‘Don’t feel like going on anymore’

Context
From a metro location in the UK, a 30-year-old woman was referred to the hospital for a life-threatening emergency.
The woman was facing severe issues in all aspects of her personal life.
The current situation that she was referred for was multiple attempts of self-harm.
She was also reported to have multiple attempts of damaging and burning property.
The patient was experiencing severe emotional disturbances including feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and other signs of depressive mood.
She was facing severe disturbances in relationships and work front.
Engagement Process
The woman was referred to the emergency department of the hospital.
As the psychiatrist on call, she was examined and evaluated.
The methods of engagement chosen were hospital admission + medications + counselling. It was obvious that this was a complex case, with multiple levels of severe psychological disturbances.
On admission, the case was taken up for thorough evaluation and assessment.
Through sustained evaluations and examinations, it was identified that the woman was suffering from a combination of factors.
There were elements of an underlying personality disorder.
Due to life circumstances, she was also facing signs of severe depressive tendencies.
The critical situation was triggered by a break-up situation with her boyfriend over the past few weeks.
This above diagnoses were confirmed over subsequent sessions and a ‘customized Treatment Plan’ was designed.

Outcome
Through the ‘specially designed Treatment Plan’ it was first found important to address the critical life-threatening situations.
It was also important to create a reassuring and safe atmosphere for the patient. This was achieved through 24-hour supervised care and hospital admission.
This also allowed for a multi-functional assessment of the patient involving neurology, pathological investigations, etc.
This was followed up with introduction of the patient to the treatment options:
- Hospital admission and care
- Medications
- Counseling
- Supervision for prevention of self-harm
- Family therapy
- Community therapy
The woman experienced a steady recovery process, under the expert guidance of the mental health team.
Take-away
Relationships are a great source of fulfilment and joy if handled carefully. But if they go south, they can also become triggers for underlying mental disturbances.
It is important to learn the art of cultivating and growing, positive and nurturing relationships around oneself.
Personality disorders and mental illnesses require expert consultation and treatment plans from experienced mental health professionals.
There are certain early warning signs for all mental health problems and these can be signals for seeking expert guidance from mental health professionals. There are specific tests and assessments that can help diagnose and evaluate the severity of such conditions.
Inability to deal with such conditions can adversely affect the health of the individual, family and surrounding community.
Mental health professionals have the necessary training and tools to develop solutions for the individual, family and surrounding community.
