Family with a son in trouble– Integrative Perspective

It is useful to view, assess, and diagnose the Kline family’s problem through the family systems approach where the individual members’ contributions are also thought of as part and parcel to either the destruction and/or healing of the rest of the family members. What is one major problem here is not only Gary’s drinking or drug problem but why George’s wife Gail had not been able to manage her children well is a very big question and a window to the husband and wife relations. The child’s symptoms are reflective then of the rest of the family’s problems and well may be symptoms also of depression.

Teenage depression can be very real to Gary as well as to Jessie, George and Gail’s other daughter. There are many afflictions that beset adolescents but they are nowhere as common as the occurrence of depression. When depression strikes, parents or significant others usually don’t suspect the illness but find the symptoms already disturbing. . According to Rathus and Nevid in the book “Abnormal Psychology” being in a depressive response due to negative event then becomes abnormal on the basis of its extent and duration (Rathus & Nevid, 1991).

When this occurs, the person afflicted will have his day to day functioning impaired or disturbed. There are emotional or mental disturbances, and may accompany physical changes in terms of appetite and activity. The teen appears physically agitated, in an enduring bad mood, touchiness, feelings of hopelessness for an extended time. More importantly, suicide and other self-destructive patterns occur as a result of long term depression (Rathus & Nevid, 1991). Consequently, it necessitates that those closest must take notice of these marked transformations and address the root causes of the problem.

Among teens the causes for depression include the following: the effect of significant life changes like the loss of a loved one through death or separation, an earlier experience of traumatic incidence like that of incest or rape causing distress to the child as adolescent stage approaches, bombardment of stressful events or situations especially if emotional support is lacking or absent, abnormal hormonal changes or medical conditions like hypothyroidism, the use and abuse of illegal drugs causing brain chemistry changes, allergies or nutritional paucity, and genetics – or the genes that predispose a teen when the illness or depression is in the bloodline. Family systems therapy then is a necessary approach that every family member must be counseled and given the opportunity knowing that surely there are issues that are affecting him/her in more ways than one with their family set-up.

Many of the things that are occurring in the household of the Kline family are actually in reaction to probably the absence of George or the seeming passive reactions that he had to many of their “battles” or struggles including that of his wife Gail. Gail’s alcoholism is a loud message of her need for his attention and probably a signal to what may be deep wound or void to husband and wife relationship which also made Gail became apathetic to her children’s needs. Reference: Rathus, Spencer A. , and Jeffrey S. Nevid. Abnormal psychology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs. 1991. Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy. Chapter 14

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