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DIAGNOSE: a 21 year old girl who cannot establish boundaries in friendships; overly emotional; no motivation to work.

Trying to understand my roommate in order to approach the situation better. She's on prozac; she can be calm at home but when she's out and sees a person she knows, she shrieks and gets so excited that people are truly shocked by it. She misinterprets relationships with people often. I'm inclined to believe it's a form of codependency issues but I want to understand better. Any advice/inclinations as to what this may be?

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15 Answers to "DIAGNOSE: a 21 year old girl who cannot establish boundaries in friendships; overly emotional; no motivation to work."

  1. adventureolive - 22-25 years old - female

    Posted by adventureolive May 24th, 2012 at 12:32PM

    Codependancy sounds like a pretty good diagnosis. I would wonder what her childhood was like, and I'm betting she had difficulty establishing relationships then. My 5 year old niece has grown up most of her life without a mother, and she can be overly aggressive about establishing friendships and playing with other children. Obviously the other children don't like it, but she just doesn't get that she's putting the kids off.

    No motivation to work comes from low self-esteem.

    Like (2)

  2. chrissydm20 - 18-21 years old - female

    Posted by chrissydm20 May 24th, 2012 at 12:15PM

    just be supportive and dont tell her to go off of prozac..obviously a doctor gave it to her for a reason and the doctor should tell her when and if to keep/quit taking drugs because people can do more harm to themselves than they know not taking their prescriptions correctly. she needs a stable friend since it seems she has so many family issues. i also have several family issues but my biggest one is abandonment from both my biological parents. i think it is a great that you are working so hard on trying to be there for her. kudos to you!!

    Like (2)

  3. Dani3Forsyth - 26-30 years old

    Posted by Dani3Forsyth May 24th, 2012 at 12:13PM

    Disclaimer, I'm not a psychologist. I can see the co-dependency issues there, and I agree with mulder that this is Bi-Polar / Mania. I'm hypo-manic, and I go from high high's to low low's pretty regularly. She sounds like she's got a rough case of it.

    Here's the clincher. You are not her doctor, you are her friend. It's a doctor's job to diagnose her, and to decide what the best treatment is for her, which is an important role.

    It's your job to be there, to accept her for who and what she is, and to encourage her through that treatment, which is also an important role. Abide by it. If you need to understand how to better your role, go with this friend to a Depression/Bipolar Support Group and let the families of the similarly afflicted tell you what works for them.

    Don't try too hard to understand. You can't understand. Just accept it for what it is, and love her the same way you would anyone.

    If you start to have trouble being a roomie with her, don't force yourself to continue out of guilt. Honestly, that seems like a very nice gesture, but speaking for myself, I'd be insulted if someone was hurting themselves because they thought I couldn't get along without them doing so. If you are there for the right reasons, because you care, than stay, because that's the best thing this person can have.

    Oh, and for the love of God, don't take her off the Prozac until you've gotten her to see a professional. Lithium is an often used choice to treat this disorder, but if she has meds, she needs to keep taking them until a psychiatrist says otherwise.

    Like (2)

  4. TheChurchLady - 41-45 years old - female

    Posted by TheChurchLady May 24th, 2012 at 11:50AM

    Just be her friend and stop trying to be her doctor,Hon.

    Like (2)

  5. fapoi881 - 18-21 years old

    Reply by fapoi881 May 24th, 2012 at 12:00PM

    not trying to be her doctor. trying to understand the best way to approach the situation better after 2 years.

    Like (1)

  6. BuckarooBonzai - 51-55 years old - female

    Posted by BuckarooBonzai May 24th, 2012 at 11:49AM

    Get a new roomate. Its sweet of you to ty to understand her, but she appaears to bealot of drama in a can

    Like (2)

  7. EpoxyMonoxide - 26-30 years old - female

    Posted by EpoxyMonoxide May 24th, 2012 at 11:49AM

    sounds like a case of young adulthood to me

    Like (2)

  8. aladywithacamera - 26-30 years old - female

    Posted by aladywithacamera May 24th, 2012 at 1:30PM

    The diagnosis is: you have a case of the NOSIES. She isn't going after people with a machete or dealing drugs out of your home, so give her a f'ckin break, pal. Or find a new roomie.

    Like (1)

  9. BabzEsq24 - 46-50 years old - female

    Posted by BabzEsq24 May 24th, 2012 at 12:13PM

    I bet she's a Troll

    Like (1)

  10. totallying - 22-25 years old - male

    Posted by totallying May 24th, 2012 at 12:08PM

    like my new crush said (blondebombshell), your roommate is a manic depressive case. idk if she's mild or worse because i'm not a psychiatrist (doctor who gives psy meds) but given that she is in prozac, i guess she's in the latter one. it's not your job to be there for her UNLESS, you are crazy altruistic or bffs with her. but if you are one of those who simply cares, be the guardian she really needs in such social situations since even if she does have an idea about how to go in a social meeting, her impulsive ad active nature might push other people away. try to be there for her, and guide her as she interacts with people. WARNING: this is a taxing job and can be considered as parenting level so if you're one of us mortals who can't bear such burden, i suggest you find some other roomie to room with. :D

    Like (1)

  11. sinbad7277 - 36-40 years old - male

    Posted by sinbad7277 May 24th, 2012 at 11:57AM

    Get her on a reailty TV show. She'll make millions.

    Like (1)

  12. fapoi881 - 18-21 years old

    Reply by fapoi881 May 24th, 2012 at 11:59AM

    brilliant

    Like (1)

  13. jsmithemail - 36-40 years old - female

    Posted by jsmithemail May 24th, 2012 at 11:53AM

    prozac is not a solution to her situation, drugs alterates your brain and creates more imbalance than you had before
    she needs to get help and good friends for psychological support

    Like (1)

  14. giftafamily - 41-45 years old

    Posted by giftafamily May 24th, 2012 at 11:52AM

    she needs a true friend and her reactions will smoothen.

    Like (1)

  15. Methen - 46-50 years old - male

    Posted by Methen May 24th, 2012 at 11:51AM

    Get her off the prozac...

    Like (1)

  16. bijouxbroussard - 46-50 years old - female

    Reply by bijouxbroussard May 24th, 2012 at 1:56PM

    Respectfully, that's for a doctor to determine, and regulate. Some people have severe reactions going off meds cold turkey.

    Like (1)

  17. TheBlondeBombshell - 18-21 years old - female

    Posted by TheBlondeBombshell May 24th, 2012 at 11:51AM

    I wish I had my DSM with me, but I don't really feel like getting it right now....off the top of my head I'm guessing manic depressive disorder, but that's probably wrong. Maybe it's a personality disorder. It's hard to say.

    Like (1)

  18. totallying - 22-25 years old - male

    Reply by totallying May 24th, 2012 at 12:01PM

    bombshell indeed. i love the way your top matches the one you are licking. you got it right though.

    Like (1)

  19. TheBlondeBombshell - 18-21 years old - female

    Reply by TheBlondeBombshell May 24th, 2012 at 12:10PM

    I hope I did get it right, I'm a psych student. I'm only a sophomore, but I need to know how to diagnose people by senior year.

    Like (1)

  20. mulder - 26-30 years old

    Posted by mulder May 24th, 2012 at 11:49AM

    sounds like mania

    Like (1)

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