08-16-2014, 06:23 PM
A 27-year-old white woman presents to the office complaining of depression for "years" that has never been successfully treated. Currently she reports depressed mood but is able to function at work and has been sleeping and eating well. She believes she has bipolar disorder because in the mornings she will wake up feeling normal but hours later will get very angry with certain coworkers. Overall, she says she "feels empty, like a shell of a person." She reports contemplating suicide but has no current thoughts and no intent to commit suicide. She denies any suicide attempt, but she does relate that most evenings she will scrape her thighs with the sharp end of a nail file until she manages to draw a drop of blood. When she sees and feels this bleeding, she feels a sense of relief. She attributes her mood to multiple failed relationships and thinks there is "something wrong with her" because she keeps dating men who abuse her either physically or emotionally. She thinks this may be due to the fact that she was sexually abused by an uncle when she was 7 years old.
Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
A.Bipolar disorder, rapid cycling
B.Borderline personality disorder
C.Dysthymic disorder
D.Histrionic personality disorder
E.Major depressive disorder
Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
A.Bipolar disorder, rapid cycling
B.Borderline personality disorder
C.Dysthymic disorder
D.Histrionic personality disorder
E.Major depressive disorder