Delusional Disorder - Case Study Example

Case Study #6: Lyonel Childs Part Diagnosis Lyonel is a 24 year old male who is experiencing delusions. Most of what he is experiencing lately isbecause of a girl he has a crush on. From what is known from the study, Lyonel seems to be suffering from Delusional Disorder, Erotomanic Type. According to the DSM-IV, 297.1 Delusional Disorder has the following criteria:A. Nonbizarre delusions. Lyonel has created an illusion around Mary. He believes that she is in love with him and just does not want to tell him.

He furthers the delusion by thinking that people on the street are giving him winks to "go ahead" with pursuing her. He also "sees" family members giving him nods and winks to let him know where he is on the right track with this girl. These are "common" situations in normal situations.B. Lyonel does not seem to have schizophrenia because he is not having bizarre delusions.C. His behavior is not bizarre or impaired based on the information given, other than the impact of the delusions.D. There do not seem to be mood disorders.E. The problems do not seem to be directly involved with physiological effects of any drug (DSM-IV, 1994, p. 301). The Cleveland Clinic (2009) adds to this information by explaining that the delusions "usually involve the misinterpretation of perceptions or experiences" (p. 2). Lyonel's delusions are Erotomanic because he is obsessed with Mary and he looks for ways to contact her.

Part 2: Treatment General treatment for delusional disorder involves a combination of psychotherapy and medication. The challenge is that with only medication, this disorder is very resistant to treatment (Cleveland Clinic). If the delusional disorder becomes chronic in that the individual becomes a risk of hurting himself or others, the individual may need to be hospitalized (Cleveland Clinic). Some of the treatments that seem to work are the use of atypical antipsychotic medications such as Risperdal, Seroquel and Zyprexa.

These are said to work for some people but it does not work for everyone. Cognitive Therapy has been one of the therapies that has worked in the treatment of delusion s (Encyclopedia of Mental Disorder, 2009). Cognitive therapy generally will help the individual understand where he has doubt in his delusions and can help them find "alternative explanations" for the delusions (Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders, 2009). In addition, the therapist can help the individual understand and correct the thinking that they have distorted (Cleveland Clinic).

In the case of Lyonel it would be important to treat him with psychotherapy and with medication. It is this researcher's opinion that treatment can only help if the individual is ready to take part in their own healing. With this in mind, medication seems to help stabilize the client so they can then begin to change the behavior.ReferencesAmerican Psychological Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV). Fourth edition. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Cleveland Clinic (2008). Delusional disorder. Retrieved December 3, 2009 from http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/delusional_disorder/hic_delusional_disord er.aspx.Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders. (2009). Delusional disorder. Retrieved December 4, 2009 from http://www.minddisorders.com/Br-Del/Delusional-disorder.html.