Psychological Disorder Analysis Paper

There are many conditions that individuals suffer from, and are not aware of the symptoms to seek medical attention. Marla a 42 year old Hispanic female came to the mental health clinic complaining about several different symptoms she is experiencing. Marla is an accountant, and being able to properly function every day is critical for her career and personal life, however, the symptoms are causing problems for her at work, and seeking advice is her focus, for a healthier lifestyle.Psychological Disorder Analysis Paper

In order for proper diagnosis and treatment options to be available for Marla, a clinical assessment must be established, in which, a series of questions will be asked, about her childhood, past experiences, and present environment. Marla has stated she is feeling “jumpy all of the time”, has trouble sleeping, and experiencing an inability to concentrate. Her lifestyle has taken a turn, in which she is seeking help for. I wanted to focus on her childhood, or past experiences she had. I asked Marla; explain to me your home environment, based on her earliest memory?

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According to Marla, she was raised in a single family home, and her mother was verbally abusive, she than added, when she turned 10 years old, she remembered her mother having several boyfriends over at night. Her mother never hugged, or kissed her as a child, and from what Marla could remember, she sadly stated she never heard the words “I love you” from her mother. Marla described her mother as being very cold, not caring, but always yelling at her about various different things, that Marla could not even understand.

Marla then mentioned there was a boyfriend in her mother’s life, but she couldn’t remember his face. The boyfriend, who also had a substance abuse problem, raped Marla saying “she owed money”. When Marla confronted her mother about the situation, her mother blamed everything on her. I then asked Marla, how did she cope with the sexual abuse, as well as her mother not believing her? Marla, explained, she learned to hide it from her friends, teachers, and mother, because she knew one day, she would be able to leave her home and make one of her own.Psychological Disorder Analysis Paper

Did you ever get help for what you have been through in your childhood? Marla began to cry, and stated “I actually have never thought, about it until now, but I hate even thinking about it” Do you communicate with you mother still? Marla became anxious and stated “I would never want to talk to her again in my life, she was never a mother, and especially a woman” Do you blame her for what happened? “I blame her, for not believing in her daughter, but allowed it to happen, and hated everything about me” Did you have any friends to talk to about what was going on?

Marla explained that she thought, she was not worthy enough to have friends, so she kept to herself. She never attended any social gatherings, and spent most of her childhood in her backyard, away from her “yelling mother” What lead you to choose your profession? Marla, explained, that math has always been her favorite subject, and right after high school she began working as a teller at a local bank, and was promoted to an account position. How often do you work? Marla, explained, her job is very demanding, works more than 50 hours a week, and results in her being only committed to the bank.

Are you happy being an accountant? Marla began to look around the room, fidgeting with her fingers, and stated “it keeps me busy from thinking about everything else, and a good paycheck so she never owes anyone money. I then asked: Do you have any close relationships with family or friends? She laughed, and began telling me, I was not listening, her life was full of nothing, and love is nonexistent to her, only money, hard work as an accountant, and a horrible childhood, in which, she feels better alone, and away from relationships.

The information provided by Marla, during the assessment, allows me to understand that her childhood experiences, centered on, lack of nurturing by her mother, extreme verbal abuse, and sexual abuse by a man in her mother’s life, in which she cannot remember. Marla, has never had any close relationships with any family, or friends, and denies even wanting to acknowledge her mother. Marla works extremely hard at work, giving more than 50 hours a week, and appears to spend all of her free time alone, at home.

She expressed, that she feels better when she is alone, and has learned to forget all occurrences in her childhood, until being asked. The critical information about her background will be extremely helpful for a proper diagnosis, of what Marla is experiencing. Marla has post traumatic disorder; it is known to happen when a traumatic event occurs in individuals’ life. The psycho dynamic model encompasses the very experience Marla described, in which, her “behavior is determined largely by underlying psychological forces of which she is not consciously aware” (Comer, 2012).Psychological Disorder Analysis Paper

Marla explained she was raped by an acquaintance of her mother, and after confronting her mother about the issue; she was scolded, and called a liar. The ego defense mechanism Marla developed is called, repression in which, she “avoids anxiety by simply not allowing painful or dangerous thoughts to become conscious” (Comer, 2011) she stated she spent “more time in the backyard, away from her mother and everyone else”. Her behavior is “determined by her past experiences” (2011) According to Comer (2011) “three central forces shape the personality, instinctual needs, rational thinking, and moral standards” (pg. 7) he also states “all of these forces, operate at the unconscious level, unavailable to immediate awareness” (2011). Marla explained she works extremely hard, and never has time for anything else, however, her inability to concentrate at work, can be described as an “effective working relationship, an acceptable compromise, has formed among the three forces.

The id, ego, and superego are in excessive conflict” (2011) in which Marla’s “behavior shows signs of dysfunction” (2011). According to Comer (2011) “severe problems in the relationship between children and their caregivers may lead to abnormal development” (pg. 0) Marla has expressed several times, her mother was rejecting, cold, and verbally abused her, at all times. The developmental stage of Marla, encompasses the changes that must occur during all three forces, the id, ego, and superego, if Marla was able to find help for what she was going through at home, her central forces would have successfully developed and moved on to the next challenge in life, however, because Marla repressed her childhood experiences, and compensated by over working, the development suffers.Psychological Disorder Analysis Paper

Post-traumatic stress disorder, is diagnosed if the individual harbors the traumatic event longer than a month, and the psychological impact of Marla being a rape victim, displays her pattern of sleepless nights, and anxiousness. The treatment options that are available for post-traumatic stress disorder are based on the psycho dynamic therapies. Guide therapies, allows the patient to “discover their underlying problems themselves” (2011) the therapists use different techniques, which include: free association, therapist interpretation, catharsis, and working through.

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Free association therapy will allow the patient to guide and lead each discussion, while the “therapist tells the patient to describe any thought, feeling, or image that comes to mind, even if it seems unimportant” (2011). Therapist interpretation, will “listen carefully as the patient talks, looking for clues, drawing tentative conclusions, and sharing interpretations when they think the patient is ready to hear them” (pg. 40, 2011). Catharsis therapy includes “a reliving of past repressed feelings, if they are to settle internal conflicts and overcome their problem” (2011).Psychological Disorder Analysis Paper

The working through therapy entails “the patient and therapist must examine the same issues over and over in the course of many sessions, each time with greater clarity, and usually takes years” (2011) Each of the given therapies that are recommended from the psycho dynamic mode, will help in the process of traumatic events. In order for personal growth or development “you must seek to uncover past traumas and the inner conflicts that have resulted from them” (2011).

The short-term psycho dynamic therapy explains, the patient chooses “a single problem, dynamic focus, to work on” (2011) during this therapy, the patient and therapist, will take the one problem, and relate any psycho dynamic issues that relate to it. The case of Marla, presented different symptoms she was experiencing. During her assessment I was able to gather her background information, which in turn aided in the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.Psychological Disorder Analysis Paper

Marla has experienced an unhealthy, unfortunate childhood, in which she uses her defense mechanism called repression. Her traumatic event of being raped was repressed as she grew into adulthood. Marla has formed her life, avoiding close relationships, unwanted emotional feelings, and spends numerous hours at work. Her symptoms included the inability to concentrate, having trouble sleeping, and feeling “jumpy all of the time”. These symptoms are causing problems for Marla at work, and are the reason why she came to the mental clinic.

The ten questions given to her during her assessment, allowed me to determine that post-traumatic stress disorder is what she is experiencing. The psycho dynamic model, was able to verify, the underlying causes, for her symptoms, and encourages her to seek guided therapy, such as: free association therapy, or working through therapy. Both forms of therapy will allow any individual who is diagnosed with PTSD; to identify the underlying cause, minimize one’s triggers, future treatment options, and effective copying skills that will aid.Psychological Disorder Analysis Paper