Question

Luke has been feeling sad for more than six months, and he has lost interest in his life. Friends are worried about him, and he feels that he is a failure. Name the disorder that he probably has along with the symptoms of this disorder. Then, explain how a therapist in the biomedical perspective might approach Luke’s treatment, and how another therapist in the cognitive-behavioral perspective might approach treatment.

Answer 1

Answer:

Luke is probably suffering from major depressive disorder.

Explanation:

Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder that represents a high degree of depression that can last for weeks, months and even years. There are several symptoms that this disorder can present, the most common are: loss of interest in pleasurable and daily activities, extreme sadness, low self-esteem, lack of energy and many times can present physical pain.

In the case of Luke, a therapist with a biomedical perspective, he would look for biological factors in his body to justify the existence of the disorder. Among these actors, the therapist can look for hormonal imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, neurotransmitter functioning, among others.

The therapist with a cognitive-behavioral perspective, on the other hand, would approach the problem based on assessments of Luke's emotional and behavioral changes in the present and past periods, which may have triggered the problem.