To complete each assignment, you will need to read the casestudy. Assume that the client described in each case study meetscriteria for a DSM-5 disorder. You will then consult the DSM-5criteria and write 1-2 detailed paragraphs in which you assign aprimary diagnosis for the client and justify that diagnosis. Inthis section you should reference EACH of the DSM-5 criteria forthe diagnosis you are assigning and provide evidence from the casestudy for or against the presence of that criterion. If you have noinformation for a particular criterion you should specify this. Forexample, if the DSM-5 criteria specify that the symptoms cannot beaccounted for by a medical condition and you have no evidence thatthe client has a medical condition that would explain theirsymptoms, you should state this. Next, write a paragraph in whichyou provide an example of at least one related diagnosis that youare ruling out based on the information you have. This is a processcalled “differential diagnosis.” As you know, the categoriesprovided in the DSM-5 do not represent “true” categories in nature,and often clients will often have symptoms in multiple categories.As a clinician, you need to rule out other categories orexplanations for the symptoms. For example, if someone isexperiencing panic attacks in the wake of a traumatic event, youmight consider the diagnoses of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder,Acute Stress Disorder, or Panic Disorder. The DSM-5 criteria willhelp you figure out which is the most appropriate diagnosis, andyou should specify why you are ruling out another disorder,providing specific justification for ruling it out. The bestdisorders to rule out are those that share features or symptomsdescribed in the case but are not the best diagnosis for theclient. Finally, you will write one paragraph in which you mayspecify the use of a psychosocial treatment, a psychoactivemedication, or both. You must briefly describe how this treatmentworks and you must justify your choice of treatment based on theresearch evidence for the efficacy of the treatment.

Case #4

Sharon is a 19-year-old, single, European American collegestudent who was brought to the emergency room because she had beenvomiting for the past 24 hours and had been unable to drink wateror consume any food; she was treated for dehydration and released.The previous night she had gone out drinking at the local collegebar, Barney’s. After about three hours of consuming anindeterminate amount of alcohol, she lost consciousness and wasbrought home to her apartment by her roommates. Sharon reports thatthis is the first time she has ever lost consciousness due toalcohol consumption. She typically drinks to intoxication only onceor twice a week. On a typical “drinking” night she will drink 7-8beers, shots, or other alcohol drinks. She reported that she doesdrink much more than when she first came to college, but she hasbuilt up a tolerance so she can now drink 7-8 drinks withoutbecoming seriously impaired. Sharon also reported that occasionallyshe will drink at home, in her apartment. She stated that shedrinks 1-2 drinks before bed to help herself get to sleep becauseshe has had difficulty sleeping for the past two months. Inaddition, she sometimes has one drink in the morning to help her“deal with things.” When asked whether there were any significantlife events associated with her increase in drinking, Sharon statedthat she has been struggling for after she had a “bad breakup” withher boyfriend from high school eight weeks ago. Since the breakupshe has felt very sad and lonely almost every day. She has notreally felt motivated to be around people (she stated that shedrinks in part to get up the “courage” to be around people) and shefeels she has lost interest in most of her usual activities andschool. The breakup also led her to feel worthless, she stated, “Ifeel like no one will ever love me again.” She stated that she maybe drinking more to alleviate the sadness she feels about thebreakup, but she feels she could stop drinking at any time if sheneeded to. She reported that she does not feel that her drinkingaffects her functioning significantly. She does sometimes skipclasses on Fridays due to hangovers, and her relationships with herroommates have become tense because she will sometimes behaveimpulsively or need “taking care of” when she is drunk. Sharonexpressed insight that her drinking is probably not helping herdeal with the breakup in a healthy way, but that she is fine withher current level of alcohol intake because she feels she needs“something to help me get through this.” She admitted that sincethe breakup she has occasionally has passive thoughts of suicidebut that she has no intention to act on those thoughts, and thatdrinking sometimes makes those thoughts “go away.”