Personality disorder diagnosis does not take into account the social context. Although this does not mean personality disorders do not consider them totally, it is not enough. The diagnosis fails to recognize that people are different, and various social factors can affect an individual’s ability to cope with certain stress (Mind, 2020). For instance, a person who has undergone stigmatization like racism will react to certain situations differently, unlike those experiencing the problem for the first time. Therefore, failing to consider the social context makes the diagnosis hard to determine.
The disorder is difficult to treat because it is deeply embedded in a person’s behavior and thought patterns. Therefore, people diagnosed with the condition always have abnormal thoughts and behaviors that limit them from functioning as expected. Psychological sickness is intertwined, and it provides a setting for discrete mental health problems (Bennett, 2018). The patients are often change-resistant due to their exposure, as mentioned above. If the treatment is going to work, the people diagnosed with the condition have to undergo various therapies.
Moreover, the therapists have to show support and not be judgmental to help the patients accept the change. Although, traditional therapy is not sufficient to eradicate the disorder. The therapist goes further to implement different approaches. These approaches are also referred to as the third wave treatment, and they involve acceptance and mindfulness (Bennett, 2018). Mindfulness and acceptance help the patients who are resistant to change accept some of the events in their lives to help them start healing.
Giving personality disorder diagnoses to clients should be taken cautiously. Patients do not like to be told that they have a personality disorder as this will make them feel sick and judged that their actions are due to the condition and not how they feel. Therefore, the DSM gives guidelines to social workers to help them understand the patients and be aware of the ethical issues that may arise when diagnosing (American Psychiatric Association, 2017; Corcoran & Walsh, 2019). Using the tool DSM-5, the social workers will show care and understanding of the patients when disseminating the information that they may be having the disorder. Thus, the patient will not be labeled medically as having a weakness but they can be labeled morally as a condition that can be fixed. For example, rather than saying the patient is a paranoid personality, the social worker can say that the patient has traits of a paranoid character. The idea is to separate the condition from the patient and not label the patient as the problem.
As a Christian, all people are treated with respect and care regardless of their condition. This is because the limitations of a person do not define who they are and who they will be in the future. As such, being a Christian, I will treat a patient with a personality disorder with much love. Through showing love, the person with the condition will feel appreciated, and it will help them reduce the stress that is causing them to act in a certain way. I will also introduce the person to counseling in the church. Counseling in church offers specific solutions like praying and reading the bible when individuals feel low or go through particular challenges. Hence, this will help the person know what to do in case they feel overwhelmed with their thoughts. Additionally, I will introduce the person to activities like bible studying or camping. Exercises will help them forget about their worries by interacting with others to share joy, making them occupied with beautiful thoughts.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2017). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. (5th ed). American Psychiatric Association.
Bennett, T. (2018). Why personality disorders are difficult to treat: Is there a cure? Thriveworks. Web.
Corcoran, J. M., & Walsh., J. (2019). Mental health in social work: A casebook on diagnosis and strengths-based assessment. (3rd ed). Pearson.
Mind. (2020). Personality disorder – why is diagnosis controversial? Mind. Web.