When A Man Loves A Wom Comprehensive Diagnosis

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Assessment Paper The movie I have chosen for this assignment is When a Man Loves a Woman (Mandoki, 1994). In this paper, I will describe the client, diagnose her and provide justification for my diagnosis, recommend next steps, and provide a reactive reflection. Describe the Client The client this assessment is focusing on is Alice Green, a wife and mother of two. Alice has a clear drinking problem, as the full focus of the movie is on Alice and her drinking habits beginning in the opening scene and continuing throughout the early portion of the movie. Whether with Michael or with friends from work, it becomes apparent that Alice drinks heavily and likely daily. These habits cause her to act out in different ways, including egging a Porsche, …show more content…

However, this paper will focus on pre-rehab issues. Comprehensive Diagnosis After watching the movie, it is clear to me that Alice is struggling with an alcohol use disorder (AUD) according to the standards listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-V). Based upon only the visible criteria displayed in the movie, Alice’s AUD reaches the severe level on the severity scale, as the presence of seven of the DSM-V criteria is evident. Outside of her AUD, I do not believe she suffers from any mental disorders, as any visible symptoms of anxiety or depression link directly to alcohol consumption. Justification The first listed DSM-V criteria (NIAAA, 2021) Alice meets is that she drinks longer than she intends at times. Early in the movie, Michael misses a work trip because Alice stays out drinking much longer than she agreed to with her work friend. When discussed, it seems this was a recurring issue, as Michael correctly guessed which friend she was with. Another criteria Alice meets in the movie is she is unable to cut down on her drinking. After she almost drowns in Mexico, she promises Michael she is going to stop …show more content…

Consequently, I believe the best solution would be to send Alice to an inpatient facility, not because of any danger to herself or others, but because her home and work environments are conducive to continuous drinking problems. Additionally, we saw Alice hide her drinking from her family for a while, so we can infer that outpatient services may not be enough. Therefore, based on American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) standards, Level III treatment, an inpatient facility that does not rise to the severity of constant medical monitoring due to health concerns or dangers to the client (Stevens & Smith, 2018). Reaction Response One aspect that would make assessing a real client easier is that specific questions could be asked about medical history. Examinations would be possible to determine if the client was suffering from any comorbid mental disorders, such as anxiety disorders or depression. Because Alice never visited a professional, I was limited to information scattered throughout the movie to make an informed guess on mental

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