Journal Entry

Journal Entry
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Journal Entry
For two weeks through my practicum, I had not experienced any case involving a psychosocial disorder at the Denzell Health Center*. Every morning the students attended some fifteen minutes orientation program before setting out for the matters of the day. On a fateful day, the head of the orientation program briefed the interns on the challenges and management of patients with personality disorders. Little did I know that I was being assigned to the case of John Tipper,* a 15-year-old adolescent who had an anti-social personality disorder (APD).
As a social work intern, I was supposed to meet Tipper individually and complete a psychosocial assessment form, contact close relatives, consult with outpatient providers, and organize meetings with family members. Halfway through the evaluation, I noticed that the patient had a dual diagnosis of APD and substance abuse. Patients with APD are characterized by impulsiveness, irresponsible behavior, and in severe cases criminality predispositions (Beck, Davis, & Freeman, 2015). I was in awe after identifying that the patient was a three-year addict of Methamphetamine and opioids. The patient was also out-of-touch with reality, portrayed withdrawal symptoms, and had three cases of suicide attempts (Ogloff et al., 2015). Although the patients were unaware of the cause, they provided corresponding information that could assist Tipper to recover.
After the patient’s evaluation, I forwarded the form to the physician for further instructions.

For better management of APD, I was tasked with recommending the best support persons for the patient. In this regard, I chose John’s elder sister who was a psychologist and their mother because they understood the importance of the treatment process. The physician recommended psychotherapy, violence management, treatment for drug abuse, and support for the family members (Newbury-Helps, Feigenbaum, & Fonagy, 2017). Although I had experienced the process of evaluation, counseling, and management of APD patients in the classroom, I had a great opportunity of engaging in Tipper’s treatment process. Consequently, the best lesson I learned from the field practicum is the development of better treatment process for patients and disregard of APD misconceptions.
References
Beck, A. T., Davis, D. D., & Freeman, A. (Eds.). (2015). Cognitive therapy of personality disorders. Guilford Publications.
Newbury-Helps, J., Feigenbaum, J., & Fonagy, P. (2017). Offenders with antisocial personality disorder display more impairments in mentalizing. Journal of personality disorders, 31(2), 232-255. doi/abs/10.1521/pedi_2016_30_246
Ogloff, J. R., Talevski, D., Lemphers, A., Wood, M., & Simmons, M. (2015). Co-occurring mental illness, substance use disorders, and antisocial personality disorder among clients of forensic mental health services. Psychiatric rehabilitation journal, 38(1), 16. doi.org/10.1037/prj0000088