Relational Disorder Case Study

3064 Words13 Pages
Part One Name: Harry Lahori Date of Birth: 02/06/89 Date of Assessment: 03/30/14 PRESENTING PROBLEM: Harry L. is a 25-year-old male of Pakistani descent. Harry is a medical student at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)). Harry visited the UMDNJ Counseling Center seeking help for his current drug and alcohol abuse. Harry reports that his substance abuse began when he was deployed in Iraq as a result of the influence of the other soldiers. He reported that the abuse was compounded when his girlfriend of two years called him and told him that she had cheated on him and had a new boyfriend. Upon his return to the States, Harry reported that his family refused to speak to him as they considered him a traitor for…show more content…
This disorder is defined as “persistent and painful patterns of feelings, behavior and perceptions involving two or more partners in an important personal relationship.” This disorder is usually found among parents and children. Relational Disorder is a psychological disorder between two or more individuals, and involves a pathological problem in the way they relate to one another. This means that the problem of the relationship is not caused by any one person in the relationship, rather there is a problem with the relationship itself. According to the DSM definition, relational disorder does not have a mind but it can still exhibit psychological characteristics. Often, these characteristics exist in the relationship but do not exist in the individuals who make up the relationship. Therefore, a relational disorder is looked upon in the same manner as an individual psychological disorder that presents with behavioral and emotional symptoms. These pathological symptoms disrupt the lives of the individuals involved in the relationship and lead to the destruction of the…show more content…
The preceding sessions focused on getting Harry to minimize his alcohol and substance use and to reach out to his parents with the goal of reconciliation. Harry confided in me that he was ready to quit and he needed my help but was willing to try anything in order to succeed. Our previous sessions also focused on Harry discussing why he felt the need to abuse substances and alcohol and how he hoped to be able to conquer it because he knew he needed to kick the habit in order to succeed in school and to be a productive member of

More about Relational Disorder Case Study

Open Document