The Phenomenon Of Dissociation, Depression And Borderline Personality In A Young Woman

ABSTRACT

Early life adversities like parental loss during childhood, physical abuse, sexual abuse and emotional harassment may have deleterious consequences in an individual’s life, which can manifest under the form of various externalizing or internalizing behaviors. This case study aimed to highlight the impact of unusual early life adversities in a young woman’s mental health and related management issues. Methods: We reported a case of a young lady presenting with anxiety, low mood, disturbed sleep and appetite for more than six months. She also had episodes of dissociative stupor following any stressful event for approximately 13 years. She was hospitalized, evaluated clinically as well as by psychometric assessment. Relevant pharmacological and psychological interventions were performed. Results: She was diagnosed with Major depressive disorder with dissociative disorder and borderline personality disorder. The patient had multiple stressors during childhood like - loss of parents, emotional & physical abuse, which had an impact on her mental wellbeing. Conclusion: Early life adversities are detrimental to the mental health of an individual. The clinical outcome depended upon on the nature of trauma to the mental well-being, mode of intervention done and available psychosocial supports. ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 17 (2) July – December 2016 XX XX.