Depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Introduction
Sudan has been in the midst of a political crisis that has resulted in violence. Such chaoses have caused displacement and death to thousand of Sudan residents forcing them to flee as refugees. However, fleeing from the site is not the only problem. These people are most probably suffering from depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due to what they have witnessed in Sudan during the violence. According to WHO, depression is considered the leading cause of disability. It is a condition that disorders the mood of a person and comes with a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. On the other had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition that is often triggered by events such as violence, which are terrifying. Therefore, this essay will focus on two mental health treatment approaches that are considered the most effective ways to treat depression and post-traumatic stress. These approaches are psychological therapies and medication.
Psychotherapy is a treatment method that uses psychology to help individuals change behavior and eventually conquer their problems in the desired way. This type of treatment is commonly in 3 types. These are cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), Eye movement desensitization, and reprocessing (EMDR) and group therapy. However, in this case, the most effective treatment for the Sudanese immigrant is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, commonly referred to as CBT. This treatment approach aims to change the way a person thinks (cognitive) as well as his activities (behavior). For one to achieve this change, the victim must set goals and achieve them.
CBT is considered as the most effective way to treat depression because of its satisfying positive results. This therapy does not address or deal with the cause of depression, but instead, it focuses on coming up with various ways that it can treat depression here and now. It concerns itself with finding solutions to the current state of depression. Depression mainly results from people understanding things from a negative point of view. This kind of disposition causes them to act in a certain manner hence affecting their behavior. Therefore CBT tries to substitute these negative thoughts that a victim is experiencing with positive ones. It seeks to continuously feed the mind with positive thoughts and make them occur automatically when one is in a depressing situation.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy treats PTSD by using various psychological techniques to assist a victim in coming to terms with the traumatic situation they are facing. In this case, a therapist will ask the Sudanese immigrant to think about their experience in detail as a way of confronting the traumatic memories. During the session, the therapist usually assists the victim in coping with distress while at the same time identifying any obstructive thoughts he/she is experiencing or any misrepresentations they are having about the experience. By this way, the therapist assists the victim to gain control over their distress and fears by changing their negative perception about their experience
The other way of treating mental health conditions is through medication. Antidepressant drugs such as Phenelzine, paroxetine, and sertraline can be used to treat depression as well as PTSD.
In summation, traumatic events such as the violence in Sudan can be challenging for Sudanese immigrants to overcome. However, the most effective way to deal with PSTD and depression is to confront your feelings through the help of a professional therapist.
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