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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Case Study

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I would diagnose Maria with bipolar II disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Maria has experienced at least one major depressive episode and at least one episode of hypomania (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). A person who suffers from a major depressive episode must either have a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities consistently for at least a 2-week period. This mood must represent a change from the person’s normal mood; social, occupational, educational or other important functioning must also be negatively impaired by the change in mood. A major depressive episode is also characterized by the presence of symptoms such as: depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day, recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Maria reports often “returning to a suffocating place of despair” and admits to having had suicidal ideations. …show more content…

This hypomanic mood is clearly different from the person’s usual mood (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). A hypomanic episode is associated with a change in functioning that is uncharacteristic of the person. For example, Maria states that she has had a few periods where she has actually felt euphoric, energized and elated with life. This change in functioning and in mood is not subtle, the change is directly noticeable by others (usually friends or family members) during a hypomanic episode (American Psychiatric Association,

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