Somatoform Disorders Case Study

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DSM-IV Evaluation Melissa Matson PSY270 06/15/2012 Case Study 1 Diagnosis Josephine would be diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder. Josephine does not like to have contact with others and cannot gain any satisfaction from activities. Causes The psychodynamic perspective states that a person with schizoid personality disorder was either abused or were unaccepted by their parents when they were children(Comer, R. J., 2011). A person is unable to give or receive love. The cognitive perspective on schizoid personality disorder states that a person has deficiencies in their thinking. They are unable to accurately judge their surrounding and therefore unable to show emotion(Comer, R. J., 2011). Treatments Most people with schizoid…show more content…
J., 2011). The multicultural perspective on somatoform disorders states that the stressors in life or due to culture cannot be expressed properly and are than shown in physical ailments. There is a strong link between Latin cultures having more somatoform disorders because their culture may be more stressful than those of other cultures. A possible link in the biological perspective states that our bodies hormones change with stress. This stress can cause the body to have these ailments such as a placebo can help a person with the physical ailments(Comer, R. J., 2011). Treatments The potential treatment I feel will work the best for somatoform disorders would be insight, exposure, and drug therapy. Insight works to help the person with the somatoform disorder identify their behaviors and later change them. In the exposure part of treatment a person is exposed to the recent trauma that can cause such mental distress that causes physical illnesses. The hope is that the more the person is exposed to the trauma the less it will affect them(Comer, R. J., 2011). I personally do not think that exposer will help in severe cases of trauma. Drug therapy can work for those who show signs of depression. For Anissa, drug therapy might help with the feelings of depression.…show more content…
J., 2011). The behavioral perspective states it is through operant conditioning that a person gains dissociative disorder. The person lets their mind drift for a bit to relieve the stress and anxiety from a recent trauma. The person is reinforced with forgetting so it occurs more and sometimes severely later on. Treatments There are three major types of treatment that seem to be successful; psychodynamic therapy, drug therapy, and hypnotic therapy. Psychodynamic therapy focuses on bringing about repressed memories. This could be a long process which is perfect for the psychodynamic approach(Comer, R. J., 2011). Hypnosis is used to recall repressed memories as well. The person is put into a trance where they may be able to reach the furthest parts of their mind and find the missing memories. Drug therapy is used sometimes to help the person with dissociative disorder recall lost memories. Amytal and Pentothal are used to help the person relax enough to bring the memories to consciousness(Comer, R. J.,

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