Personal background and diverse life experiences through which people undergo especially during their childhood have a high effect on the future and psychological growth. Denise had a terrible childhood that was characterized by physical, emotional and sexual abuse at a young age. This affected every decision she made as a grown up whether in her workplace, socially and in her relationships. Her family background was characterized by marital problems as her father abused her mother physically which led to her depression. The presence of a sexually abusive uncle also limited her role models of adults as she believed that abuse is the manner of life. She lacked an adult to guide her life, share her issues with as her depressed mother could not assist leading to her wanting adult life. With these stresses, Denise believed that women are subject to abuse both sexually and physically which explains her unsuccessful relationships. Her choice of men was also limited to the kind of men in her childhood including her father and uncle thus limiting any happy relations. Her resultant drug use and promiscuity can be described as a psychological effect of her childhood thus the need for psychological assistance to help her out of this situation.
There are several symptoms indicated in Denise, which are in line with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (First & Tasman, 2011). Denise has shown impairment in social communication and the manner in which she interacts with her colleagues and partners in relations. This severity in her relations can be traced from the manner in which she was treated as a child having a physically and emotionally abusive father while her uncle abused her sexually. Her alcoholic father introduced her to the drugs world in which she believed she would acquire solace. This affected her social skills as she had issues being a public relations officer. It also affected her relations with her partners as she was abusive and high tempered. She also bears symptoms of repetitive patterns of behavior which included promiscuity, alcohol abuse, and drug use. Repetitive behavior is an indication of sensory responses which forms in the patient's minds giving them the intuition that repeating such actions would lead to solace.
Diagnosing Denise would use the DSM-5 would include identifying her needs as a young lady and how these needs affect her life. This introduces dimensional elements that indicate the effect of one's conditions to their emotional and physical wellbeing. It also measures to what extent their social life has been affected by the condition. According to Black, Grant & American Psychiatric Association (2014), inflicting her body with pain through cuts, promiscuity and use of hard drugs can be described as ways through which Denise believes would limit the pain inflicted in her childhood and by her abusive partners. The fact that her relationships are not successful is also an explanation of her resultant repetitive behavior that she was subjected to as a child.
There are also other diagnoses that can be done for Denise, which are not related to DSM-5. Her abusive relationships can be linked to the men she is involved with and their behaviors. Inflicting pain on her body through cuts can be a result of her continued drug use that affects her mentally. This diagnosis can be classified as an Autism Spectrum Disorder, which among other behaviors includes antisocial behaviors and deficits in maintain relations (Black, Grant & American Psychiatric Association, 2014). According to DSM-5, ASD can be classified as one category of this disorder although it does not cover all aspects related to it including drug use and her promiscuous nature.
According to First & Tasman (2011), treatment plan for any DSM-5 patient would highly rely on psychological treatment based on the level of mental illness suffered by the patient. Denise mentality has been affected since her childhood that indicates the longevity of the period. It requires advanced psychological sessions through which the psychiatric determines the level of harm done. The initial stage would involve creating a friendly environment for Denise which would reduce her resentment towards people. It is also essential to draw facts of successful relationships and happy families to indicate that not all people are abusive. Changing her drug use and reliance on pain infliction to acquire relief would be another stage that can be achieved by involving her in diverse projects thus limiting her idle time. Family reconciliation especially with her mother involved would be of great help as it relives her childhood memories.
Her social life that is surrounded by hurtful relations and abusive men especially those whom she had relations with might complicate the success of this treatment plan. The fact that her mother has also been depressed would also limit her usefulness in ensuring Denise recovers as she also requires professional help. Her social environment that includes friends, relatives and colleagues could also cause a challenge to the treatment of these people are also involved in drug taking, alcoholism and promiscuity making it complicated to break these ties. The outcome of Denise diagnosis and treatment would be translated to involve long durations and even lifetime methods of prevention to ensure she does not retract back to the habits indicated. Her prognosis would be positive if all the treatment plans are followed effectively, and a change of livelihood, and social relations advised.
References
Black, D. W., Grant, J. E., & American Psychiatric Association. (2014). DSM-5 guidebook: The essential companion to the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fifth edition.
First, M. B., & Tasman, A. (2011). Clinical Guide to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Disorders. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.
