Psychological Disorder Analysis: 42-Year-Old Hispanic Women

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Psychological Disorder Analysis Greg Bradford PSY/270 5-27-2012 This is an analysis on a 42-year-old Hispanic female named Marla with symptoms of having trouble sleeping, feelings of anxiousness or jumpiness, and an inability to concentrate. Marla is showing signs that she is suffering from a dysthymic disorder. If she was a child, ADHD would have been another possibility, but at her age and the onset of symptoms as they are, Marla is developing a dysthymic disorder. However, I would like to follow up with a line of questions for Marla to answer. These questions will help better understand Marla’s affliction or disorder. Along with the symptoms that she revealed to initial clinician, I would want to ask…show more content…
A patient that is categorized with anxious dysthymia would have symptoms of low self-esteem, undirected restlessness, and have issues with interpersonal rejection sensitivity (Langenfeld, 2012). Anxious dysthymia patients are more likely to seeking help for their condition and are less likely to attempt suicide (Langenfeld, 2012). They also tend to respond better to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The anergic dysthymia patients tend to have lower energy, hypersomnia, and anhedonia (Langenfeld, 2012). Anergic dysthymia patients respond better to treatment with agent that increase norepinephrine or dopamine (Langenfeld, 2012). The behaviors of a patient should help to guide a diagnosis of dysthymia into one of these two…show more content…
By using a client-centered therapy a therapist could help a patient realize their true potential and that they are not worthless. Bringing a person with dysthymic disorder to a self-actualization of who they are would give them the confidence and structure that they need. Sure a psychodynamic approach might help someone deal with an issue from their past, a humanistic approach would help someone deal with what is happening in their life right now. A combination of the two approaches would prove to be beneficial to any dysthymic patient along with medications that can target certain symptoms. In Marla’s case, we know that she is having trouble sleeping at night and feeling jumpy all of the time along with an inability to concentrate. Medicines can be used to help her with her sleeplessness and anxiety, but therapy would help her to find out why she is not able to concentrate. Once she has established the root of her problem, which may be found through a psychodynamic approach, she can then use a humanistic approach and figure out what is best for her personally. She seems to have figured out that she needs help and has the strength to seek out help as an anxious dysthymic person would do; this gives much promise to how well she will react to therapy and

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