Child Psych Thought Paper
Kathryn Graf
October 29, 2014
Ordinary People written by Judith Guest is a story about a typical American family. The book examines how a family reacts to the adversity of losing a member. The book begins just over a year since the Jarrett family lost Buck, their teenage son.
After reading the DSM-5 is was clear to me that Conrad was suffering from persistent depressive disorder. In order to be diagnosed with PDD you must have a depressed mood for most of the day, which in children and adolescents lasts for a year. Conrad’s problems have been going on for just over a year, as his brother died in early summer and the book takes place the next fall. His depressed mood is apparent from the very start of the book, as he mentions not having the motivation to get out of bed. Another symptom common in depression is loss of appetite. The book describes Conrad as being bony and gaunt. Conrad is often perceived as having difficulty sleeping, due to the recurrent traumatic dreams he has about the night he lost his brother. There is no doubt that Conrad is consumed with guilt. He often replays the boat incident. He can hear himself yelling to his brother that he is the stronger one, he should be able to hold on longer. This guilt generates in Conrad feelings of low self-esteem. His low self-esteem exemplified in him comparing himself to his diseased brother, saying he could never measure up to the footsteps of his brother in any aspect of life. Lastly, Conrad has an enormous sense of hopelessness. All these symptoms are much more prevalent at the start of the book and with therapy he starts to show signs of improvement.
Before the DSM-5 was recently published, there was an exclusionary clause saying that anyone who lost a love one within the past two months could not be diagnosed with major depressive disorder. This may have had an effect on Conrad. For example, if he presented signs of depression after Buck’s death he may have not been eligible to receive help.
Chapter 3
October 29, 2014
Ordinary People written by Judith Guest is a story about a typical American family. The book examines how a family reacts to the adversity of losing a member. The book begins just over a year since the Jarrett family lost Buck, their teenage son.
After reading the DSM-5 is was clear to me that Conrad was suffering from persistent depressive disorder. In order to be diagnosed with PDD you must have a depressed mood for most of the day, which in children and adolescents lasts for a year. Conrad’s problems have been going on for just over a year, as his brother died in early summer and the book takes place the next fall. His depressed mood is apparent from the very start of the book, as he mentions not having the motivation to get out of bed. Another symptom common in depression is loss of appetite. The book describes Conrad as being bony and gaunt. Conrad is often perceived as having difficulty sleeping, due to the recurrent traumatic dreams he has about the night he lost his brother. There is no doubt that Conrad is consumed with guilt. He often replays the boat incident. He can hear himself yelling to his brother that he is the stronger one, he should be able to hold on longer. This guilt generates in Conrad feelings of low self-esteem. His low self-esteem exemplified in him comparing himself to his diseased brother, saying he could never measure up to the footsteps of his brother in any aspect of life. Lastly, Conrad has an enormous sense of hopelessness. All these symptoms are much more prevalent at the start of the book and with therapy he starts to show signs of improvement.
Before the DSM-5 was recently published, there was an exclusionary clause saying that anyone who lost a love one within the past two months could not be diagnosed with major depressive disorder. This may have had an effect on Conrad. For example, if he presented signs of depression after Buck’s death he may have not been eligible to receive help.
Chapter 3