Discussion: Applying Differential Diagnosis to Depressive and Bipolar Disorders
Based on past psychiatric history and her behaviors in the past six months, Alex is experiencing bipolar disorders. According to the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, bipolar disorder entails multiple brain disorders that cause extreme fluctuation in an individual’s energy, ability to function, and mood (Morrison, 2014). Therefore, the case of Alex is a typical example of a Bipolar I disorder that entails a manic-depressive disorder that often exists either with or without the psychotic disorders. The bipolar has an ICD-10-CM code of F31.3 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The specifiers in the bipolar I disorder are bipolar affective disorder, current episode mild or moderate depression. Based on the case of Alex, the severity of the condition is mild and needs a restrained medical intervention.
In reaching the diagnosis of the condition as bipolar I disorder with mild or moderate depression, I considered the past behaviors of Alex, coupled with her behavior in the past six months. In these past six months, Alex exhibited symptoms such as being extremely fatigued, easily irritated, insomnia, depressed, easily distracted, failure to do anything, and recurrent thought of worthlessness. These symptoms are mostly the symptoms of the depressive side of the bipolar disorder that always leads to a lack of interest in life, just like in the case of Alex (Morrison, 2014). On the other note, the Young Mania Scale compounded by Structured Clinical Interview could prove vital in the condition’s assessment and the diagnosis, respectively.
The treatment and the treatment plan of the bipolar disorder entail the applications of medications and essential therapies. In using therapies, interventions such as relying on support groups, family therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapies are vital interventions in the treatment plans (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). In medications, the use of anticonvulsant and antipsychotics is essential to stabilizing the mood of Alex. In extreme instances, palliative care is recommended, and any referral for psychotropic treatments would be inevitable if therapeutic interventions do not work effectively.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Arlington: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Morrison, J. (2014). DSM-5 made easy: The clinician’s guide to diagnosis. Guilford Publications.