Ordinary People Summary

Give a BRIEF summary of the book.
Ordinary People tells the story of a typical suburban family, as they struggle with ordinary problems: a death in the family, a suicide attempt, marital problems, and the troubles of high school. In the aftermath of two family tragedies, and depicts the straining effect that these two tragedies have on family dynamics. The Jarrett’s eldest son, Jordan, passed away in a boating accident, and their second son, Conrad, is overcome with guilt that leads him to attempt suicide. The book begins with Conrad’s release from an inpatient psychiatric hospital and covers Conrad’s interactions as he tries to return to his life in high school: friends, swimming and Junior year, as well as Conrad’s home life. Conrad returns

to high school as a junior and must try to rekindle friendships that existed prior to his suicide attempt.
Tell me your opinion. Did you enjoy it? Was it well written? Would you recommend it to others?
Ordinary People is a book that you don’t forget. I truly enjoyed the book, as it provides an opportunity to examine the problems of ordinary people that we often overlook. Presented with a suburban, middle-class family, you can automatically relate to some characters, and begin to loathe others. But, upon further examination, you begin to sympathize and empathize with each character, as you gain an understanding of the effects that ordinary problems leave; everyone handles their problems differently. The book forces you to examine your own personal schemas of the ordinary people walking past on the street, and how little you understand about what happens behind closed doors. Further, the book asks the age-old-question, much like Of Mice and Men: was Lenny crazy, or was the world crazy? Is Beth a tyrannical, controlling mother, uncaring towards Conrad’s needs, or a victim of life, simply trying to navigate through what life throws at her, and unable to handle her hurt? Ordinary People is insightful, as well as perdurable; the problems addressed in this novel don’t go away. Judith Guest’s writings are compelling, heartbreaking and even humorful at the same time. I would definitely recommend this book to others, as it provokes an emotional journey to understand those around you and truly defines what it means to walk in another’s shoes.
Focus on ONE psychological disorder discussed in the book. If the author does not name the disorder directly, then tell me what you believe is the probable DSM-5 diagnosis for the character. Do you think this character actually had the disorder the author claims based on DSM-5 criteria? In your paper, outline the criteria, the patient’s symptoms, and how the symptoms meet the criteria. If there is information missing, indicate what additional information is needed to make the diagnosis.
Although not explicitly stated by the author, based on the DSM-5, I would say that Conrad’s symptoms are linear to that of Major Depressive Disorder.

The DSM-5 establishes that Major Depressive Disorder is characterized by an extremely depressed mood and or loss of pressure, lasting more of the day, nearly every day for at least two weeks. In order to meet the criteria for Major Depressive Disorder, one must have at least four additional symptoms of physical or cognitive origin, ranging from significant weight loss when not dieting, weight gain, or a change in appetite; insomnia or hypersomnia, sleep disturbances, restlessness, fatigue, noticeable psychomotor agitation or retardation, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, irritability, and recurrent thoughts of death, suicide ideation, or a suicide attempt. Moreover, clients may experience diminished ability to think or concentrate, and can be the result of clinically significant distress or

impairment.
In the case of Conrad Jarrett, Conrad struggles with a consistently depressed mood, as well as loss of pleasure, evident by his disinterest in his friends and eventually swimming. As for his mood, he is often irritable and lashes out in response to jokes that he would’ve previously found humorous. For Conrad, there are several notes in the beginning of the book referring to his appetite being diminished as a result of the depression. For instance, his father asks if he’s been eating and notes that he is still much thinner than he was prior. His grandfather remarks that for how much the psychiatric hospital cost, they should have ensured that he was eating regularly. Again, during breakfast when Conrad denies bacon and eggs for cereal, his father looks concerned at his son’s small physique.
With respect to experiencing insomnia or hypersomnia, in the very first chapter Conrad wishes to crawl into bed and sleep for an extended period of time instead of complete his morning routine. With reference to the thoughts of death and suicide, Conrad is first presented to us as a patient in a psychiatric hospital, as we later learn is due to a suicide attempt, where he utilized razor blades to make two-inch horizontal cuts to his wrists. As Conrad’s attempt followed the passing of his older brother, who died in a boating accident, it could be argued that this is a clinically significant distress that Conrad faces.
What are the likely causes for this character’s disorder?
The likely cause for Conrad’s depression is the death of his older brother, for which he feels enormous blame. On a summer vacation two years prior, Conrad and his older brother Jordan were sailing together when they were faced with a storm. While Conrad held on, Jordan was unable to and subsequently drowned to death. As a result, Conrad faces an enormous amount of survivor’s guilt, blaming himself for the outcome. Following this, Conrad fell into a depression and attempted suicide. Additionally, Conrad struggles to live up to his mother’s expectations now as the only child, evident through their strained relationship.

What, if any treatments, were discussed in the book? Are these effective treatment choices based on the research presented in our textbook and in class?
Following his suicide attempt, Conrad was admitted to an inpatient psychiatric hospital for eight months. In the hospital, his routine was as follows: In the mornings he talked first, then had OT, followed by an afternoon of free time to take a walk or hit the gym. In the evenings, there were small get-togethers to play card games and keep him social. Further, at the hospital, Conrad received electroconvulsive shock therapy. The treatment works by administering an electric shock directly to the brain for less than a second, which produces a series of seizures and convulsions. Electroconvulsive therapy is said to be safe and effective for severe depression that is resistant to other forms of treatment, although the mechanism for why it works remains unclear.
Moreover, since his release from the psychiatric hospital, Conrad has attended psychotherapy twice a week with Dr.

Berger. According to our textbook, there are two major approaches to psychological treatment for depression: cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on the deep-seated negative thinking associated with depression. Through this form of therapy, clients work to examine their thought process to recognize errors in depressed thinking, and rather incorporate realistic thoughts and appraisals. This approach works to uncover faulty thinking patterns with depression, believing that they serve as triggers for the depression itself. The second approach to psychological treatment of depression is interpersonal psychotherapy, which focuses on resolving problems in existing relationships and learning to form important new interpersonal relationships. The treatment begins with identifying life stressors that seem to precipitate the depression, such as marital conflict, grief management, how to establish new relationships and working on social skills that might prevent new relationships from

forming.
Dr. Berger’s approach takes key aspects from both cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy. In regards to cognitive-behavioral therapy, Dr. Berger works with Conrad on dealing with his emotions directly as they trigger his depression, in order to improve Conrad’s self-concept to lift the depression, as well as help Conrad face the cues or triggers and work through them to develop better coping skills. In regards to interpersonal therapy, Conrad’s chief complaint was that he wanted to be more in control, so his father would stop worrying about him. With this in mind, Dr. Berger works with Conrad on his relationship management in order for him to feel as though he is more in control of his relationships with his parents, friends, and girlfriend Jeannine. By establishing what interpersonal issues Conrad is struggling with and working through the stages, Conrad has developed a stronger and more open relationship with both Jeannine and his father Calvin. According to our class discussions, psychotherapy is the most successful as it is insight-oriented, and targets the cognitive and behavioral aspect of the disorder.
Did the author do a good job portraying the disorder? Did he or she present an accurate picture?
The book is well-written, showing an inside look at the effect of depression, allowing you to experience the heartache of a family dealing with emotional distress on multiple dimensions. Judith Guest does a good job at portraying the disorder, depicted through Conrad’s day-to-day paranoia, the run-on thoughts, the need to constantly reassure oneself to stay in control and stop worrying so much, and all of the indecision. Further, Guest’s writings illustrate the effect the disorder has on all of those surrounding Conrad. From the depiction of his father who treads delicately on water when speaking to Conrad, afraid of triggering him; to his mother’s wish to forget it all and move on: it is an accurate depiction of how parents feel around a child with depression. The internal battle between wanting to coddle your child and protect them from the depression you can hardly understand yourself, to not wanting to give in and enable them, and rather wish it all away is a struggle that many parents with depressed children have.