Freud’s Depression: Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions Essay

Depression is one of the most common psychological disorders, and it affects a substantial part of the population. The list of historical figures who had some form of this condition consists of multiple names. Sigmund Freud, who was a psychologist and treated patients himself, also at some point in his life exhibited symptoms of this disorder. The goal of this paper is to study the example of Sigmund Freud’s depression and discuss what cognitive-behavioral interventions apply to such a case.

Depression is a psychological disorder that negatively affects the mood of a person and is characterized by feelings of sadness and lack of motivation. Symptoms of this condition include problems with sleeping, changes in appetite, and increased fatigue. A strategy for the assessment of the severity of depression should include using questioners, talking with the patients, and observing their behavior (Farmer & Chapman, 2016). Such assessment allows measuring the presence of symptoms, and it helps identify causes of the disorder and potential treatments.

In the example of Sigmund Freud, the symptoms of depression including a sense of guilt, apathy, periodic anxiety attacks, and fatigue. The cognitive-behavioral experiment that might address such a disorder should consist of measures that reduce the symptoms and help the client to fix undesirable behavioral patterns (Boyes, 2012). The behavioral aspect of therapy should focus on helping the patient to deal with habits that negatively affect his life. Treatment of Freud’s depression needs to include taking measures to address his addiction to cocaine and developing healthy lifestyle habits such as proper sleep and nutrition. The cognitive aspect of treatment needs to address the emotional state of the patient. The psychological state of Sigmund Freud was affected by the attitude he had towards his competition with other scholars and his ambition (Jones, 2019). Thus, potential intervention should focus on developing a healthy idea of success and competition, reducing stress and negative emotion, and promoting the feeling of self-worth.

Depression is a very common psychological condition, and its symptoms include the prevalence of negative emotions, apathy, problems with sleeping, and fatigue. Sigmund Freud was affected by a form of depression and exhibited multiple symptoms of this disorder. The behavioral aspect of potential treatment in his case might include fixing problems with substance addiction, and the cognitive part of the therapy should focus on the attitude towards competition and self-worth.

References

Boyes, A. (2012). Cognitive behavioral therapy techniques that work. Psychology Today. Web.

Farmer, R. F., & Chapman, A. L. (2016). Behavioral Interventions in Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Practical Guidance for Putting Theory into Action (2nd ed.). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association.

Jones, E. (2019). The life and work of Sigmund Freud. Lexington, MA: Plunkett Lake Press.