Reference no: EM133554050

Mace Amidala was a 31-year-old white man who sought outpatient therapy for "lack of self-confidence." He reported lifelong troubles with assertiveness and was specifically upset having be "stuck" for 2 years at his current "dead-end" job as an administrative assistant. He wished someone would tell him where to go next so that he would not have to face the "burden" of decision. At work, Mace found it easy to follow his boss' directions but had difficulty making even minor independent decisions. The situation was "depressing," he said, but nothing new.

Mace also reported dissatisfaction with his relationships with women. He described a series of several-month-long relationships over the past 10 years that ended despite his doing "everything I could." His most recent relationship had been with a violinist. He reported having gone to several symphony performances and had taken violin classes himself to impress her, even though he did not particularly enjoy music. That relationship had recently ended for unclear reasons. He said his mood and self-confidence were tied to his dating. Being single made him feel desperate, but desperation made it even harder to get a girlfriend. He said he felt trapped by that spiral. Since the latest breakup, Mace had been quite sad, with frequent crying spells. It was this depression that had prompted him to seek treatment. He denied problems with sleep, appetite, energy, suicidality, or ability to enjoy things.

Mace initially denied taking any medications, but he eventually revealed that 1 year earlier his primary care physician had begun to prescribe alprazolam 0.5 mg per day for "anxiety." Mace's dose had escalated, and at the time of the evaluation, Mr. Amidala was taking 5 mg per day and getting prescriptions from three different physicians. He had tried to stop taking the pills twice but continued with the medication because it led to anxiety and "the shakes."

What is the diagnoses in DSM 5 TR with diagnositc criteria?