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Balaa's Struggle with Depression and Identity

Balaa, a 29-year-old man from Kenya, attempted suicide after losing his job and feeling misunderstood by his peers and family. He struggles with low self-esteem, past episodes of depression, and a tumultuous family background, including an abusive father and a mother he blames for their hardships. Despite his education, he feels unfulfilled and anxious about his future, leading him to contemplate ending his life due to the unbearable circumstances he faces.

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31 views2 pages

Balaa's Struggle with Depression and Identity

Balaa, a 29-year-old man from Kenya, attempted suicide after losing his job and feeling misunderstood by his peers and family. He struggles with low self-esteem, past episodes of depression, and a tumultuous family background, including an abusive father and a mother he blames for their hardships. Despite his education, he feels unfulfilled and anxious about his future, leading him to contemplate ending his life due to the unbearable circumstances he faces.

Uploaded by

amoitnovena21
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

CPY 3208: Abnormal Psychology

CASE: 1
Balaa is a 29-year-old man from the Western region of Kenya. He currently lost his job
as a clerk at Huduma Center, Nairobi. He was hospitalized at Kenyatta National
Hospital after a suicide attempt. His mother insists that he needs to go back to Western
so that he can visit a spiritual healer. She is convinced that his friends in Nairobi are
leading him astray and that his “star” has been “stolen” from him through witchcraft.
The hospital recommended that Balaa talks to a therapist before being discharged. On
the morning of the day he made an attempt on his life, Balaa had just quit his job. He
felt that his boss, a lady, hated him and always found fault with his work. This had led to
bitter exchanges and warning letters in his file. He asserted that his colleagues did not
understand him and were jealous of his abilities. However, he told the therapist that he
did not care much for the job. You see, Balaa is a graduate from one of the universities
in Kenya and he was just doing the clerical work to pay bills as he waits for his dream
job to come. Later that day, he went to his local pub for a few drinks to release the
stress of the day. While there, he bumped into his ex-girlfriend with her new man. They
exchanged pleasantries but Balaa could not stand seeing his former girlfriend enjoying
herself with another man. He experienced sudden rage towards her and he stormed out
of the pub planning on how he would make her pay back for all the hurt she caused him.
In past years, Balaa had experienced episodes of depression. He hated himself due to
the fact that he was socially awkward. He had no social life and he could never manage
to keep a girlfriend for more than a few months. Upon further enquiry, the therapist
learned that shortly after a new relationship started, Balaa would get extremely critical of
the ladies, demanding that they meet his every need. This would strain the relationship
and the ladies would end it. However, Balaa is adamant that the ladies were too
materialistic and out to use him, hence the termination of the relationships.
Balaa is one of 7 children from a low social economic family. His father is 57 years old
and works as a mason. Balaa confessed that he does not see eye to eye with his father
as he is a perpetual drunk who does not take care of his family. His mother is 50 years
old and works as a peasant farmer. Balaa reported that the mother, a highly religious
woman, single-handedly raised him and his siblings as his father was an alcoholic who
would disappear from their home whenever he got some money and would show up
broke and bitter. The father was physically and emotionally abusive to the entire family
and they all lived in fear of him. Balaa says that he will never forgive his mother for
staying with his father and he blames her for how their family life turned out. He
attributes his education to kind teachers and well-wishers throughout primary school,
missionaries throughout secondary school and HELB throughout university. He views
both of his parents as ignorant and neglectful and he vows never to be like them.

1
CPY 3208: Abnormal Psychology

He graduated from the university with a Pass. He explained that he was admitted to
pursue a degree that was not his first choice. Further, that his financial status interfered
with his studies and his mean lecturers who hated him, had failed him. After graduating,
he decided to go to Nairobi to increase his chances of employment. He has had 2 jobs:
one, as a supermarket attendant and the most recent one, as a clerk. In both jobs, he
has stayed less than 6 months before finding some justification for quitting. During his
session with the therapist, he cited many instances where his interactions with his
parents, siblings, teachers, colleagues and friends left him feeling offended, unfairly
treated, misunderstood, alone and bored.
The therapist noted that Balaa had a very low opinion of himself. He described himself
as a weirdo who was turning into a loser like his father. To supplement his meager
salary, he tried gambling but he says he is too unlucky. Consequently, he had accrued
many debts and he was contemplating selling the little furniture he has to offset them.
He also said that the tough economic situation in the country is making matters worse.
He blames the current president for making life unbearable for the youth. Balaa says
that by the age of 30, a man should be having a good job that pays 6 figures monthly,
owning a mansion with a beautiful wife and a son. However, his birthday is fast
approaching, making him extremely anxious about his future. He sees that he will not
have achieved anything of significance. He therefore decided to end his life because it
was unbearable and he knew that no one would even miss him.

Common questions

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Balaa tends to externalize blame by attributing his life's difficulties to his family, colleagues, and the socio-economic environment, such as blaming his parents' neglect, colleagues' jealousy, and the government's economic policies. This suggests that he relies on external attributions rather than internal coping mechanisms, indicating a lack of personal accountability and a defense mechanism to protect his fragile self-esteem .

Balaa's family dynamics, characterized by an abusive alcoholic father and a passive mother, likely contributed to his feelings of neglect and distrust, influencing his interpersonal relationships and self-worth. His mother's decision to stay with his father and the resulting familial instability may have instilled a sense of helplessness and resentment. His education, supported by external help rather than parental involvement, may also contribute to his feelings of abandonment and inadequacy .

Balaa's experiences of rejection and criticism in personal relationships may exacerbate his feelings of inadequacy and contribute to his depressive symptoms. His pattern of critical behavior and high demands in relationships leads to cycles of failure and reinforces negative self-perceptions, resulting in social withdrawal and increased isolation, which negatively impacts his mental health .

Childhood neglect and emotional abuse can lead to the development of maladaptive personality traits and behavior patterns in Balaa, such as low self-esteem, difficulties in forming healthy relationships, and a generalized mistrust of others. These early adverse experiences may result in defensive mechanisms like blame-shifting, as well as difficulty in managing negative emotions, contributing to his depressive symptoms and interpersonal challenges in adulthood .

Balaa's perception of success includes owning a six-figure job, a mansion, a beautiful wife, and a son by age 30. These unrealistic standards contribute to his anxiety and depression, as he feels he has not achieved anything significant by this age. The pressure to meet these high expectations exacerbates his feelings of failure and dissatisfaction with his life .

Balaa's socioeconomic background, marked by poverty and financial instability, compounds his psychological issues by limiting his opportunities and exacerbating his anxiety about future success. His current financial struggles, including debts and job dissatisfaction, reinforce his sense of inadequacy and helplessness, contributing to his overall psychological distress .

Balaa's interactions with authority figures have largely been negative, involving teachers who he believes were unfair, a disapproving boss, and an unsupportive father. These interactions have contributed to his low self-esteem, feelings of victimization, and distrust towards authority, reinforcing a worldview in which he is perpetually oppressed and misunderstood .

Balaa may be experiencing cognitive distortions such as all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralization, and personalization. He views his life in absolute terms of success and failures, assumes that every misfortune is a result of others' actions, and internalizes feelings of inadequacy by comparing himself unfavorably to unrealistic standards .

Balaa's suicide attempt is likely influenced by several psychological issues, including episodes of depression, low self-esteem, feelings of social awkwardness, and inadequacy. His perception of being misunderstood and treated unfairly in personal and professional relationships also contributes to his despair. The combination of unresolved familial conflicts and unrealistic expectations of success further exacerbates his mental distress .

Cultural beliefs in spirituality and witchcraft, evident from his mother's suggestion to see a spiritual healer, may influence Balaa's attribution of personal misfortunes to external, supernatural forces. Family expectations for achievement and resilience in the face of adversity add pressure and affect his coping strategies, leading to a reliance on external attributions and spiritual explanations rather than developing internal resilience .

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