Prince Hamlet
Diagnosis:
Clinical unipolar depression: as opposed to bipolar depression, this form of the disorder is marked by one behavioral constant of melancholy rather than the switches between melancholy and mania characteristic to bipolar depression.
Background:
Prince Hamlet first visited our center as urged by his mother and his new stepfather. He has suffered symptoms of deep unipolar depression, likely triggered by the sudden passing of his beloved father and the subsequent grief associated with the event. Hamlet describes his biological father and his achievements in life in generous and flowery language, clearly revealing his attachment to the deceased man. The client expresses intense frustration at his father’s passing as well as aggravation regarding his mother’s choice to remarry following her late husband’s death. A combination of this overinvolvement in his mother’s decision, as well as a kind of grief regarding the type of person that he expected her to be has culminated recently into toxic and frustrating relationship for him despite his own deep concern and love for her.
Clearly the massive life changes in the weeks prior to his admittance to the institute have put a stress on the mid-twenty year old and have manifested itself into pensive and morose behavior. While it seems that Hamlet has had a tendency to be somewhat withdrawn for the sake of private thought in the past, the recent development of his depressive symptoms as linked to his grief are cause for concern. He is apparently alienating himself from rewarding relationships including a once-valued love interest in a young woman named Ophelia. He expresses a surprising amount of ambivalence regarding his actions to distance himself from such a rewarding relationship. It might be that he does not fully recognize the effects of his actions in this way, a not uncommon effect of social withdrawal as a result of depression.
Symptoms:
Hamlet appears to be suffering from sleep problems, reportedly informing his close friend Horatio that “in my heart there was a kind of fighting/ That would not let me sleep” ( 5.2.4-5).
He seems to be suffering from low self-esteem, referring to himself “a coward” and “a whore” in sessions (2.2.530, 548).
He will frequently put on the visage of a different personality in the public, including walking about in the center. During these moments, his speech seems to change, and his sentences seem almost to run together, opposing the fluent and well-organized speech that he displays during one-on-one therapy sessions. This may be simply an unusual coping style, or cause for greater concern though not enough evidence has been compiled.
Hamlet also expresses a high level of hopelessness, withdrawal, and sadness.
He seems to be dealing with increasing difficulty in making decisions.
Hamlet’s insistence that Claudius (his uncle and new stepfather) played a role in his father’s death is worrisome in sessions as Hamlet appears to be becoming fixated on this idea. This tendency may begin to qualify as an obsessive disorder, as it seems to increasingly consume Hamlet’s thoughts and actions, as well as interferes with his normal daily functioning by way of alienating himself in order to pursue such a grand and socially unacceptable goal.
Explanations:
After a consultation with Shakespearian adviser Sarah Holland on Hamlet’s behavior, and the possibility of diagnosis, she described Hamlet in terms of a disorder that would have been common during the time of his play; melancholia. An important advisor in this case, Holland describes Hamlet as “an example of a melancholic individual” (Holland,1). Drawing on conventional knowledge during the creation Hamlet’s play, she explained to our team that, “the influence of humors extended beyond the physiological realm and different humors were linked directly to certain psychological or emotional characteristics” (Holland, 1). Of the four humors, melancholy was considered the heaviest, and it was closely linked to the element of earth. As per Holland’s advice, we concur that Hamlet appears to be “suffering from a severe humoral imbalance,” leaving him with what his literary peers and family would categorize as a case of melancholia (Holland, 2).
In a more sociocultural, and perhaps more humanistic approach, our center advisor Peter Bray describes how Hamlet’s individual style of grief is the source of many of these depressive symptoms (including his melancholic tendencies). Bray cites that “men prefer ‘problem-focused’ strategies to manage their grief” and that an avoidant coping style is not uncommon (Bray, 7). He explains how Hamlet also appears to borrow some of his grieving style from women in that he does spend much time in emotional reflection in adjunction to his avoidance. Both of these elements seem to apply quite well to the client’s behavior, and also begin to explain the presence of his obsessions regarding his stepfather.
A psychodynamic explanation (adapted from Freudian theory) of Hamlet’s depressive symptoms is also appropriate to explore in this case, although it does not appear to offer a complete insight into Hamlet’s behavior. Following Bray’s tendency to describe the client’s behavior in terms of his grief, abnormal psychology expert Ronald Comer describes the Freudian explanation of both depression and grief as being inexorably linked. Comer describes that according to the psychodynamic model, “mourners at first regress to the oral stage of development, the period of total dependency when infants cannot distinguish themselves from their parents,” and further insists that, “by regressing to this stage, the mourners merge their own identity with that of the person they have lost, and so symbolically regain the lost person” (Comer, 184). This merging of identities could also be an element of Hamlet’s depressive behavior as the mourner is unable to regain their lost loved one, and follows a predictable trajectory from grief to depression according to Freudian followers.
Treatment Plans:
In an attempt to find common ground with this patient, we have designed a treatment plan based on conventions and literature that Hamlet would have experienced during his time. Addressing his clinical depression as a humoral imbalance of “melancholia,” our experts have consulted the 1621 text Anatomy of Melancholy by Robert Burton for treatment ideas. Burton writes that a patient “must be willing to be cured, and earnestly desire it,” and insists that “divine music . . . is a sovereign remedy against despair and melancholy” (Burton, 277-335). In line with this ancient therapy approach, we have noted that Hamlet has a clear passion for theater which is made evident even in our meetings with him. In accordance with this, we are advising that he utilize this excitement about actors, music, and performances as a tool to combat his depression. Hamlet will also be required to continue to come to therapy sessions, and is strongly encouraged to confide in his close friend Horatio as a means of coping.
Clinical unipolar depression: as opposed to bipolar depression, this form of the disorder is marked by one behavioral constant of melancholy rather than the switches between melancholy and mania characteristic to bipolar depression.
Background:
Prince Hamlet first visited our center as urged by his mother and his new stepfather. He has suffered symptoms of deep unipolar depression, likely triggered by the sudden passing of his beloved father and the subsequent grief associated with the event. Hamlet describes his biological father and his achievements in life in generous and flowery language, clearly revealing his attachment to the deceased man. The client expresses intense frustration at his father’s passing as well as aggravation regarding his mother’s choice to remarry following her late husband’s death. A combination of this overinvolvement in his mother’s decision, as well as a kind of grief regarding the type of person that he expected her to be has culminated recently into toxic and frustrating relationship for him despite his own deep concern and love for her.
Clearly the massive life changes in the weeks prior to his admittance to the institute have put a stress on the mid-twenty year old and have manifested itself into pensive and morose behavior. While it seems that Hamlet has had a tendency to be somewhat withdrawn for the sake of private thought in the past, the recent development of his depressive symptoms as linked to his grief are cause for concern. He is apparently alienating himself from rewarding relationships including a once-valued love interest in a young woman named Ophelia. He expresses a surprising amount of ambivalence regarding his actions to distance himself from such a rewarding relationship. It might be that he does not fully recognize the effects of his actions in this way, a not uncommon effect of social withdrawal as a result of depression.
Symptoms:
Hamlet appears to be suffering from sleep problems, reportedly informing his close friend Horatio that “in my heart there was a kind of fighting/ That would not let me sleep” ( 5.2.4-5).
He seems to be suffering from low self-esteem, referring to himself “a coward” and “a whore” in sessions (2.2.530, 548).
He will frequently put on the visage of a different personality in the public, including walking about in the center. During these moments, his speech seems to change, and his sentences seem almost to run together, opposing the fluent and well-organized speech that he displays during one-on-one therapy sessions. This may be simply an unusual coping style, or cause for greater concern though not enough evidence has been compiled.
Hamlet also expresses a high level of hopelessness, withdrawal, and sadness.
He seems to be dealing with increasing difficulty in making decisions.
Hamlet’s insistence that Claudius (his uncle and new stepfather) played a role in his father’s death is worrisome in sessions as Hamlet appears to be becoming fixated on this idea. This tendency may begin to qualify as an obsessive disorder, as it seems to increasingly consume Hamlet’s thoughts and actions, as well as interferes with his normal daily functioning by way of alienating himself in order to pursue such a grand and socially unacceptable goal.
Explanations:
After a consultation with Shakespearian adviser Sarah Holland on Hamlet’s behavior, and the possibility of diagnosis, she described Hamlet in terms of a disorder that would have been common during the time of his play; melancholia. An important advisor in this case, Holland describes Hamlet as “an example of a melancholic individual” (Holland,1). Drawing on conventional knowledge during the creation Hamlet’s play, she explained to our team that, “the influence of humors extended beyond the physiological realm and different humors were linked directly to certain psychological or emotional characteristics” (Holland, 1). Of the four humors, melancholy was considered the heaviest, and it was closely linked to the element of earth. As per Holland’s advice, we concur that Hamlet appears to be “suffering from a severe humoral imbalance,” leaving him with what his literary peers and family would categorize as a case of melancholia (Holland, 2).
In a more sociocultural, and perhaps more humanistic approach, our center advisor Peter Bray describes how Hamlet’s individual style of grief is the source of many of these depressive symptoms (including his melancholic tendencies). Bray cites that “men prefer ‘problem-focused’ strategies to manage their grief” and that an avoidant coping style is not uncommon (Bray, 7). He explains how Hamlet also appears to borrow some of his grieving style from women in that he does spend much time in emotional reflection in adjunction to his avoidance. Both of these elements seem to apply quite well to the client’s behavior, and also begin to explain the presence of his obsessions regarding his stepfather.
A psychodynamic explanation (adapted from Freudian theory) of Hamlet’s depressive symptoms is also appropriate to explore in this case, although it does not appear to offer a complete insight into Hamlet’s behavior. Following Bray’s tendency to describe the client’s behavior in terms of his grief, abnormal psychology expert Ronald Comer describes the Freudian explanation of both depression and grief as being inexorably linked. Comer describes that according to the psychodynamic model, “mourners at first regress to the oral stage of development, the period of total dependency when infants cannot distinguish themselves from their parents,” and further insists that, “by regressing to this stage, the mourners merge their own identity with that of the person they have lost, and so symbolically regain the lost person” (Comer, 184). This merging of identities could also be an element of Hamlet’s depressive behavior as the mourner is unable to regain their lost loved one, and follows a predictable trajectory from grief to depression according to Freudian followers.
Treatment Plans:
In an attempt to find common ground with this patient, we have designed a treatment plan based on conventions and literature that Hamlet would have experienced during his time. Addressing his clinical depression as a humoral imbalance of “melancholia,” our experts have consulted the 1621 text Anatomy of Melancholy by Robert Burton for treatment ideas. Burton writes that a patient “must be willing to be cured, and earnestly desire it,” and insists that “divine music . . . is a sovereign remedy against despair and melancholy” (Burton, 277-335). In line with this ancient therapy approach, we have noted that Hamlet has a clear passion for theater which is made evident even in our meetings with him. In accordance with this, we are advising that he utilize this excitement about actors, music, and performances as a tool to combat his depression. Hamlet will also be required to continue to come to therapy sessions, and is strongly encouraged to confide in his close friend Horatio as a means of coping.