Question

Chapter 18. Personality Disorders

Case Study

Cecelia Walker is a 24-year-old Caucasian woman who appears pale with dark circles under her eyes. She is clean, with her hair neatly arranged, and wearing clothing that appears shabby and too big for her. She has an elastic bandage on her left arm. She has been referred to the mental health clinic by her primary care physician because of symptoms of anxiety and worrying that have not responded to antidepressant medications. When asked what has brought her to the clinic, she says that she can’t sleep. On questioning, she says that she has no health problems but then says that some days she does not have enough energy to do the cooking, cleaning, and laundry during the day and to do the bookkeeping for her husband’s business in the evening. She thinks she may have lost weight.

In response to further questioning, Cecelia says that her first husband was killed a year ago during military service. They had married as soon as she graduated from high school and she had moved away from her family, which had always been very protective of her, to the condo that her husband owned. He had been the one to make all the decisions and to pay the bills. When she had learned of his death, she had been overwhelmed with grief and terrified at the thought of taking care of herself and their 4-year-old son, Tommy. One of her husband’s friends, Jake, was helpful during the days following her husband’s death, and she had felt safe with him. After 6 months they were married, and at first she had felt cherished and cared for, but then things begin to change. Jake controls the finances and gives her very little money for groceries and none for herself. He does not allow her to visit her sister or any of her old friends. She says that she tries very hard to be a good wife so that he won’t get angry and leave her. When asked about her arm, she says that Jake had become very upset when he found her talking to her sister on the phone and had grabbed her by the arms and shaken her. She adds, “He said that I deserved it.” She lowers her head and adds, “But he cares for me. He bandaged it for me.” She sighs, “I will have to try harder to do what he wants so that he won’t get mad at me or Tommy.”

Choose one of the personality disorder cartoons and comment on any inaccuracy or any information that may have made the personality disorder clearer.

Explain why personality disorders are referred to as ego syntonic vs. ego dystonic, and how this relates to treatment.

What psychiatric diagnosis would you consider? Differential diagnosis of Cecelia and rationale

What are Cecelia’s biopsychosocial health problems?

Answer 1

Choose one of the personality disorder cartoons and comment on any inaccuracy or any information that may have made the personality disorder clearer.

The fact that the case study says the individual that Cecelia Walker married second time, he details about the second person is not clear. Therefore not able to determine full details of the personality disorder effects for the woman.

Explain why personality disorders are referred to as ego syntonic vs. ego dystonic, and how this relates to treatment.

Ego syntonic means to be in a space which is endless with one’s self idea. “Syn” is used in a portion of arguments and means “to be the similar”. Being is a syntonic ego space is a decent thing provided that the self-concept imitates realism. Ego dystonic means to be travailing from a mental health issue which is unpredictable with one’s self notion or personality state. As per the description it’s understood that Cecelia does not understand that the abuse she is going through is wrong. The dealing would be based on Ego syntonic treatment. In cognitive behavioral rehabilitation (CBT) which is recommended for the behavior of ego dystonic grievances, the therapist aids the client test their unhelpful sentiments moods and presentations and produce an extra lucid self-concept.

What psychiatric diagnosis would you consider? Differential diagnosis of Cecelia and rationale

ICDs and OCD have been abstracted to lie lengthways an unwary/obsessive range with disorders with high damage escaping like OCD located closer to the more obsessive end and those with little harm evasion like many ICDs located closer to the more thoughtless end.

What are Cecelia’s biopsychosocial health problems?

Receipt of the detail that stress is related to cardiovascular illness or to other health glitches has develop ordinary. However, investigation also divulges many give-and-take links amongst the central nervous scheme, which distinguishes and records knowledges; the endocrine scheme, which foodstuffs hormones that oversee many body purposes; and the immune scheme, which systematizes replies to contagions and other tests.