ABSTRACT
Mr. A is a 49-year-old, married, White male who recently sought psychotherapy for depression. His therapist referred him for a psychological evaluation to assess the severity of his depression and whether any signs of a bipolar disorder exist. The possibility of a bipolar disorder was questioned because of a history of recurrent episodes of depression and because the patient described himself as restless, distractable, and unable to focus his thoughts that sometimes “dart from one thing to another.” Mr. A wonders whether the restlessness and distractibility might be symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that have persisted into adulthood. Finally, the therapist wondered whether Mr. A’s difficulties suggest a personality disorder in addition to an affective disorder. In particular, the therapist questioned whether his presentation meets diagnostic criteria for a Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
