DSM-5 Diagnosis for Depressive Disorder: The Case of Mrs. X

The midterm paper is primarily based on the DSM 5 for making a diagnosis. Please answer the following questions in a written essay based on the case history of Ms. X that follows the questions. Number the questions in the essay and answer each one in succession. Limit the overall essay to about six and one-half pages (not counting name, date etc). Include a reference page and include the assigned readings (e.g., The DSM 5, G.E. Vaillant, and Judith Herman). The midterm is meant to assess your understanding for the DSM 5 and Herman.
Papers must be double-spaced throughout and follow APA style for citations. Number the pages and follow the page limit for each question below. Plagiarism and lazy writing are never acceptable. Lazy writing is lifting lengthy direct quotes from author(s) with proper citation.
QUESTIONS (based on the clinical case report of Mrs. X that follows)
1. Briefly present a diagnosis for Mrs. X based on the DSM 5. Justify your DSM 5 diagnosis specifying symptoms presented. Should any specifiers be included? Expanding further on diagnoses, do you think that Mrs. X experiences depressive symptoms or dissociative symptoms? If yes, what is your rationale for your choice of depressive vs dissociative diagnoses given these symptoms based on the DSM 5? (at least one page)
2. Based on Vaillant’s definitions, what defenses does Mrs. X use? (See article by Vaillant on “A Matter of Definition (of Defenses” and Vailllant’s “Glossary of Defenses”). Which primary defense should a therapist focus on in treatment? (Hint: It should be an immature defense). Also, defenses often defend against a primary feeling or an affect such as sadness, fear, anger, joy, excitement, or disgust. What primary affect is Mrs. X defending against? Why? Who taught her that this specific feeling is not good? (at least one page)
3. What does Herman mean when she writes that therapists cannot be neutral in handling trauma with clients? According to Herman, should the therapist urge Mrs. X to disclose her abuse to others, or to the authorities? Why or why not? (at least a half a page to one page)
4. Herman describes the process of recovery in three stages: a) safety, b) remembrance and mourning, and c) reconnection. Where would you place Mrs. X in this process? Explain. (at least one page)
5. What treatment strategies might Judith Herman advocate for Ms X? What does Herman mean by saying the therapist is a witness and not a rescuer in therapy? What is the danger of being a rescuer? (at least one page)
6. According to Herman (See chapter 7) or Vaillant, what countertransference (or reactions to a client) issues might emerge for therapists working with Ms. X? Herman and Vaillant suggests that maladaptive responses (defenses) to trauma may be contagious. How might this observation apply to Ms. X? What does Judith Herman recommend in managing countertransference for therapists in treating trauma? (at least one page)
7. Herman maintains that “without the context of a political movement, it has never been possible to advance the study of psychological trauma.” (page 32) Explain by giving an example from the readings. According to Herman, do therapists need the support of a political or social just justice movement in treating trauma? (at least one page)
Readings:
• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (Fifth Edition) (DSM -5). Washington, DC: Author. Dissociative Disorders 291-308.
• Herman, Judith, (1992). Trauma and recovery. New York: Basic Books.
Chapters 7-10; pages 133-213.
• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (Fifth Edition) (DSM -5). Washington, DC: Author. Dissociative Disorders 291-308.
• Herman, Judith, (1992). Trauma and recovery. New York: Basic Books.
Chapters 7-10; pages 133-213.