Rationale (what did you see that supports the diagnosis?)
The client is a female (fifty-one years old) who says that she is concerned about the robbery in her house that happened three weeks ago. A strange man (perhaps, a burglar) broke into her house to rob it. He wanted to take only valuable things to sell them afterward. When the patient entered her house, she was shocked and scared because of what she saw. Fortunately, the stranger did not cause any harm to the woman. However, today she does not feel safe and always recalls the moment described above, which makes her nervous and stressed. Moreover, the woman does not feel brave anymore and cannot relax as she thinks that the same situation can happen again. All of the factors mentioned above meet the criteria for specific phobia.
Developmental Disorder(s): No diagnosis
Rationale (what did you see that supports the diagnosis?)
The client does not have any developmental disorders. Her parents would always make her complete all the homework perfectly, which says that this person was smart and was able to accomplish logical and theoretical tasks. Moreover, the client loved going to school when she was a child because she did well in all of her classes. Also, the woman has a good job that cannot be acquired by an individual with particular developmental disorders.
Personality Disorder(s): Paranoid Personality Disorder
Rationale (what did you see that supports the diagnosis?)
The client does not trust people who surround her as much as she did before the incident with a burglar in her house. She also has insomnia because of her permanent fear of facing the same situation again. Moreover, she could not go to work or leave the house as she was afraid that something could happen to it while she was gone. The client feels scared all the time and is always afraid that strangers can cause harm to her and her family. When a person is obsessed with a certain thought or has continuous fears about something, one is likely to have paranoid personality disorder.
Medical Disorder(s): No diagnosis
Rationale (what did you see that supports the diagnosis?)
Although the patient does not have any medical issues at the present moment, there are some interventions in her body. For instance, she underwent a medical operation to repair her tendon.
Client Strengths:
- The client is a very clever person because she has two higher education degrees (Bachelor’s and Master’s). She also loved going to school as all the disciplines were easy and interesting for the patient.
- The client has a strong marriage and supportive parents.
- The client said that she was a happy person until the incident with a burglar occurred in her dwelling. This meant that the person did not have many stresses and emotional issues before.
- The client is very ambitious and active as she has a good job. Moreover, the patient is a very independent person who can take care of herself in any life situation.
- The client is very intelligent and follows the basic rules of ethics at work. This quality was developed by her parents because they made her complete all the homework as well as she could. Therefore, she is a responsible person today.
Comments/Differential Diagnosis. (Did you consider any other possible diagnoses? Identify them here, and discuss your rationale for not selecting them. You can also use this section to discuss additional observations which helped you with your diagnostic decision making.
Although the main diagnoses are described above, it would be proper to consider other disorders contributed to the given case. The client does not sleep well because of her fears of facing the house robbery again. Moreover, the patient has continuous nightmares that remind her of that day when she met a burglar in her dwelling who wanted to steal all the valuable things. Therefore, insomnia is a possible diagnosis in the given situation (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Also, such diagnosis as schizophrenia can be considered in the given situation, which can be prevented by specific treatment.
Reference
American Psychiatric Association. (Ed.). (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5 (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing.