Antisocial Personality Disorder - Case Study Example

Case Study 7: Milo Tark Part Diagnosis Milo is a 23 year old who has a pattern of getting in trouble with the law. According to the DSM-IV, I would diagnose him as 301.7 Antisocial Personality Disorder. Although he is 23 now, by the age of 15 he was already in trouble with the law. The criterion for this disorder is:A. There is a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since the age of 15' Milo had picked several fights when he was younger and by the time he was 15, he was engaging in petty theft and finally stole a car at 15 (criteria 1).

He is irritable and aggressive, as indicated by his fights and assaults (criteria 4). It could be argued that he has a disregard for the safety of himself and others because of the fighting, and because he cons money from older people at ATMs (criteria 5). He also has had difficulty keeping a job (criteria 6) as indicated by his "15 jobs" with none lasting more than six months. Finally, Milo has a lack of remorse for getting the 16 year old pregnant and for embarrassing his mother (criteria 7).B. Milo is at least 18 (he is 24).C. There is evidence of Conduct Disorder although it was not diagnosed when he was younger, it was apparent as representative of his fights and difficulties with the law.D. He does not seem to have Schizophrenia or be involved in a Manic Episode (DSM-IV, 1994, p. 649-650). The Mayo Clinic also offers a few signs and symptoms that Milo is showing.

Because he is handsome, he is able to charm the seniors at the ATMs out of their money (Mayo Clinic, 2008). Although he was not diagnosed with conduct disorder he should have been. He also may have a family history of antisocial personality behavior because his father says he "kinda reminded him" of himself. He may also have had unstable or chaotic family lives, which are all risk factors for the disorder (Mayo Clinic, 2008).Part 2: Treatment There are several ways to treat antisocial personality disorder although it is very challenging to treat (Mayo Clinic, "Treatment").

Psychotherapy is used as one of the major ways to treat this disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic psychotherapy are two that are used. Psychoeducaion is also used as a way to help families and friends, as well as the patient to learn about the illness and how to treat it. Medication is also important and can be anything from anti-depressants, mood stabilizers or antipsychotic medications. In Milo's case I would start with a total work up both physically and psychologically because I would want to rule out anything physically wrong that may be causing the behavior.

I would next send him to a psychiatrist for an assessment of medication. Finally, I would decide the type of psychotherapy to use. In my opinion, CBT may not be the best one to use because he does not seem to be ready to work on his behavior because he seems to enjoy it. Also, according to Vorvick (2008), "the effectiveness of treatment for antisocial personality disorder is not known". With this information in mind, I would be reluctant to start work with him if he did not appear ready to start treatment.

ReferencesAmerican Psychological Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV). Fourth edition. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.Mayo Clinic Staff. (2008). Symptoms antisocial personality disorder. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved December 2, 2009 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ Antisocial-personality-disorder-DS00829/DSECTION=symptoms.Vorvick, L. (2008). Antisocial personality disorder. Medline Plus. Retrieved December 3, 2009 from http://www.nlm.nih.

gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000921.htm.