Psychological Disorder Analysis
Lori Clippard
PSY 270
August 10, 2014
Dr. Kindall
Psychological Disorder Analysis
Diagnosing psychological disorders can be a lengthy process. Treating psychological disorders can also be a lengthy regimen of psychotherapy and psychotropic drug therapy. Initially, frequent adjustment of medication dosages to achieve a therapeutic level may be necessary. Many people have difficulty seeking adequate treatment because they lack financial resources such as health insurance. Some people fail to receive adequate treatment when they become frustrated with the lengthy process of diagnosis and treatment and give up.
Marla is a 42-year-old Hispanic female presenting with symptoms that include trouble sleeping, feeling "jumpy", and the inability to concentrate. She is employed as an accountant and her duties at work are affected by her lack of concentration. Marla’s symptoms are indicative of several psychological disorders so it is important to complete a thorough history and assessment before a diagnosis can be made. A complete examination was conducted by her primary care physician and no evidence of a medical condition causing Marla’s symptoms existed; she was referred for a psychological evaluation.
During the psychological evaluation, it was determined that Marla has some symptoms associated with Dysthymic Disorder. She is successfully employed, but seemingly sad. Additionally, she has been dealing with these episodes throughout adulthood; however, because the depression is sporadic, she did not think of it as an illness. She faced some significant childhood difficulties that included bullying from her peers because she was a popular child and a good student. She was an only child parented by an extremely over-protective mother and stepfather and a somewhat absent father. Some over-protective parents are labeled “helicopter” parents; these parents prevent their children from experiencing and coping with failure because they are always there to ensure their child does not fail at anything. In some instances, this type of parenting causes one to suffer from low self-esteem because they believe they cannot be successful at anything without parental involvement. Even though Marla had an over-protective mother, she still endured some verbal abuse, and she had difficulty coping with the feeling of alienation by her father. There was parenting conflict between her mother and father because one parent was extremely over-protective and the other parent was not. Marla always felt like she was the reason for her parent’s conflict.
She was also exposed to substance abuse when she began dating at age fifteen. Additionally, she lost her virginity at age fifteen. Despite these issues, Marla was a successful high school student; she was a cheerleader, and received numerous scholarships for college. Marla entered college, moved into a dorm, and joined a sorority; she also continued her cheerleading career, and worked part-time. When Marla went to college, she became lost because she did not have her mother there to ensure that she was successful. Marla was excused from cheerleading because she missed practices; she also failed a couple of courses and had to re-take them. Her self-esteem began to plummet, and she became a somewhat promiscuous partier. Her three-year relationship had gone through a few estranged periods.
Because of the failed classes, Marla was not on track to meet her original graduation goals and had to set new ones. She struggled with depressive episodes throughout her college career; but, eventually Marla did complete college and gain employment as an accountant. Thinking this would bring an end to her depressive episodes, Marla is surprised to find that they have continued to occur throughout her adult life. She sought advice from her primary care physician who did a physical workup on her and found nothing to indicate a physical illness. Marla is now