Posted: July 27th, 2015

Case 7.4: Easily Triggered

You will submit your Unit 2 assignment by the end of Week 4.

Please refer to the Case 7.4: Easily Triggered Scoring Guide to see how this assignment will be graded. If you have any questions about this assignment, please post them in the Ask Your Instructor discussion, so that other learners might benefit from them. If you prefer your questions not be visible to other learners, please contact your instructor privately.

You will review the following case details and prepare a differential diagnosis, along with a 2-page Rationale and Considerations paper.

Differential Diagnosis

Consider Eric Reynolds’s case with these changes:

Mr. Reynolds’s presenting symptoms and case details are the same, except he is continuing to have symptoms of irritability and anxiety related to other stressors, not including his experiences from Vietnam. He is dealing with a recent divorce and worrying about projects at his job that make him edgy and anxious. He reports difficulty concentrating, being tired often, and muscle strain. He has been absent from work multiple times due to his worrying and other symptoms.

Develop a differential diagnosis for Mr. Reynolds by referring to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and using the following from the DSM-5 Handbook of Differential Diagnosis:
•2.16 Decision Tree for Trauma or Psychosocial Stressors Involved in the Etiology.
•3.7.1 Differential Diagnosis for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or Acute Stress Disorder.
Rationale and Considerations Paper

Write a 2-page paper using the following format:
•Using Chapter 1, “Differential Diagnosis Step by Step,” in the DSM-5 Handbook of Differential Diagnosis, follow each of the six steps and provide a rationale for your conclusion leading to a differential diagnosis: 1.Rule out malingering and factitious disorder.
2.Rule out substance etiology.
3.Rule out a disorder due to a general medical condition.
4.Determine the specific primary disorder(s).
5.Differentiate adjustment disorders from the residual other specified or unspecified disorders.
6.Establish the boundary with no mental disorder.

•Include a brief statement addressing each of the following issues: ◾What is the role of culture and ethnicity in the diagnosis?
◾What are your legal or ethical concerns in this case? (Refer to the ACA Code of Ethics and your knowledge of specific laws regulating the counseling profession.)
◾Would you make an outside referral for this client based on this case? Specifically, would you refer to a physician, a specialist, or for inpatient treatment?

•Include references to at least two additional scholarly resources.
•Be sure to follow APA (6th edition) guidelines throughout your paper. Use the APA Paper Template, located in the Resources, to complete this assignment. Follow the template instructions to properly format your paper.