Sympathy In Little Miss Sunshine

Paul Dano plays the role of Dwayne, a depressed character in the film entitled “Little Miss Sunshine.” Depression is one of the most notorious disorders in adults and adolescents. Many patients often develop depression or depressive symptoms in their childhood or adolescence. Dwayne was a 15 year old male and had a plethora of symptoms of depression. While Dwayne, was capable of completing everyday tasks, he showed a lack of interest in the majority of things asked of him.
Social withdrawal, sadness, emptiness, low energy, and lack of pleasure are a few of the symptoms that were depicted by Dwayne throughout the film. One of his most common symptoms was social withdrawal. Majority of the times, Dwayne would be found alone or wanted to be alone.
Frank, who is the oldest brother, suffers from major depression disorder and has even contemplated and tried to commit suicide. With his brother suffering from suicidal ideation, and the persistent symptoms that Dwayne exhibits, I believe the best diagnosis for Dwayne would be Persistent Depressive Disorder, also known as Dysthymia. To treat Dwayne’s Persistent Depressive Disorder, I would prescribe him with a class antidepressants, specifically tricyclics. Furthermore, I would provide Dwayne with Behavioral Activation Therapy or Interpersonal Psychotherapy. I believe either of these two therapies would be sufficient enough to suppress Dwayne’s Persistent Depressive Disorder. One of Dwayne’s major symptoms was social withdrawal, and both of these therapies would serve as suppressants to his depression and would allow Dwayne to strengthen his communication and social skills. Thus, leaving Dwayne feeling more of a sense of belonging, which will subsequently lead to the lowering of his sadness and feeling of emptiness. Dwayne des not suffer from major depression so Brain Stimulation therapies such as Electroconvulsive therapy or Transcranial magnetic stimulation are not necessary. The abnormal behavior exhibited by Dwayne adds drama to the plot a there are numerous scenes where Dwayne’s depressive disorder is slightly exhibited. Moreover, his