Case
Molly is a twenty-nine-year-old woman. She comes to the clinic to report symptoms such as sleeping disorders, eating disorders, difficulty in sleeping, loss of interest, irritability and depressed mood. Molly was working at a computer-based company. Before she had been experiencing these symptoms, she was excellent at work. At the workplace, her affair with her colleagues became known to other employees at the same workplace. She was threatened, and her lover was terminated from the job. Her lover stopped talking to Molly, and he ended up in contact with her. Molly discovered that she had lost the respect that she used to have in the workplace. Molly was so depressed that she couldn’t perform the way she used to perform before. Her performance declined, and she was consequently fired. She had been on drugs during her affair with her colleagues. She used cocaine. Later, she switched to marijuana since it was cheap and gave the same pleasure and relaxation. Molly started smoking and drinking, too. Before suffering from depression, she never had a history of it. She didn’t have any family history or biological reasons that led to depression.
According to the case presented, Molly is suffering from depression. There are many reasons why people experience depression. It may be due to a loss of self-esteem, a life event or some other life struggles. Depression, if lasting for months, needs serious medical attention before symptoms worsen. Molly is suffering from symptoms of depression that are the loss of interest, irritability, insomnia, eating disorders, consumption of drugs, feeling hopeless and loss of interest in sex. Her medical condition needs to be treated immediately before symptoms become severe. About one in every ten patients with depression commit suicide, as per studies. Molly does not have a family history or biological reasons that have caused depression. She is suffering from depression due to a life event that affected her self-esteem and caused her to lose her love.
Depression can be diagnosed through a physical exam or just by inquiring about the depression system. When a doctor uses a physical examination to check symptoms of depression, he may carry out the test to check neurological or endocrine symptoms. Lack of vitamin D or malfunctioning of thyroid glands is sometimes linked with depression (WebMD, n.d.). A doctor may also ask the following questions to check symptoms of depression:
- How long symptoms of depression have been experienced?
- Is there any family history?
- Does the patient use drugs or alcohol?
According to DSM-5, Molly should suffer from at least five or more symptoms of depression for more than two weeks. The following are symptoms of depression experienced by Molly:
- Lack of interest
- Eating problem
- Sleeplessness
- Depressed mood
- Lack of concentration
- Inability to perform well
- Nervousness
- Loss of weight
- Loss of energy at work
Molly is suffering from a major episode of depression. She has been experiencing the symptoms for about a month without experiencing mania. She is experiencing symptoms of depression without having a break when no such symptoms are experienced. Molly, as per DSM, refers to the following code:
F33.3 Major Depressive disorder, recurrent, severe with psychotic features
296.34 (F33.3) With Psychotic Features
Molly is suffering from a major episode of depression since she is experiencing multiple symptoms that have continuously lasted for two months. She suffers from psychotic features because she fears that if she begins a new job, she will be fired the same way.
Recommendation:
Molly needs proper medication along with proper therapy to get rid of depression. Lifestyle changes and family support can help her in getting rid of depression.
Question: What more information will be needed to recommend a proper treatment plan for Molly?
Answer: To describe a proper treatment plan, I need to review more information on medications and therapies suitable for this client. I need to review demographic and biological symptoms.
References
WebMD. (n.d.). Symptoms of Depression. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/detecting-depression#1
