Persuasive Speech Outline For A Clinical Interview
Marla a 42 year old Hispanic female came into the mental health clinic complaining of sleep problems, feeling “jumpy all of the time” and the in ability to concentrate. Marla works as an accountant and these problems are making it hard to her to do her duties at work. To provide Marla with the best diagnoses, a clinical interview with Marla will help find where these problems started and what can be done as far as treatment. Clinical Interview- Marla Rodrigues
“Good morning Marla! How are you today? Today we are just going to sit down and talk about your problems you are experiencing and begin to have a trusting relationship. We are just going see what is going on in your current life to help better diagnose you. Are you ok with that?”
Marla-“yes that seems fine”
“Great! First thing why did you come to the clinic in the first place?”
Marla-“I am having problems in both my professional and personal life, which are causing me to have trouble sleeping, I have the feeling of being jumpy all of the time, also I cannot concentrate at work. I work as an accountant and this is a job that makes you think very hard and you have to have a clear mind.”
“Do you recall when these symptoms started and how long have they been a problem?”
Marla- “these problems …show more content…
started a few years ago while I was attending collage to get my degree. These problems came along as I was working fulltime, a fulltime student and also a family at home. Stress of getting everything done every day has finally taken its toll on my mind!”
“When you say you feel jumpy all the time, is there anything else that comes along with it that should be addressed? Such as headaches, dizzy spells nervousness?
Marla-“By jumpy I mean that I cannot sit still and I real very restlessness. I also have the headaches and dizzy spells. These problems are just making it very hard to focus on my duties at work. The nervousness is when I know that I have a deadline coming up and I have not completed my work yet. ”
“What kind of sleep troubles are you having?”
Marla-“I just lay down and cannot sleep. The jumpy feelings and it’s like I cannot shut off my brain. My mind is always on the go and I worry about my work duties. I will not fall asleep when I lay down and I just do not get a good night sleep when I do fall asleep with all the tossing and turning I do.”
“What is making you feel like you cannot concentrate?”
Marla-“I just cannot concentrate on what it is I am to do. I will be working and just like that I am doing something else that is not the task at hand. Easily distracted I guess.”
“Is there a family history of these symptoms? Does anyone in the family have a mental illness? If so, what is the diagnosis?”
Marla-“I am not sure, my family is not real close and I have never asked them. As far as I know there is no family history of mental disorders.”
“What was your childhood and adolescence like?”
Marla-“I had an ok childhood, my parents divorced when I was young. My mother was a single woman raising my brother and me. We moved around a lot, so making friends was very hard for me, since we would move after a short stay.”
“What is your current home life like? Do you have kids? Are you single, divorced, married?”
Marla- “I am divorced with two children, 8 year old son and 5 year old daughter. My ex-husband is much supported and helps me out as much as he can at with the kids. Working as an accountant I can work very long hours and not get home until bedtime for the kids.”
“What does your job or work environment consist of?”
Marla-“my job is very hectic, I work in a small accounting firm and we have more customers than help. I have to work with a few different people a day and it makes it very hard to keep track of what each customer needs done. I will start with one customer, and then someone else will need me. This is where the inability to concentrate comes into play; it makes it very hard to come back to what it was I was working on because of the interruptions.”
“Health wise, are you in good health? Have you recently started any new medications or stopped any medications? Do you see your family doctor on a regular base?”
Marla-“I see my family doctor when it is necessary. Like if I have a cold or something else wrong with me. No medication, I seem ok health wise.”
“That is great, Marla, you have done great for this initial session. I will go to my other colleagues and we will review your case. After that I will have the office call you with what we feel is the best diagnoses for your problems you are experiencing. Once we have confirmed the diagnoses I will have you come in and we will see what kind of treatment will work best for you. Does that sound ok with you?”
Marla-“That sounds great to me; I just want to be “normal” again!!”
“We will talk to you a day or so”
A few days later Marla comes back to the clinic for diagnoses and treatment options.
“Hello Marla, how are you doing today?”
Marla-“Nervous I guess, just want to know what is going on with me and what I can expect as far as treatment.”
“Marla, I feel that you are suffering from is Dysthymia Disorder.
This disorder is a low level case of depression. With an “ok” childhood with an absent father this can cause you to feel loneliness and cause you to have low self-esteem. Second, having so much on your plate such as work and family, this could be making you depressed and taking a toll on your mind more than you think. When we hear depression, we think I have nothing to be depressed about. This is not always the case. In dysthymia, that drained feeling you have. This disorder affects women more than men. Having so much to do every day with work and family life this could be where you are not getting the energy you need to survive the day
ahead.”
Marla-“How long does this last and what is the treatment?”
“Those are great questions, this disorder the symptoms can come and go, usually months at a time with no signs. There are many options for treatment, such as psychotherapy and medications. Medication has been known to help with the problems. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is where you can learn coping skills, where you can cope with everyday life. This can be very beneficial for your family, work and social life. Medications such as Prozac can help subside the symptoms and give you a better enjoyable life. Antidepressants can help reduce your symptoms.”
Marla-“Is this something that I will always be on?”
“Not necessarily, like I mentioned some people the effects come and go. We will take your case as it is. Not need to worry about the future that is added stress that you do not need.”
Marla-“So should I just take the medication?”
“I would recommend that you also seek the cognitive therapy. This can be very beneficial for you along with the medication. You will be able to talk about your feeling and the therapist can help you with thinking and behavioral techniques to help you through the day. This is something that I recommend for all my patients. You would be surprised on how well this will work for you. You can talk to your therapist about what is bothering you at home, work or social life. They can help you discover how to work through life. You will be able to think clearly about what it is you need to do at work and at home.”
Marla-“Will the medication help me sleep?”
“Yes, you can take the medication before bed and see if you are able to get a good nigh sleep. Side effects are common with any medication. If this one is one that you do not like, we can try another. Antidepressants are one that can treat many things, like anxiety and of course depression!”
Marla-“Thank you, this seem like I can handle all of this, I will meet with the therapist too. I feel that maybe getting things off my cheat such as my childhood will help me. These are things that I have bottled up. Who knows, I may even be able to learn things about myself I did not know!”
“Great to hear that Marla, please remember if you need me please give me a call and I will see you soon!!”
“Good morning Marla! How are you today? Today we are just going to sit down and talk about your problems you are experiencing and begin to have a trusting relationship. We are just going see what is going on in your current life to help better diagnose you. Are you ok with that?”
Marla-“yes that seems fine”
“Great! First thing why did you come to the clinic in the first place?”
Marla-“I am having problems in both my professional and personal life, which are causing me to have trouble sleeping, I have the feeling of being jumpy all of the time, also I cannot concentrate at work. I work as an accountant and this is a job that makes you think very hard and you have to have a clear mind.”
“Do you recall when these symptoms started and how long have they been a problem?”
Marla- “these problems …show more content…
started a few years ago while I was attending collage to get my degree. These problems came along as I was working fulltime, a fulltime student and also a family at home. Stress of getting everything done every day has finally taken its toll on my mind!”
“When you say you feel jumpy all the time, is there anything else that comes along with it that should be addressed? Such as headaches, dizzy spells nervousness?
Marla-“By jumpy I mean that I cannot sit still and I real very restlessness. I also have the headaches and dizzy spells. These problems are just making it very hard to focus on my duties at work. The nervousness is when I know that I have a deadline coming up and I have not completed my work yet. ”
“What kind of sleep troubles are you having?”
Marla-“I just lay down and cannot sleep. The jumpy feelings and it’s like I cannot shut off my brain. My mind is always on the go and I worry about my work duties. I will not fall asleep when I lay down and I just do not get a good night sleep when I do fall asleep with all the tossing and turning I do.”
“What is making you feel like you cannot concentrate?”
Marla-“I just cannot concentrate on what it is I am to do. I will be working and just like that I am doing something else that is not the task at hand. Easily distracted I guess.”
“Is there a family history of these symptoms? Does anyone in the family have a mental illness? If so, what is the diagnosis?”
Marla-“I am not sure, my family is not real close and I have never asked them. As far as I know there is no family history of mental disorders.”
“What was your childhood and adolescence like?”
Marla-“I had an ok childhood, my parents divorced when I was young. My mother was a single woman raising my brother and me. We moved around a lot, so making friends was very hard for me, since we would move after a short stay.”
“What is your current home life like? Do you have kids? Are you single, divorced, married?”
Marla- “I am divorced with two children, 8 year old son and 5 year old daughter. My ex-husband is much supported and helps me out as much as he can at with the kids. Working as an accountant I can work very long hours and not get home until bedtime for the kids.”
“What does your job or work environment consist of?”
Marla-“my job is very hectic, I work in a small accounting firm and we have more customers than help. I have to work with a few different people a day and it makes it very hard to keep track of what each customer needs done. I will start with one customer, and then someone else will need me. This is where the inability to concentrate comes into play; it makes it very hard to come back to what it was I was working on because of the interruptions.”
“Health wise, are you in good health? Have you recently started any new medications or stopped any medications? Do you see your family doctor on a regular base?”
Marla-“I see my family doctor when it is necessary. Like if I have a cold or something else wrong with me. No medication, I seem ok health wise.”
“That is great, Marla, you have done great for this initial session. I will go to my other colleagues and we will review your case. After that I will have the office call you with what we feel is the best diagnoses for your problems you are experiencing. Once we have confirmed the diagnoses I will have you come in and we will see what kind of treatment will work best for you. Does that sound ok with you?”
Marla-“That sounds great to me; I just want to be “normal” again!!”
“We will talk to you a day or so”
A few days later Marla comes back to the clinic for diagnoses and treatment options.
“Hello Marla, how are you doing today?”
Marla-“Nervous I guess, just want to know what is going on with me and what I can expect as far as treatment.”
“Marla, I feel that you are suffering from is Dysthymia Disorder.
This disorder is a low level case of depression. With an “ok” childhood with an absent father this can cause you to feel loneliness and cause you to have low self-esteem. Second, having so much on your plate such as work and family, this could be making you depressed and taking a toll on your mind more than you think. When we hear depression, we think I have nothing to be depressed about. This is not always the case. In dysthymia, that drained feeling you have. This disorder affects women more than men. Having so much to do every day with work and family life this could be where you are not getting the energy you need to survive the day
ahead.”
Marla-“How long does this last and what is the treatment?”
“Those are great questions, this disorder the symptoms can come and go, usually months at a time with no signs. There are many options for treatment, such as psychotherapy and medications. Medication has been known to help with the problems. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is where you can learn coping skills, where you can cope with everyday life. This can be very beneficial for your family, work and social life. Medications such as Prozac can help subside the symptoms and give you a better enjoyable life. Antidepressants can help reduce your symptoms.”
Marla-“Is this something that I will always be on?”
“Not necessarily, like I mentioned some people the effects come and go. We will take your case as it is. Not need to worry about the future that is added stress that you do not need.”
Marla-“So should I just take the medication?”
“I would recommend that you also seek the cognitive therapy. This can be very beneficial for you along with the medication. You will be able to talk about your feeling and the therapist can help you with thinking and behavioral techniques to help you through the day. This is something that I recommend for all my patients. You would be surprised on how well this will work for you. You can talk to your therapist about what is bothering you at home, work or social life. They can help you discover how to work through life. You will be able to think clearly about what it is you need to do at work and at home.”
Marla-“Will the medication help me sleep?”
“Yes, you can take the medication before bed and see if you are able to get a good nigh sleep. Side effects are common with any medication. If this one is one that you do not like, we can try another. Antidepressants are one that can treat many things, like anxiety and of course depression!”
Marla-“Thank you, this seem like I can handle all of this, I will meet with the therapist too. I feel that maybe getting things off my cheat such as my childhood will help me. These are things that I have bottled up. Who knows, I may even be able to learn things about myself I did not know!”
“Great to hear that Marla, please remember if you need me please give me a call and I will see you soon!!”