Mental illness is a serious problem in the United States. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experiences mental illness in a given year. This means that mental illness touches all of us directly or indirectly. Jessie is one of the millions in the U.S. who suffers from mental illness. As the case study shows, mental illness can profoundly and negatively impact a person’s life. In Jessie’s case, her mental illness has led to self-harm, homicidal ideations, and many other problems. Because of cases like Jessie’s, it is important to understand mental illness and its effects. This paper will provide an overview of mental illness, with a focus on Jessie’s case. It will discuss the causes and symptoms of mental illness and its impact on the lives of those suffering from it.
Human service theory is an expansive and comprehensive discipline that seeks to understand the intricacies of the human experience. It comprises a variety of methodologies and points of view, all of which seek to better comprehend and explain human behavior (Atwood & Friedman, 2020). Counseling theories will be used to Jessie’s case to create a framework for understanding how and why Jessie changed. On the other hand counseling ideas are anchored in a variety of disciplines, including psychology, sociology, anthropology, and biology. In addition, they draw extensively on the subject of human development. In light of this, it will be easier to comprehend Jessie’s progress. The counseling theory provides a unique viewpoint that may be valuable for understanding and assisting Jessie in altering her behavior.
In general, counseling theories may be split into two major categories: psychodynamic theories and cognitive-behavioral theories. Psychodynamic theories concentrate on the importance of unconscious processes in affecting behavior (Painter & Scannapieco, 2021). They underline the need to comprehend Jessie’s history in order to comprehend her present. In contrast, cognitive-behavioral theories emphasize the influence of ideas and beliefs on Jessie’s life.
In response to the given case study, it is evident that Jessie presents with a number of issues that will require therapeutic intervention in order to address (Painter & Scannapieco, 2021). Given her history of self-harm, aggression, homicidal ideations, and sexual promiscuity, Jessie is likely struggling with several underlying mental health issues. As a result, there is a need to consider a variety of counseling and human services approaches that could be used to address her needs.
Another approach that could be used with Jessie is Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT). This approach focuses on helping individuals to identify and achieve their goals. This could be beneficial for Jessie as it would help her to focus on what she wants to achieve in therapy and develop a plan for how to get there (Juarascio et al., 2018). This could help her to feel more motivated and empowered in her recovery. A final approach that Jessie could use is Family Systems Therapy (FST). This approach focuses on helping families to understand and change their patterns of interaction. This could be beneficial for Jessie as she has a history of conflict with her mother. FST could help her understand her role in the family system and learn how to communicate better and interact with her mother.
Combining many of these strategies is the optimal way to work with Jessie. This is because Jessie presents with a number of complex issues that will require a multi-faceted approach. By using a combination of SFT and FST, Jessie will be able to work on her issues, as well as her family relationships. Combining these approaches would be most beneficial for Jessie as she presents several complex issues. SFT and FST would all provide her with the opportunity to work on her issues, as well as her family relationships. This would allow her to progress in her recovery and improve her mental health.
Additionally, Jessie has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Combined Type, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Given her history of trauma, Jessie likely has experienced significant disruptions in her sense of self and her ability to regulate her emotions. As a result, she may benefit from counseling that focuses on helping her to develop a stronger sense of self and to improve her emotional regulation skills (Painter & Scannapieco, 2021). In addition, given her history of engaging in risky behaviors, it is also essential to provide her with counseling that can help her to learn to make healthier choices and develop a stronger sense of self-protection.
Another counseling approach that could be helpful for Jessie is dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). This approach focuses on helping clients to develop a stronger sense of emotional regulation. Something may include assisting Jessie in identifying and managing her triggers, developing healthy coping skills, and learning how to effectively communicate her needs. DBT can also assist clients in developing a greater feeling of self-acceptance. Consecutively, it tends to be especially beneficial for Jessie in terms of helping her accept her past and establish a more positive self-image (Bianchini et al., 2019). Therapy should help Jessie feel better about herself, learn to control her emotions, and make better decisions for herself and her relationships.
By helping her to develop these skills, Jessie will be able to reduce her risk of engaging in harmful behaviors and will be able to live a more stable and fulfilling life. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) are two types of counseling that could help Jessie. Improving her ability to control her emotions is another way to help her develop a stronger sense of self. Lastly, she needs to figure out how to make better decisions in her relationships. CBT focuses on helping clients identify and challenge negative thoughts and beliefs contributing to their distress.
CBT can also help clients to develop new, more positive ways of thinking and behaving. The involvement in helping Jessie to develop a stronger sense of self-worth and to learn how to make healthier choices in her relationships would be achieved. DBT focuses on helping clients to develop a stronger sense of emotional regulation (Bianchini et al., 2019). The participation would help Jessie identify and manage her triggers, develop healthy coping skills, and learn how to communicate her needs effectively. DBT can also help clients to develop a stronger sense of self-acceptance. In particularly this is seen to be helpful for Jessie in helping her accept her history and develop a more positive view of herself. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one type of treatment that might be beneficial to Jessie (CBT). This method emphasizes on assisting clients in identifying and challenging harmful attitudes and beliefs that are contributing to their misery.
It may also entail assisting Jessie in identifying and challenging the notion that she is unworthy of love and compassion. Clients may even benefit from CBT by developing new, more positive ways of thinking and acting (Atwood & Friedman, 2020). It would mean helping Jessie feel better about herself and learn how to make better decisions in her relationships. This can help Jessie because she often has negative thoughts, which can make her act in dangerous ways. CBT helps her learn better ways to deal with her thoughts and feelings.
It is arguably advisable to note that each client is unique and will require a unique treatment plan. The above are two possible counseling approaches that could be helpful for anxiety. She would also benefit from weekly individual therapy sessions to help her process her trauma and learn how to cope with her PTSD, ADHD, and GAD. In therapy, Jessie may also work on developing a support system and learning healthy coping mechanisms. Additionally, it would be beneficial for Jessie to participate in a weekly group therapy session focused on PTSD. This would provide her with additional support and allow her to share her experiences with others who have been through similar situations.
In Jessie’s circumstance, there are a number of different courses of action that may be proposed. First and foremost, it is imperative that she participates in individual therapy sessions once a week. It intends to provide her with a secure environment in which to process what happened to her and acquire coping mechanisms for her PTSD, ADHD, and general anxiety disorder. During her time in therapy, Jessie may also concentrate on building a support system and mastering effective coping mechanisms. Additionally, it would be beneficial for her to participate in a PTSD-centered group therapy session once per week. This would not only offer her with further support but also provide her the opportunity to share her experiences with others who have had difficulties that are comparable to her own. In addition, Jessie may benefit from taking medication to assist in the management of her symptoms. It is important for her to address this matter with either her therapist or her doctor.
In conclusion, mental illness is a serious problem in the United States that affects millions of people. Jessie is one of those people who have a mental illness. Mental illness can profoundly and negatively affect a person’s life, as in Jessie’s case. Because of cases like Jessie’s, it is so required to understand mental illness and its effects. This paper has provided an overview of mental illness, with a focus on Jessie’s case. It has discussed the causes and symptoms of mental illness, as well as its impact on the lives of those who suffer from it. Additionally, several possible counseling and human services approaches have been discussed that could be used to help Jessie address her needs. By assisting Jessie in the development of these abilities, we will be able to lower the likelihood that she would engage in risky behaviors, so allowing her to have a life that is both more stable and more satisfying. In order to bring Jessie’s actions back under control, rapid involvement from a therapist is required. It would be most beneficial for her to get the structure, support, and prompt therapeutic intervention that she requires in an environment similar to that of a therapeutic group home.
References
Atwood, M. E., & Friedman, A. (2020). A systematic review of enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT‐E) for eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53(3), 311-330. Web.
Bianchini, V., Cofini, V., Curto, M., Lagrotteria, B., Manzi, A., Navari, S., Ortenzi, R., Paoletti, G., Pompili, E., Pompili, P. M., Silvestrini, C., & Nicolò, G. (2019). Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) for forensic psychiatric patients: An Italian pilot study. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 29(2), 122–130. Web.
Juarascio, A. S., Parker, M. N., Lagacey, M. A., & Godfrey, K. M. (2018). Just‐in‐time adaptive interventions: A novel approach for enhancing skill utilization and acquisition in cognitive behavioral therapy for eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 51(8), 826-830. Web.
Painter, K., & Scannapieco, M. (2021). Depressive disorders. Understanding the Mental Health Problems of Children and Adolescents, 64–88. Web.