Diagnosis of a Client According

¶ … Diagnosis of a Client

According to DSM-IV (1994) John meets the diagnostic criteria for 302.71 Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder. Specify types: Acquired type, generalized type, and due to psychological factors. Mary meets the diagnostic criteria for 302.73 Female Orgasmic Disorder, lifelong type, generalized type, due to psychological factors.

According to the DSM, John shows these symptoms: A. Persistently or recurrently deficient (or absent) sexual fantasies and desire for sexual activity, given his relatively young age and the current context of his married life. B. The disturbance causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty for John. C. The sexual dysfunction is not better accounted for by another Axis I disorder and is not due exclusively to the direct physiological effects of a drug or medication, or a general medical condition.

In short, John has little interest in sex, with his wife, or with real of imagined other partners. This is causing stress with his wife, and does not seem to be due to another psychological or physical condition. It is acquired, because John has shown interest in sex in the past, and it is generalized because it is not specific to his current relationship but to all sexual acts. It is psychological because there are no apparent physical reasons for his lack of interest (such as medications, surgeries, etc.)

Mary shows: A. Persistent or recurrent delay in, or absence of, orgasm following a normal sexual excitement phase in a way that is less than would be reasonable for Mary's age, sexual experience, and the adequacy of sexual stimulation she receives from her husband. B. The disturbance causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty, as Mary is disappointed with her sex life and marriage. C. The orgasmic dysfunction is not better accounted for by another Axis I disorder or to drugs, medication, or physical factors. Mary has suffered this problem all of her sexual life, thus the diagnosis specified as life long, and she has suffered this with all persons she has been intimate with, thus it is generalized, and as Mary has no physical complaints that might explain her lack of ability to achieve an orgasm, it is psychological.