Week Three - What's bothering Holden?

What's bothering Holden?

Find out the possible psychological reasons for Holden's madman days around Christmas.  

Holden has everything accumulated in his “innocent” little head. He has suffered several traumatic events in his life, however around that crazy Christmas night, he sorts of express and demonstrates this psychological situations.

One of the main psychological reasons that Holden is suffering is the dead of his little brother Allie. Many times through the novel, Holden says that it was something very hard for him (he even endend in the hospital with a broken hand).

Another negative reason that affected Holden was the terrible relation that he had with his parents. For a teenager, the support of their parents is something very important, and he, living in boarding schools and being away from his family, was very lonely (in the familiar aspect), he didn´t have that important support.

And talking about the social situation, Holden didn´t have close friends, he didn´t have someone to trust, and that’s why he was even lonelier. Also, he was a terrible student, maybe this desmotivates him, because he felt that he was not good in anything, he had such a bad concept of himself, and no self confidence.

I think that the fact that he saw with his own eyes the act of suicide of a bullied kkid, was another psychological reason for being like that. And in my opinion, his concept of “phony” was made like some kind of protection for himself. He started to judge and criticize everyone around, in order to feel better with himself. At this point he hates everyone and everything, nothing makes him happy expect from his sister Phoebe (who was very similar to Allie).

Find out about the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, the five stages of grieving and loss, the impact of death on a family, and any other reason you think Holden might be failing out of school and wandering New York City.  

1. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder:

Intrusive memories

Symptoms of intrusive memories may include:

·         Recurrent, unwanted distressing memories of the traumatic event

·         Reliving the traumatic event as if it were happening again (flashbacks)

·         Upsetting dreams about the traumatic event

·         Severe emotional distress or physical reactions to something that reminds you of the event

Avoidance

Symptoms of avoidance may include:

·         Trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event

·         Avoiding places, activities or people that remind you of the traumatic event

Negative changes in thinking and mood

Symptoms of negative changes in thinking and mood may include:

·         Negative feelings about yourself or other people

·         Inability to experience positive emotions

·         Feeling emotionally numb

·         Lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed

·         Hopelessness about the future

·         Memory problems, including not remembering important aspects of the traumatic event

·         Difficulty maintaining close relationships

Changes in emotional reactions

Symptoms of changes in emotional reactions (also called arousal symptoms) may include:

·         Irritability, angry outbursts or aggressive behavior

·         Always being on guard for danger

·         Overwhelming guilt or shame

·         Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much or driving too fast

·         Trouble concentrating

·         Trouble sleeping

·         Being easily startled or frightened

2. Depression

Behaviour

·         not going out anymore

·         not getting things done at work/school

·         withdrawing from close family and friends

·         relying on alcohol and sedatives

·         not doing usual enjoyable activities

·         unable to concentrate

Feelings

·         overwhelmed

·         guilty

·         irritable

·         frustrated

·         lacking in confidence

·         unhappy

·         indecisive

·         disappointed

·         miserable

·         sad

Thoughts

·         'I’m a failure.'

·         'It’s my fault.'

·         'Nothing good ever happens to me.'

·         'I’m worthless.'

·         'Life’s not worth living.'

·         'People would be better off without me.'

Physical

·         tired all the time

·         sick and run down

·         headaches and muscle pains

·         churning gut

·         sleep problems

·         loss or change of appetite

·         significant weight loss or gain

3. The five stages of grieving and loss

• Denial: Holden doesn´t care about stuff, like failing subjects and getting kicked out. Also, when he denies that he needs profesional help (with the guy who had a drink).
• Anger: Holden is kind of mad with everything, he hates "phonies" and he judges everyone around. Nothing is the way he wants.
• Bargaining: This is where he tries to looks for "solutions" to his problems. He is demotivated and he just wants to feel better. 
• Depression: Holden is depressed basically the hole book, however he has harder times in some specific parts, such as when he goes for a drink with the "dumb" girls.
• Acceptance: At the end of the book we can see that he entered to psychiatric hospital.

4. Loneliness

The final lines of the novel clearly point to Holden's loneliness:

"Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody."

Holden doesn´t have someone to trust, except from Phoebe. He doesn´t have close friends, even a single "normal" friend. His parents doesn´t support him as they should, and he can´t express his real feelings with anybody. He is alone, dealing with his several problems.

The impact of death on a family

The death of someone is something very shocking and traumatic for the ones who where close to the person, especially when it´s caused by a tragic situation such as an accident or a disease.

The impact of death on a family is something very hard to get over and sometimes it could cause serious psychological damage on the family members. There is nothing more painful than the loss of a son or a brother. This cases should be treated by a professional (it could be a spiritual leader too). This people need many support to continue with their lives.

In the particular case of Holden, Allie´s dead was the most traumatic event in his life, it changed his life. Even a few years after this tragic experience happened, Holden still remember constantly the scene, he revives the pain and he feels so bad about it. 

By the end of this week, you must determine Holden’s diagnosis based on your findings

a) What would Holden’s diagnosis be?

It is more than clear that Holden has a lot of troubles; he has more than one suffering.

In my point of view, Holden´s diagnosis would be:

1. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: It is evident that Allie´s dead caused him a serious damage and a huge impact on his life. He couldn´t get over it.

2. Depression: This suffering is one of the most important factors in the novel. Maybe his loneliness is what is causing so much pain and sadness in his life. He doesn´t have someone to cheer him up.

b) How would doctors treat him today?

Psychiatrists and psychologists are professionals in the area of health who are able to treat these cases. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression should be treated with a full therapy program and medication. It depends on the gravity of the situation, and on the progress of the patient. There is a specific medication called "Antidepressants" , that helps in the treatment of depression.

Holden would need to keep doing therapy (it could be in the hospital) and making a huge effort to get better.

c) Would Holden be on medication?  Why or why not?  

Justify your answer with facts.

I think that after Holden goes for help and understands his problems, the health professional would probably apply him medication, because depression is a suffering that could be treated much better with a proper and regulated medication. There are several types of depression medications (antidepressants) used to treat depression and conditions that have depression as a component of the disease. These drugs improve symptoms of depression by increasing the availability of certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. It is believed that these brain chemicals can help regulate brain circuits that affect emotions. 

Facts:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are common drugs for depression. In fact, they are the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants. An imbalance of serotonin may play a role in depression. These drugs fight depression symptoms by decreasing serotonin reuptake in the brain. This effect leaves more serotonin available to work in your brain.