What Is Tiffany's Diagnosis

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK: TIFFANY

TIFFANY
Pat comes home after being at a mental facility into the care of his mother Dolores and his father Pat Sr. after eight months of treatment for bipolar disorder. He returns home with a hard set goal in mind. He will do whatever it takes in order to win his wife Nikki back, who currently has a restraining order against him. While visiting at a friends house Pat meets Tiffany, a recent widow and fellow neurosis sufferer. Tiffany is the key to Pat learning to move forward and away from his past, but Tiffany herself has many issues to work through. When we first meet Tiffany it is clear that while she is still troubled and broken, she
Even before the death of her husband she was suffering from the DSM-IV TR symptoms of depressed mood and a decreased interest and pleasure, which had greatly affected her marriage. But it is her subsequent actions that make us seek another diagnosis. As Tiffany opens up to Pat we learn that she has a history of extreme emotional reactions, unstable interpersonal relationships, difficulty controlling anger, and impulsive sexual activity. These are DSM-IV criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder. Depression and Borderline Personality Disorder do work hand and hand, so the comorbidity of these disorders is not surprising. There is a scene between Pat and Tiffany where Tiffany plainly demonstrates the act of “splitting”. Splitting is also called black and white thinking, which is when a person with Borderline Personality Disorder can only see things as an ideal or the epitome of wrong with no leeway in-between. Identity Disturbance is one of the nine criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder in the DSM-IV and is apparent in Tiffany. The way that she reacts after hearing Pats opinion of her, allows a look in to the distorted and bleak self-view that she has of herself. She becomes close to Pat and the movie depicts how she avoids any possibility that Pat could get back with his ex wife. She doesn’t want to risk him abandoning her. This frantic effort to avoid abandonment is yet another criteria for
Medications also help with these disorders by tackling comorbid depression with antidepressants, the paranoia with antianxiety medications and the use of mood stabilizers to help with impulsions and anger. It is said that the medications should be directed at the comorbid symptoms rather than at the borderline personality disorder and its own symptoms, as it is unnecessary to treat the disorder with medication on its own. So in the case of Tiffany I believe it is prudent to medicate her but have the medication be directed at her depression in hopes to stabilize her moods. I agree with the fact that she has been on medication, but I do believe that intense psychotherapy for her Borderline Personality Disorder is needed. The movie may have ended happy but she still needs a lot of work in terms of how she processes and regulates her emotions. Dialectal Behavioral Therapy is a form of Psychotherapy that focuses in on regulation of emotions through Cognitive Behavioral techniques. The therapy combines the Cognitive Behavior Techniques which help emotions regulation and Reality Testing which focuses on distress tolerance, acceptance and mindful awareness. It is a therapy derived from Buddhist meditation. I believe that the two components of this therapy, individual and group, will benefit Tiffany in the way of her becoming mindful of others and accepting of herself. It