Personal disorders can develop out of a sudden and become the cause of numerous unpleasant issues for a person and his/her family. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the disease and provide a main diagnosis and differential diagnoses, appropriate the necessary tests. All the above mentioned is needed to provide a treatment plan for a patient. Elizabeth, from the case scenario, with a high level of certainty, suffers from depression. The symptoms (isolating at home and feeling depressed) are generally attributed to this disorder.
The two differential diagnoses in Elizabeth’s case include avoidant personality disorder and bipolar disorder. People with avoidant personality disorder avoid social situations due to fear of rejection and being judged by others (Lerner et al., 2020). Thus, it is of major importance to realize the exact original problems that caused the development of a “constantly depressed” feeling. It is crucial to understand whether anxiety and overworking might have caused mood disorders. X-rays and blood tests are beneficial in this case, as sometimes physical illnesses may stay behind the rapidly changing mood and overall state. Then psychiatrists and psychologists are to examine Elizabeth using various techniques and tests in order to assess the functioning of their personality in various spheres of life, such as family, work, etc.
Many mood and personality disorders are very hard to cure without eliminating the original negative factor that started the entire process. Thus, the most important part of a treatment plan should include constant conversations with psychologists and psychiatrists who can eventually find the original trigger. Nevertheless, it is impossible to wait and rely solely on this option. Therefore, Elizabeth should be taught new thinking and behavior patterns that can help her overcome the inner struggle before the disorder becomes constant.
References
Lerner, E., Teitelbaum, J., & Meehan, K. B. (2020). Avoidant personality disorder. In Zeigler-Hill V., & Shackelford T.K. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences (pp. 351–358). Springer. Web.