Psychiatric Diagnosis

The other step that is involved in differential diagnosis should be to differentiate the adjustment disorders from the residual disorders that may be specified or not specified. The other step should be to establish the boundary with no mental disorder. It is paramount to consider the above processes prior to conducting any analysis and it in our study; the steps were conducted and analyzed prior to the conduct of the analysis (Grant, 2012). The study will particularly assess the case study of Suzanne in relation to her behavior and diagnosis her condition in order to come up with the most effective treatment for her.

Diagnosis

According to Feinberg (2014), “A thorough history and physical examination will help arrive at the correct diagnosis” (pg. 300). The condition that is known as Trichotillomania is typified by a behavior of a hair-pulling disorder. One of the main diagnoses of this condition is the behavior by an individual to constantly pull out the hair and despite numerous attempts by the individual to stop the behavior, he/she is unable to stop the behavior (Penzel, 2003). The other diagnosis is the fact that the behavior of the individual is often typified by instances of distress or impairment.

The first step therefore in the diagnosis and determination of this condition is or should be to assess the amount of hair that has been lost. In addition, the medical practitioner should also ask questions pertaining to the hair loss with the patient. The other process should be to eliminate other possible causes of hair pulling or hair loss and this is mainly done through a medical analysis by the doctor.

In addition, the medical practitioner should also assess any mental or physical health problems that may be associated with the behavior of hair pulling. The assessment can or is mainly done through diagnostic criteria in the statistical and diagnostic manual of mental disorders that has been published by the American Psychiatric Association (Grant, 2012). The diagnosis is valid in terms of the socio-cultural perspective since it acceptable to all societies and cultures.

Treatment: evidence based and non-evidence based

Despite the fact that the research on the treatment of Trichotillomania is limited, there are some treatment options that have reduced the hair pulling or led to a complete halt to the problem. One of the most effective treatment options is the use of self-help groups that make it easy for the individual to access help from help groups (Penzel, 2003).

In conclusion, it is palpable from the study that the patient has no other factitious or malingering disorder. When the purpose for the behavior is the attainment of a clearly identifiable goal, such as obtaining drugs, then a malingering disorder should be considered (Dubenetzky, 2013). It is also evident from the study that there is no other substance etiology, since Suzanne does not engage in any drug abuse or any medications. The study also reveals that the condition may not have been brought about by a general medical condition. In determining the specific primary disorder, the study revealed that the patient had a condition known as Trichotillomania that mainly involves a constant and uncontrollable pulling of hair.

The study also differentiated the adjustment disorders from the other residual disorders that are either specified or unspecified. It was also established from the study on the boundary with no mental disorder. The study also revealed some of the treatment options that were available for Suzanne. The study revealed that one of the most profound treatment options was the use of self-help groups. In addition, it was also revealed that the other treatment option that could be administered was the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy that largely involves various behavioral monitoring.

One of the cognitive behavioral therapies includes self-monitoring of the hair-pulling behaviors. In addition, the study also revealed that the patient should not be exposed to situations that trigger hair-pulling. The study also revealed that the performance of alternative or competing behavior during exposure should also be revealed in order to reduce the urge of pulling hair. Finally, the study also revealed that there should also be an identification and alteration of beliefs about the appearance of the hair of the individual that may be contributing to the behavior.

References

Dubenetzky, S. (2013). Differential diagnosis of anxiety disorders. Annals of Psychotherapy &