Psychodynamic Therapy

1990 Words8 Pages
Therapy for Mood Disorder So how do you treat depression? Basically, treatments fall into 3 categories: psychological, biological, and pharmocological. In psychological therapy, specifically, psychodynamic therapy, depression is thought to be derived from a repressed sense of loss and from anger unconsciously turned inward. Therefore, psychoanalytic treatment tries to help the patient achieve insight into the repressed conflict, and often encourages the outward release of the hostility that is being directed inward. Recent studies have shown that a form of psychotherapy that concentrates on present-day interactions between the depressed person and the social environment is quite effective for alleviating unipolar depression.. The aim…show more content…
ECt was originated by two Italian physicians in the early 20th century. They had been interested in epilepsy and were seeking a means by which epileptic seizures could be experimentally induced. They visited a slaughterhouse and saw animals being struck unconscious by electric shocks to the head. Then, they found that by applying electric shocks to the sides of the head, they could produce full epileptic seizures. Not long after, they began using it for schizophrenic patients and eventually with psychotically depressed patients as well. Nowadays, ECT is used only with profoundly depressed individuals. What happens is they pass a current from between 70 and 130 volts through the patient's brain. In the past, the patient was given bilateral ECT that went through both hemispheres of the brain. Today, unilateral ECT is most commonly used. Here, the current passes through the non-dominant cerebral hemisphere only. In the past, the patient was usually awake until the current triggered the seizure, and the electric shock often created terrible contortions of the body, sometimes even causing bone fractures. Now, the patient is usually given a short-acting anaesthetic, then an injection of a strong muscle relaxant before the current is applied. The convulsive spasms are barely perceptible to observers, and the patient awakens a few minutes later,…show more content…
I knew a patient, actually a quite respected artist. In early years, a remarkable student, gift for watercolor oils. Studied in Paris, where met an English girl, married, settled in London. Ten years later, age 34, convinced wife and son to move to Honolulu. Believed he would become famous there, could sell art for better prices, had connections there that promised him greatness. At the time, in accelerated state. In Hawaii, none knew him, no connection for sales of paintings. When he got settled, behaved even more peculiarly. Exhiliaration, overactivity, constant talking, unbelievably little sleep. Family afraid he was insane. No plans materialized. After 5 months, fell into depression. Couldn’t paint, move, leave the house. Totally dependent on wife, lost 20 pounds, saw no friends. So severe, doctors came, recommended hospitalization. Immediately agreed. 12 ECT treatments. Relieved depression. Began to paint, sell paintings. Recognition in the Far East. Lasted for a year, then he became severely depressed again. 4 years later, he returned to London in a high. Spent accumulated fortune, took on mistresses, divorced wife, gave away paintings, gambled. Obsessed with religion and mysticism, paintings communicated with
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