Introduction
Client JN is a twenty-year-old Caucasian male who is has high functioning Asperger’s syndrome, an Autism spectrum disorder. JN has been admitted approximately 10 times for psychiatric care at different facilities around the Birmingham area in the past. JN came into the emergency department by ambulance after an altercation with the step mother. JN’s step mother has been in an intimate relationship and living with JN’s mother for about 10 years. The step mother and JN have never really gotten along though. According to JN, during the altercation the step mother told JN, “you have no friends,” “you are so immature,” and “get out of my house.” JN became very angry and upset and therefore stormed out of the house. The step mother followed …show more content…
Isolation (McLeod, 2013). During young adulthood individuals begin to share themselves more intimately with others (McLeod, 2013). For JN this stage of development is very important in proper development considering his current situation. Transition to adulthood is challenging for many people who have Asperger’s syndrome due to the social impairments that hinder in development of interpersonal relationships and social networks (Hare, Wood, Wastell, & Skirrow., 2015). Although highly functioning, JN still shows a lack in social skills and is not able to properly control his emotions related to his bipolar disorder. He is really just not on the same level as other peers his age due to his diagnoses and this may hinder his development in this stage. JN also verbally expressed a concern with being able to be intimate after being sexually abused. Being a victim of sexual abuse affects people in all different ways and JN explained how intimate situations have served as a trigger for his post-traumatic stress disorder and this will continue to affect him developmentally. Avoidance of intimacy during this phase of development can in return lead to isolation, loneliness, and sometimes depression (McLeod, …show more content…
Autism spectrum disorders show a higher association between a family history of mood disorders and the prevalence of bipolar disorder (Vannucchi et al., 2014). The presence of family history for bipolar disorder in first-degree relatives, JN’s father with bipolar disorder for instance, is an important indication of bipolar in clients (Vannucchi et al., 2014). Many symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome and bipolar disorder can often overlap (Hellings & Witwer, 2014). Symptoms of bipolar disorder in someone with autism commonly include rapid, loud, and nonstop talking, constant pacing, an abrupt decrease in sleep and an increase in impulsivity leading to aggression (Hellings & Witwer, 2014). Bipolar features such as anxiety, aggression, violent behavior are more frequent in people who have Asperger’s and classic euphoric mood and elation appear to be less common (Vannucchi et al., 2014). One way to be able to distinguish true bipolar disorder and autism is looking at when the symptoms appeared and how long they seemed to last (Hellings & Witwer, 2014). Since the two different disorders overlap so closely it is important for an accurate diagnosis in order to provide proper treatment. Understanding the symptoms of bipolar disorder and the symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome is important for an accurate diagnosis (Hellings & Witwer, 2014). Since both bipolar disorder and
Client JN is a twenty-year-old Caucasian male who is has high functioning Asperger’s syndrome, an Autism spectrum disorder. JN has been admitted approximately 10 times for psychiatric care at different facilities around the Birmingham area in the past. JN came into the emergency department by ambulance after an altercation with the step mother. JN’s step mother has been in an intimate relationship and living with JN’s mother for about 10 years. The step mother and JN have never really gotten along though. According to JN, during the altercation the step mother told JN, “you have no friends,” “you are so immature,” and “get out of my house.” JN became very angry and upset and therefore stormed out of the house. The step mother followed …show more content…
Isolation (McLeod, 2013). During young adulthood individuals begin to share themselves more intimately with others (McLeod, 2013). For JN this stage of development is very important in proper development considering his current situation. Transition to adulthood is challenging for many people who have Asperger’s syndrome due to the social impairments that hinder in development of interpersonal relationships and social networks (Hare, Wood, Wastell, & Skirrow., 2015). Although highly functioning, JN still shows a lack in social skills and is not able to properly control his emotions related to his bipolar disorder. He is really just not on the same level as other peers his age due to his diagnoses and this may hinder his development in this stage. JN also verbally expressed a concern with being able to be intimate after being sexually abused. Being a victim of sexual abuse affects people in all different ways and JN explained how intimate situations have served as a trigger for his post-traumatic stress disorder and this will continue to affect him developmentally. Avoidance of intimacy during this phase of development can in return lead to isolation, loneliness, and sometimes depression (McLeod, …show more content…
Autism spectrum disorders show a higher association between a family history of mood disorders and the prevalence of bipolar disorder (Vannucchi et al., 2014). The presence of family history for bipolar disorder in first-degree relatives, JN’s father with bipolar disorder for instance, is an important indication of bipolar in clients (Vannucchi et al., 2014). Many symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome and bipolar disorder can often overlap (Hellings & Witwer, 2014). Symptoms of bipolar disorder in someone with autism commonly include rapid, loud, and nonstop talking, constant pacing, an abrupt decrease in sleep and an increase in impulsivity leading to aggression (Hellings & Witwer, 2014). Bipolar features such as anxiety, aggression, violent behavior are more frequent in people who have Asperger’s and classic euphoric mood and elation appear to be less common (Vannucchi et al., 2014). One way to be able to distinguish true bipolar disorder and autism is looking at when the symptoms appeared and how long they seemed to last (Hellings & Witwer, 2014). Since the two different disorders overlap so closely it is important for an accurate diagnosis in order to provide proper treatment. Understanding the symptoms of bipolar disorder and the symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome is important for an accurate diagnosis (Hellings & Witwer, 2014). Since both bipolar disorder and