Introduction
Acknowledging the psyche is a difficult task in and of itself. In most cases, professionals determine psychological diagnosis by collecting and examining the records of a patients’ symptoms history. When you combine mental diseases, chemical imbalances, and other factors, you have a riddle that many people want to solve. This work seeks to comprehend the strange actions of an individual with mental problems by relating them to the many diagnostic criteria, cultural and social consequences, and paradigms employed in the instance of Disco Di. The audience should comprehend what Disco Di was identified with, the therapies she attended, her narrative, and the circumstances in her life that led to her being treated.
I agree with the diagnosis given to Disco Di because the symptoms described matches the diagnosis mentioned. However, there seems to be another possible diagnosis for Diana. The patient was admitted to the hospital after drinking fatal doses of diazepam and liquor during a suicide attempt. On all counts, the therapist’s judgment is proper. Diana displayed the usual symptoms of both BPD and MDD. Her MDD appeared considerably sooner than her BPD, joint in psychiatric diseases. In truth, her BPD was most likely the outcome of the start of her long-term MDD, which was caused by her sister’s death while she was 11 years old. Irritability, weight loss or increase, lethargy, suicidal thoughts, withdrawal from regular daily activities, restlessness, agitation, and negative thinking are the most common symptoms of MDD (Chichi et al., 2015). In most situations, psychological problems exhibit symptoms that are similar to one another. This was likewise true of Diana’s situation. The more unique and severe symptoms, on the other hand, were most likely caused by her BPD. Diana also displayed BPD characteristics, such as excessive emotional outbursts, unstable relationships, and impulsive conduct (Yang et al., 2019). Diana, in particular, expressed feeling bored, alienated, and nervous on multiple occasions. She could not develop a stable and healthy relationship, as seen by her frequent partner changes and reliance on her dog. Diana was also impetuous, engaging in risky and careless behaviours such as drunkenness and promiscuity.
Diana also had Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and agoraphobia. The patient’s fixation with calories and food placement on the plate was a strong indicator of impending or increasing OCD. Whenever Diana walked out of their compound, her panic episodes were also agoraphobic symptoms. Other symptoms such as Diana’s hostility, unwelcome thoughts, irregular heartbeat, and sweaty hands are typical in most diseases. Throughout her Disco Di studies, she was mainly focused on ensuring that various items were ordered and placed in a specific order, to the point that she would have tantrums to the point where dishes were shattered, and she had to be detained by her dad. A person with OCD experiences recurring unpleasant ideas and even desires and compulsions of repeating thinking and behaviour (Hirschtritt & Kroenke, 2017).
Similarly, Disco Di felt the want to eat a particular number of calories and have her meal satisfied in the manner described above. Along with all of this, she repeats terrible habits such as bingeing on food and then immediately collapsing to go on a diet. Post-Terrible Stress Condition (PTSD), which arises after a traumatic incident, seems to be another syndrome that the doctor failed to identify Disco Di. In Disco Di’s instance, her sister died when she was 11 years old. This is when her lack of interest, usage of hallucinogens, and alienation from others (Poudel & Gautam, 2017) began since she could not find friends and maintain a healthy connection with her dog.
Factors of Culture
The cause of psychological diseases are numerous and ambiguous. However, scientists have identified several risk factors that are likely to result in psychiatric problems. For example, culture has significantly impacted various illnesses’ formation, dissemination, and management. Cross-cultural research has aided in determining the degree to which participants’ cultures may influence the occurrence of a mental condition. According to Rekhi and Lee (2018), culture has a pathologic, polarization, encoded proteins, path-facilitative, and path-reactive impact on psychological diseases. Patho-elaborating effects, for example, tend to amplify behavioural responses by reinforcing cultural features. In their study, Ireland, for example, had a greater rate of people with schizophrenia than New Guinea. Rekhi and Lee argue that some psychological behaviours are unique to specific cultures while being entirely ignored in others.
Gender Variables
Gender is said to play a part in shaping or trying to form psychological disorders. Women and men have physiological differences. To be more specific, each produces distinct hormones that are claimed to influence cognitive and behavioural features. The regular fluctuations in hormones at various phases of life or cycles impact women’s behaviour, emotions, and even mental processing. According to Luyten and Fonagy (2016), these hormones are responsible for social stresses, stress response, reduced self-esteem, and other mood swings. If women do not appropriately manage these changes, a psychiatric condition may develop. This is also why women are significantly more likely than males to suffer stress.
Factors of Environment
Environmental and cultural variables can also play a role in developing psychiatric diseases. The incidence of these illnesses is also influenced by family genes and stressful life experiences (Yang et al., 2019). Diana, in our example, lost her sister while she was 11 years old. Diana was close to her sister, and the absence of her confidante made it difficult for her to build meaningful connections with other females. Diana engaged in unstable love relationships in an attempt to satisfy her loneliness.
Treatment Methodologies
The treatment of mental illnesses has developed over time. The therapy of MDD, formerly known as despondency in the twentieth century, has seen considerable advances in recent decades. For example, opiates and a litre of water were commonly used to cure depression. The opium was given to the patients on a daily basis for three weeks. Opium dosages were gradually raised and lowered until the medication was withdrawn (King & Johnson, 2018). However, advances in medicine and a better knowledge of human psychology have introduced various more effective therapy procedures that produce more positive effects. For example, therapists use re-uptake regulators and inhibitors in conjunction with psychotherapy to treat psychological issues. The emphasis is mainly on supportive treatment rather than medications, which are only provided in certain circumstances.
On the other hand, there seems to be no overarching therapy for the condition. Instead, clinicians address the situation with a blended schema of many therapeutic approaches. Such techniques entail developing reliable connections with patients and training in emotional management abilities. Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) and pharmaceutical therapies are two more therapeutic options that can assist alleviate the symptoms of atypical behaviour.
MDD and BPD were identified in Disco Di. If she had just been diagnosed with MDD, the optimal treatment would be antidepressant therapy; however, psychotherapy may be helpful because she has been diagnosed with both. Psychotherapy can benefit people with BPD, and it can also help anyone with symptoms of depression who are suffering from MDD. It compels the sufferer to speak up and reflect on their feelings. Disco Di can benefit from psychotherapy, specifically behavioural cognitive therapy, which can help her manage her thoughts as they are reflected in her behaviour, manage anguish, learn skills to cope with powerful emotions, and open her mind to understand better her behaviours and why she thinks the way she does.
Conclusion
A definitive diagnosis of a psychiatric condition might be difficult. Many of these diseases, as mentioned above, have symptoms and behaviours that overlap. To prevent misdiagnosing a patient, practitioners should establish an accurate diagnosis. Once an appropriate diagnosis is obtained, therapists may begin developing appropriate treatment programs to ensure the patient progressively regains some feeling of normalcy in their life. Psychological disorders are diagnosed and treated by clinical psychologists. The history of psychological disorders helps clinicians settle for the best judgment with a patient. A diagnosis based on one incident might be wrong because all symptoms do not appear. Repeated psychological impairments are the key to determining the best diagnosis for a patient. Also, psychological disorders overlap whereby one patient might display several conditions; hence, clinicians should be keen to observe and follow patients’ history.
References
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