself wondering if all of his efforts are worth the coming payoff. He will be taking the Bar exam soon—he is fairly sure he will pass it. Lately, Marcus has been “slipping back into some old patterns of thinking and acting.” In the past, he has battled major depressive disorder and believes that he may be becoming depressed again. Marcus quickly counts off his symptoms: sleep loss, weight loss, a sense that everything is devoid of joy or excitement, and so forth. His choice to come to counseling was precipitated by an increase in the frequency of using club drugs like ecstasy and cocaine “to have at least a little fun.” Marcus uses these now about once every 2 weeks. He notes that his last “bout” of depression happened around a time when he was using these subs these substances frequently. Get Psychology homework help today
