Case Study: Jax Purpose: Analyze and

Purpose:

Analyze and apply critical thinking skills in the psychopathology of mental health

patients and provide treatment and health promotion while applying evidence-based

research.

Scenario:

Jax is a 66-year-old Caucasian female whose wife has encouraged her to seek treatment.

She has never been in therapy before, and has no history of depression or anxiety.

However, her alcohol use has recently been getting in the way of her marriage, and

interfering with her newly-retired life. She describes drinking increasing amounts over

the last year, currently consuming approximately a six-pack of beer per day. She notes

that this amount “doesn’t give me the same buzz as it used to.” She denies ever

experiencing “the shakes” or any other withdrawal symptoms if she skips a day of drinking.

Jax comments that her wife is her biggest motivation to decrease her alcohol use.

She tells Jax that she gets argumentative and irritable when she drinks, though she does

not always remember these incidents. She has also fallen while intoxicated twice, causing

bruises both times and hitting her head on one of the occasions.

Questions:

Remember to answer these questions from your textbooks and NP guidelines.

At all times, explain your answers. 

1. Describe the presenting problems/issues. Is there any information that

was not provided that you would need to formulate a diagnosis?

2. Generate a primary and differential diagnosis using the DSM5 and ICD

10 codes.

3. What physiological and psychological processes lead to substance

dependence?