Case Study #1
Instructions: Please read the following case study. After consulting your DSM-V, submit your diagnosis following the required format (see the “Guidance for the Case Study Assignments” link in Blackboard for further details):
* Please note that you do not need to see this movie to complete the assignment. Just go by the information provided here when completing your case study. Name: Barry Egan
Source: Punch-Drunk Love (movie, 2002)
Background Information
Barry Egan is a Caucasian male in his early to mid-forties who lives alone in an apartment in Los Angeles, California. He is the owner of a small business that sells novelty items. Barry is not suffering from any known medical conditions or other health problems, but appears to have some mental health concerns. He is easily provoked into violent tantrums in which he punches walls, breaks windows, or destroys others personal property. He does not appear to have any alcohol or drug dependencies; in fact, he appears to drink alcohol very minimally. Barry has seven sisters, all of whom are very domineering and verbally abusive to him. Barry’s sisters have tormented and ridiculed him since childhood. As an adult, his sisters are still very controlling of his life and continue to torment him with embarrassing stories from his childhood. Barry has difficulty with personal relationships and appears to be lonely. His goals include growing his business. His hobbies include finding unbelievably good deals and repairing and learning to play the harmonium. Barry can be rather naïve and trusting of others, which leads to being taken advantage of and making poor financial decisions. Descriiption of the Problem
Barry is currently seeking help because he feels something might be wrong and states that he “doesn’t like himself,” but is unsure if this is abnormal since he is uncertain how other people are. He states that he “cries a lot.” Barry can be described as a socially awkward individual who does not seek out or actively engage in social activity with others. It appears that Barry has little to no family support system and that his relationship with his seven sisters relates to his low self-esteem. He constantly apologizes for things even when he did not do anything wrong, and stumbles with his speech by merging words together. Barry becomes very anxious in social situations. He endures these situations with intense anxiety and distress, which sometimes can lead to a panic attack following the interaction. Barry has a tendency to become violent when provoked with embarrassing stories from his childhood. He is known to lie and deny his actions when confronted. Barry is currently in a relationship with a woman he recently met. The relationship appears to be a positive factor in Barry’s life.
(End of Case Study # 1)
Here are some tips to help with successfully completing this assignment. First of all, study the content in the link entitled “Guidance for the Case Study Assignments” if you have not already. We will do several case study assignments in this course, so taking time to learn about how they work will pay off throughout the semester. *** It is imperative that you read through the overview and the examples provided inside the “Guidance for Case Study Assignments” tab on the left side of the home page before proceeding. Second, you will need to determine which specific disorder Barry suffers from. In order to do that:
Go to “DSM Notes – Anxiety Disorders” inside this week’s module. There you will see a Power Point that covers 7 disorders according to the DSM-V. You will compare the “Background Information” and “Descriiption of the Problem” provided above with the information that you find on the Power Point that covers the 7 disorders. The 7 disorders in the Power Point are: Specific Phobia, Social Anxiety Disorder, Agoraphobia, Separation Anxiety Disorder, Selective Mutism, Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Based on the case study, and the content in the power point, determine which one of the seven disorders Barry suffers from. Finally, use the example of “Eeyore” as a template to operate from to complete this case study. (The case study of Eeyore is located inside the link entitled “Guidance for the Case Study Assignments.”)
Once you have identified which one of the seven disorders Barry suffers from, you can complete the assignment in a similar manner as the “Eeyore” example that was provided. The following video also offers guidance on how to navigate this first case study assignment (This video is from Fall of 2022, so the dates are different, but the point of the video is to introduce the methodology for completing the case study assignments):
https://us-lti.bbcollab.com/recording/0c41adea26624b8782b686810d0f0751
The Case Study Assignments all have the same format. The format consists of 4 parts: Identifying the diagnosis Please see the part of the case study example highlighted in yellow below. Copying and pasting the diagnostic criteria for that diagnosis. The diagnostic criteria can be found in the Power Point that is located inside the same module as the case study itself. For example …. with last week’s case study, where the diagnosis was PTSD, there was a Power Point inside the module named, DSM Notes- Trauma & Stressor Related Disorders That Power Point would be the place to go to in order to find the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. After you have copied and pasted the diagnostic criteria, you mark the relevant points in bold font. In other words, the parts of the criteria that apply to the person in the case study need to be marked in bold. Please see the part of the case study example highlighted in blue below. Then at the end of the paper, you provide your rationale for the diagnosis that you chose. Please see the part of the case study example highlighted in green below.