| Purpose: | Analyze and apply critical thinking skills in the psychopathology of mental health patients and provide treatment and health promotion while applying evidence-based research. |
| Scenario: | Jax is a 66-year-old Caucasian female whose wife has encouraged her to seek treatment. She has never been in therapy before, and has no history of depression or anxiety. However, her alcohol use has recently been getting in the way of her marriage, and interfering with her newly-retired life. She describes drinking increasing amounts over the last year, currently consuming approximately a six-pack of beer per day. She notes that this amount “doesn’t give me the same buzz as it used to.” She denies ever experiencing “the shakes” or any other withdrawal symptoms if she skips a day of drinking.
Jax comments that her wife is her biggest motivation to decrease her alcohol use. She tells Jax that she gets argumentative and irritable when she drinks, though she does not always remember these incidents. She has also fallen while intoxicated twice, causing bruises both times and hitting her head on one of the occasions. |
| Questions: | Remember to answer these questions from your textbooks and NP guidelines. At all times, explain your answers.
1. Describe the presenting problems/issues. Is there any information that was not provided that you would need to formulate a diagnosis? 2. Generate a primary and differential diagnosis using the DSM5 and ICD 10 codes. 3. What physiological and psychological processes lead to substance dependence? |
Submission Instructions:
- Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Your initial post is worth 8 points.
- You should respond to at least two of your peers by extending, refuting/correcting, or adding additional nuance to their posts. Your reply posts are worth 2 points (1 point per response.)
- All replies must be constructive and use literature where possible.
- Please post your initial response by 11:59 PM ET Thursday, and comment on the posts of two classmates by 11:59 PM ET Sunday.
Answer preview
Due to her intoxication, she is becoming a danger to others and herself as it affects her health as she is no longer conscious enough to function properly. There are already evident incidents of falls that caused bruising and head injuries. She also demonstrates levels of intoxication as sometimes she loses memory equilibrium, and she experiences blackouts. In making a diagnosis for Jax, several factors need to be considered as the client denies withdrawal symptoms and can skip a day without alcohol without any adverse effects. However, her spouse must confirm such information to affect the treatment procedure.
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