Psychological Masquerade: Distinguishing Psychological from Organic Disorders, 3rd Edition

by Robert L. Taylor

When faced with a patient whose psychological symptoms may stem from an organic, or medical, condition rather than psychology how does the practitioner determine exactly which is the true case? To facilitate this process and give psychologists, social workers, and nurses a useable guide to assessment, Taylor has updated his work to be the most complete handbook in the field.

Genres: Psychiatry, Psychology, Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published June 8, 2000

Reviews

[The Badger]

READ BEFORE INTERNSHIP! Honestly, this book helps. However, in the end you'll still be relying on your own knowledge of symptomatology. Because of the demographic interns usually treat (interns get Medicaid clients and licensed practitioners get private insurance), your clients may not have access to speedy physical medical care. Therefore, they may have undiagnosed secondary (what used to be Axis II) conditions.

Regardless, it's always best practice to ask for the date of the last physical, even if it's not a question on an agency assessment form. And if your client has medical conditions that mimic psychological conditions in symptoms (such as Fragile X), the medical issue is still listed separately from the psychological issue. You'll still need a DSM diagnosis such as ASD so that you can bill, but knowing the medical diagnosis will help you build a realistic treatment plan. Also, keep a folder full of blank ROIs just in case, and genuflect to the Records Department Gods every time you receive a client's records within three months of faxing in the request. Oh, and every time a physician returns a phone call, an angel gets its wings...

Hopefully there should be a new addition applicable to the DSM-V for you newbies.