Since she was a teen, Vee has engaged in non-suicidal self-injury, notably slashing her arms and legs. Vee admits that she can “get lost” during conversations or at work when she is worried. She reports a long-standing habit of switching her interests and, sometimes, her career, depending on who is in her societal circle. She feels her spouse is the finest thing that has happened to her at times and spontaneously purchases him expensive presents. However, sometimes, she cannot tolerate him and would either disregard him or strike out at him, shouting or tossing things. She recounts experiencing sorrow and dread at the prospect of him abandoning her immediately after doing so.
It would be reasonable to claim that in Vee’s case, the diagnosis is bipolar disorder. This disorder is characterized by mood swings that are different from the usual ones. Depressive, manic and mixed states replace each other; sometimes, asymptomatic periods or phases can be observed when symptoms are mild (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). In the manic stage, the mood is either too good or agitated. In the phase of depression, the patient often experiences feelings of guilt and worthlessness. These primary features are apparently present in Vee’s anamnesis, which confirms bipolar disorder. A differential diagnosis might be a Major Depressive Disorder, given that a patient’s mental state may also express hypomanic or manic symptoms.
At this point, it seems reasonable to specify Vee’s diagnosis and define its affiliation. Vee is likely to be affected by Bipolar I Disorder, given that the following criteria are met for the manic episodes. First, a distinct duration of excessively high, expansive, or irritated mood lasts at least one week and is present for most of the day (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 124). Second, during altered mood and enhanced energy or activities, Vee is more chatty than usual, has a lot of thoughts, and is easily distracted. Third, the mood disorder is severe enough to limit societal or occupational performance significantly. Fourth, the incident is not caused by a substance’s health consequences. In order to provide specifications on the mentioned diagnosis, it is essential to put Vee in a clinic to supervise the manifestations of the symptoms on a daily basis (World Health Organization, 2016). Preliminary, it might be assumed that Vee has Bipolar I Disorder – manic episodes with mixed features.
Bipolar disorder is usually treated with mood-stabilizing drugs called second-generation antipsychotics. One can also use medications to relieve anxiety and insomnia and antidepressants during the depressive phase (Durand, Barlow, & Hofmann, 2018). Finding the right medications for bipolar disorder can take some time, but the right medications effectively prevent and alleviate the depressive and manic stages. It may be necessary to change the drugs and their doses several times before the necessary ones are determined. Sometimes a combination of several drugs is the best option.
In bipolar disorder, drug therapy may continue for several years in the form of so-called maintenance treatment. Long-term drug therapy is not necessary unless the symptoms are severe and the person with bipolar disorder is able to control them reasonably well (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The second treatment option is prophylactic treatment in cases where the patient has learned to recognize the approach of the manic phase. One should learn to recognize the symptoms that portend various periods of the disease. In this case, the feeling of control increases, and even with the disorder, one can live a normal life. To avoid the occurrence of painful stages, it is important to avoid excessive stress and insomnia.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). New York, NY: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Durand, V., Barlow, D., & Hofmann, S. (2018). Essentials of abnormal psychology (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
World Health Organization. (2016). ICD-10.