GENERAL DATA Patient DE.JO., 26 years old, Female, Filipino, Born again christian, born on Nov 25, 1999, currently residing in Tungkil, deca homes, minglanilla, cebu city was seen for the first time in our institution on 15 july2026. SOURCE AND RELIABILITY Patient: 90% CHIEF COMPLAINT Patient: "I wanted to have a professional opinion about my mental health." HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS 1 Years PTC, the patient was involved in a long-term romantic relationship that ended after she discovered her boyfriend had been unfaithful and was involved with another woman and washeart broken by it. Following the breakup, the friend of her ex-boyfriend's mistress repeatedly sent her threatening text messages, stating that they would "ruin her life" and "destroy her mental health." Despite the patient's attempts to avoid communication, the messages continued, causing her significant emotional distress. During this period, the patient began experiencing perceptual disturbances. She reported seeing a shadow-like figure, particularly when she was alone. She also stated that she would spend prolonged periods staring at herself in the mirror while talking to herself, sometimes lasting for several hours. Since April 2026, the patient reported recurrent self-harm behaviors. She described using a cable wire to strangle herself around the neck until she heard a "hissing" sound or until everything "went black." She admitted these episodes occurred repeatedly as a way of coping with overwhelming emotional distress. Three days PTC, the patient experienced another emotional breakdown characterized by uncontrollable crying related to her unresolved heartbreak. She cried continuously until she collapsed and briefly lost consciousness. She was subsequently brought to San Lucas Hospital, Minglanilla, where she was initially assessed for an anxiety attack. An ECG and further medical evaluation reportedly revealed no significant abnormalities, and she was discharged the following day. Despite discharge, the patient continued to experience persistent sadness, emotional instability, hallucinations, self-harm behaviors, and difficulty coping with the breakup. Hence, she sought psychiatric consultation at our institution. PAST PSYCHIATRIC HISTORY The patient has no prior psychiatric symptoms observed. Had no psychiatric consultations or hospitalizations. Patient had no history of suicidal or homicidal thoughts process in the past. SUBSTANCE USE HISTORY The patient denies any history of tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, or illicit drug use. The patient also denies misuse of prescription medications, vaping, gambling, or gaming use. There is no history suggestive of substance use disorder or dependence. PAST MEDICAL HISTORY Patients denied previous Hospitalization or surgeries. The patient denied any chronic illness or taking maintenance medication. The patient has no hypertension, diabetes mellitus, bronchial asthma, thyroid or cancer issues. No known food and drug allergies noted. FAMILY HISTORY The patient currently lives with her parents. She reports having a good relationship with her family and resides in the same household with her parents, one older sister, and three nieces. Her mother is 56 years old and has a history of thyroid disease. Her father is 64 years old with no known chronic medical illnesses. She has one sister, aged 29 years. The patient denies any family history of psychiatric illness, suicide, or other heredo-familial psychiatric disorders. DEVELOPMENTAL AND SOCIAL HISTORY Prenatal, Natal, and Postnatal History: The patient was born to a 30-year-old G3P2 mother through normal spontaneous vaginal delivery without maternal or perinatal complications. She was breastfed during infancy. She could not recall whether her mother took prenatal vitamins during pregnancy. The patient's mother had one miscarriage prior to her birth. There was no reported maternal alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drug use during pregnancy, and no history of maternal medical or psychiatric illness during gestation. Early Childhood (0–3 years): The patient's primary caregivers were both of her parents. According to the patient, she was an extroverted, cheerful, and sociable child. She had no significant childhood illnesses or hospitalizations and completed her routine childhood immunizations. Middle Childhood (3–11 years): The patient started Grade 1 at six years of age and attended Padre Elementary School. She performed well academically and particularly enjoyed drawing. She actively participated in school-related extracurricular activities. She maintained a few close friendships and attended school regularly. She denied any history of bullying, absenteeism, or behavioral problems during this period. Later childhood to Adolescence (12 year or 18 year): The patient attended ACT High School, where she maintained good academic performance and received recognition for Best Research. She actively participated in basketball and other sports. She denied experiencing bullying, disciplinary problems, absenteeism, or romantic relationships during adolescence. She described this period as generally stable and enjoyable. Adulthood The patient pursued a college degree in Special Needs Education at the University of Cebu with the goal of becoming a teacher. Prior to the recent events surrounding the breakup of her long-term relationship, she described herself as emotionally stable and functioning well academically and socially. She reports that the relationship betrayal and subsequent harassment marked the onset of her significant emotional distress, hallucinations, and self-harming behaviors, which ultimately prompted her to seek psychiatric consultation. MENTAL STATUS EXAMINATION The patient is awake, alert, precise with his answers to questions throughout the interview. She is cooperative and speech is well modulated. She is fairly groomed and dressed appropriately for her age,she maintains good eye contact and she is anxious and her thoughts are goal directed and relevant. Px is aware of the environment and is oriented to 3 spheres with good calculation and memory intact. The patient has a good fund of knowledge with Insight level 5. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION BP: 110/70 mmHg RR: 18 cpm TEMP: 36.4 C HR: 76 bpm O2 sat: 99% at RA Ht: 148 cm Wt: 60 kg BMI: 27.4 kg/m2 PRIMARY IMPRESSION Bipolar 2 disorder, current episode depressed 2.) Borderline personality disorder DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS

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Now I have sufficient information to compose a thorough differential diagnosis section. Let me synthesize everything from the clinical data and library sources.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS

Based on the clinical presentation of DE.JO., a 26-year-old female with persistent depressed mood, perceptual disturbances, recurrent self-harm, emotional lability, and a clear psychosocial precipitant, the following differential diagnoses are considered in order of likelihood:

1. Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with Psychotic Features (Most Likely Alternate Diagnosis)

This remains high on the differential because the entire symptomatic picture emerged after a single, well-defined stressor (romantic betrayal + harassment) with no identifiable prior hypomanic or manic episodes.
Supporting features:
  • Prominent depressive episode: persistent sadness, emotional breakdown, crying to the point of collapse
  • Perceptual disturbances (visual shadow figure) - psychotic specifier
  • Recurrent self-harm as a maladaptive coping mechanism
  • No history, by patient report, of elevated mood, grandiosity, decreased need for sleep, or increased goal-directed activity suggesting a prior hypomanic phase
  • Age of onset, psychosocial precipitant, and lack of cyclicity all fit MDD
Argument against Bipolar II (primary impression): DSM-5 requires at least one documented hypomanic episode (4+ days of elevated/irritable mood + 3 or more ancillary symptoms) for a Bipolar II diagnosis. The patient's history does not disclose a hypomanic episode - this must be actively explored. As Stahl's notes, "over a third of patients with unipolar depression are eventually re-diagnosed as having bipolar disorder," meaning missed past hypomania is common, but it cannot be assumed without documentation. - Stahl's Essential Psychopharmacology, Neuroscientific Basis

2. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) / Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood

Supporting features:
  • Clear traumatic precipitant: discovery of infidelity + sustained harassment with explicit threats to "ruin her life" and "destroy her mental health"
  • Duration of symptoms: approximately 1 year, consistent with PTSD chronicity
  • Perceptual disturbances: the shadow-like figure may represent intrusive/dissociative phenomena secondary to trauma rather than primary psychosis
  • Prolonged mirror-gazing and self-talk may reflect depersonalization/derealization - dissociative symptoms that are recognized PTSD specifiers in DSM-5
  • Emotional reactivity, lability, and breakdown triggered by reminders of the event
  • Self-harm as a trauma-coping mechanism is very common in PTSD
Why this matters: PTSD can produce hallucination-like experiences (intrusive sensory phenomena) and profound emotional dysregulation that mimics both mood disorders and personality pathology. If the primary driver is trauma, treatment targets will differ significantly. Kaplan & Sadock's Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry notes that PTSD has substantial symptom overlap with BPD and MDD, complicating differential diagnosis.

3. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) (Co-primary impression; requires longitudinal confirmation)

BPD is listed as a co-primary impression and the clinical picture does support it, however a caution applies: DSM-5 requires that personality disorder patterns be pervasive, stable across contexts, and traceable to at least early adulthood - they should not be attributable solely to the direct effects of a stressor. The patient's pre-morbid functioning was described as stable, emotionally regulated, academically and socially competent, which makes a de novo BPD diagnosis in the setting of acute stress less certain.
Supporting features for BPD:
  • Frantic efforts to avoid abandonment (emotional breakdown after breakup)
  • Intense, unstable emotional states
  • Recurrent self-harm behavior (self-strangulation with cable wire) - a hallmark BPD feature
  • Identity disturbance suggested by prolonged mirror-staring with self-talk
  • Impulsivity and emotional dysregulation
Key diagnostic requirement that must be verified: The BPD pattern must predate this relationship and be evident across multiple contexts and relationships from early adulthood, not just in response to this single event. Without longitudinal data confirming a lifelong pattern, BPD should remain on the differential pending further collateral history. - Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry

4. Brief Psychotic Disorder / Psychosis NOS

Supporting features:
  • Acute visual hallucinations (shadow figure) with sudden onset following severe psychosocial stress
  • Duration of psychotic symptoms less than 1 month would fit Brief Psychotic Disorder; more than 1 month points away from this diagnosis
  • Mirror-gazing and prolonged self-talk can be prodromal or attenuated psychotic symptoms
  • No prior psychiatric history, intact orientation, insight level 5 - argue against a primary psychotic disorder
  • No Schneiderian first-rank symptoms (thought insertion, broadcasting, passivity phenomena)
Argument against schizophrenia spectrum: The patient is fully oriented, has intact cognition, goal-directed thought, good insight (level 5), and appropriate affect. Schizophrenia is unlikely. However, a psychotic specifier to a mood disorder or PTSD-related perceptual disturbance remains plausible.

5. Cyclothymic Disorder

Given the primary impression of Bipolar II, Cyclothymia warrants consideration. DSM-5 requires at least 2 years of hypomanic and depressive symptoms that never meet full criteria for a major depressive or manic episode. The patient is only 26, and the timeline provided (1 year PTC as onset) makes this less consistent unless sub-threshold mood cycling predated the precipitant. - Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry

Summary Table

DiagnosisForAgainst
MDD with Psychotic FeaturesDepressive episode, psychotic symptoms, clear stressor, no documented hypomaniaDoes not account for personality features
PTSDTrauma precipitant, dissociative perceptual phenomena, emotional reactivity, self-harmNo formal trauma screen documented in HPI
BPDSelf-harm, identity disturbance, abandonment fear, emotional instabilityGood premorbid functioning; symptoms arose acutely; requires lifelong pattern
Bipolar II, current depressed (Primary Impression)Depressive episode, emotional lability, possible missed hypomaniaNo documented hypomanic episode on history
Brief Psychotic DisorderVisual hallucinations, acute onset after stressSymptoms exceed 1 month; good insight and orientation argue against
CyclothymiaSub-threshold mood cycling possibleOnly 1 year of documented symptoms

Clinical Note

The most pressing diagnostic distinction is between Bipolar II disorder (primary impression) and MDD with psychotic features in the context of trauma/PTSD. This distinction has major therapeutic implications: lithium/mood stabilizers vs. antidepressant monotherapy. A careful longitudinal history for any prior hypomanic episode (elevated mood, decreased sleep without fatigue, grandiosity, rapid speech, increased goal-directed activity for 4+ days) should be elicited before confirming the Bipolar II label. - Stahl's Essential Psychopharmacology, Neuroscientific Basis
Additionally, given the self-strangulation episodes ("until everything went black"), urgent assessment of suicidality/lethality and a formal safety plan is indicated regardless of the final diagnostic formulation.
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