Description
Just a few comments before the essay:
First, remember that the relevant criteria for each of the anxiety disorders in Chapter 5 are listed in your textbook in the blue boxes labeled:
DSM TABLE 5.X Diagnostic Criteria for _______ (name of disorder)
These are the DSM criteria you will need for the essays.
Second, be very careful with the “Summary” section at the end of Chapter 5 because it lists disorders not associated with a DSM TABLE. If there is no DSM TABLE in the chapter, then you do not have to mention that disorder in your essay.
Lastly, the “Exploring Anxiety Disorders” section at the end of the chapter provides helpful clues to each disorder. However, the DSM tables provide the actual diagnoses, so use those TABLES to diagnose.
With that, here is the description of your client:
“Cliff has been suffering from excessive and uncontrollable worry almost every day for the past 15 years. His worry is not significant enough to cause noticeable physical symptoms such as heart pounding or sweating. Currently he worries about his financial situation, the health of his family, whether the traffic will be bad when he goes to work the next day, as well as a variety of other topics. This is in spite of the fact that he has a very good job, his family is in good health, and he leaves quite early in order to get to work on time. In other words, the things he worries about are normal and do not indicate an emergency or a crisis. The topics of his worry have changed a number of times over the last 15 years, but there always seems to be something that needs worry. Cliff is restless during the day, tired and fatigued most of the time, he can also be irritable, and he suffers from insomnia. His worrying has interfered with his job and his supervisor at work has given him poor performance evaluations. His relationships with his family have also suffered. They are just too exasperated with his chronic worries and complaints. His symptoms are not due to drug use, medications, or any medical condition.”
In your essay please answer only the following three questions:
What is Cliff’s diagnosis?
What symptoms lead you to choose that diagnosis? That is, what symptoms listed in the DSM boxes fit Cliff?
Why did you rule out (i.e. reject) the other 9 DSM anxiety disorders listed in the chapter as the diagnoses?
Here are some hints:
Diagnosis in DSM is very practical.
Just note the symptoms listed in each DSM Table and match them with Cliff’s symptoms (i.e. does Cliff have each required symptom or does he not have the symptom).
By the way, if a symptom is not listed in the above description of Cliff, then you assume Cliff does NOT have it.
Note that each DSM Table (except Panic Attack) lists diagnostic criteria under A, B, C. etc.
Let’s see how this works with Agoraphobia.
First, you would read about Cliff’s problems, then look at DSM TABLE.
In order for Cliff to be diagnosed with agoraphobia, he must have the symptoms listed under “A” through “I”
For the rule outs, please be specific. Please don’t say, “The symptoms of X didn’t fit”.
Please say EXACTLY what unique symptom(s) were not present that lead you to rule out each of the other disorders.
Each rule out should also have a “DSM TABLE” associated with it as well.
Please be aware that rule outs are an important part of the essay.
In a professional setting, any good intake summary will include rule outs as well as the diagnosis.
Spend some time getting them correct.
There is no need to cite references or include references at the end of your essay.
Please send an essay rather than a numbered list of answers.
Your essay should be 250-300 words and fit on ONE page (please use “word count” to make sure you have the right number of words).
Many people say that 300 words are not enough.
Actually, you can write this essay easily in 300 words.
You just have to condense and include only the important elements.
Sentences that are short & concise are what you need.
