M.G. visits your office requesting a consultation. He explains that he was caring for his elderly mother after being diagnosed with dementia. He reported he was her sole caregiver and struggled with watching her deteriorate. He expresses concern that he isn’t grieving properly because he feels relief that she passed. He recounts that as her disease progressed, she became aggressive when she no longer remembered who he was. He tells you that during that time he prayed often that he would behave differently if only she could show improvement. He also tells you that he was angry he had no help and was sacrificing years of his life to care for her.
• Review the DSM-V and determine if there is an appropriate diagnosis for M.G., providing rationale.
• Using a minimum of two scholarly sources, describe the stages of grief and if this patient is exhibiting abnormal grief.
• Reviewing what you have learned so far, which type of therapy would be of most benefit to this patient?