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Case Study Zailckas

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Although there is more than sufficient evidence present for a mental health professional to diagnose Zailckas with severe alcohol use disorder, Zailckas also displays several other subthreshold symptoms indicative of various other disorders. For instance, Zailckas exhibits some features of several different personality disorder when she discusses her various motivations for her alcohol use.
One of such personality disorders that Zailckas seems to exhibit signs of is histrionic personality disorder. As Dr. Hyde described in lecture, those with histrionic personality disorder gravitate towards the center of attention and engage in attention-seeking behaviors that gratify him or her (Hyde 2017a). In Zailckas’s case, she learned at a young age …show more content…

The DSM-5 defines avoidant personality disorder as “A pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to criticism… starting in early adulthood in many contexts” (Hyde 2017a). This is most evident in the passage where Zailckas explains her reasoning for avoiding her hall mates and roommate Wendi. She declares, “I don’t avoid you because I think I’m superior, I do it because I think I’m inferior. I do it because I think you don’t want me, and that lowliness is the reason that I drink, too” (p. …show more content…

The manner in which Zailckas is gradually allured by the charms of alcohol is indeed reflected in numerous young adult’s lives and her anecdotes of losing control are quite familiar. However, I do not think this novel serves as a very appropriate example for readers who suffer from a similar issue. Ultimately, Zailckas quit drinking off of sheer willpower alone without utilizing any empirically supported pharmacological treatments. Although I attribute much of her success to the interpersonal support she received along the way, Zailckas’ decision to regulate her drinking and eventual commitment to quitting was what she referred to as an “individual choice” that she succeeded in without treatment (Zailckas, 2005, p. 332). While this method may have worked for Zailckas, I feel that reading about a person who achieved sobriety while avoiding empirically supported treatments might discourage people suffering from alcoholism from trying these techniques. Psychotherapy and substitution are more reliable treatments for Zailckas’ problem according to Dr. Hyde’s lecture, and Hyde states that people who try to self-regulate usually do not succeed (Hyde 2017b). Overall, I thought that Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood provides an interesting and unique case of alcoholism that leads to eventual recovery, but should not be taken as a guideline by those who

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