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Cluster B Personality Disorder Case Studies

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Elsie is a 42 year old Caucasian female with a diagnosis of histrionic personality disorder and severe alcohol use disorder. Elsie is divorced and currently living with her mother, but the relationship is very strained. A domestic dispute that turned physical with her mother resulted in police intervention where she was arrested and charged. She also admits to being physically abusive to her ex-husband as well. She is very angry at her mother and says her mother is abusive both verbally and physically, and the reason why she has so many problems. She has had numerous legal issues and several DUI’s over the years for which she served a prison sentence two years ago. Elsie attended the Repeat DUI Offender Program through Gulf Coast Mental Health (GCMH) at the beginning of 2014. Elsie is non-compliant to medication and therapy, and uses manipulation and aggression with every therapist she has had since coming to GCMH in …show more content…

Elsie was not diagnosed with a narcissistic personality disorder but diagnosed with another that is also under cluster B personality disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), histrionic personality disorder (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Elsie is not able to achieve intimacy, including same sex friends or romantic partners, and spends most of her time alone except for when she is interacting with her mother, with this interaction often negative. She also is attention seeking and exaggerated in displaying her emotions, with her range of emotions rapidly vacillating. Often she displays temper tantrums, rage, or bouts of what appears to be crying, though there are no tears. She is very meticulous about her appearance, wearing designer clothes and bright red lipstick which a typical manifestation of cluster B personality disorders (APA,

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