Diagnostic Impressions of Whip Whitaker from the Flight Film

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Table of Contents

Case Summary
Substance Use and Treatment History
Patterns
Consequences
Interpretive Summary & Diagnostic Impressions
References

Case Summary

The case under analysis features a patient with a substance misuse problem. Whip Whitaker has been displaying signs of substance misuse and specific behaviors, indicating a health issue that suggests that he must suffer from several conditions. The patient is a 50-year-old divorced African-American man from Atlanta who has worked most of his career as a pilot for Alaska Airjet. He has an ex-wife named Deana and a son named Will. The meeting occurred in the office, where he was invited to share his concerns.

Substance Use and Treatment History

According to the patient, alcohol and drugs are the primary abuse substances. In this aspect, Whitaker reported that before leaving for the airport, he finished an old beer, smoked his last joint, did one line of cocaine, and drank three bottles of MINI vodka (Zemeckis, 2012). Moreover, he admitted that he consumed alcohol and cocaine three days before, on the morning of the accident, and during the hearing. Regarding his treatment, Whitaker sought help from Charlie Anderson after a series of family and legal problems. With Charlie, Whitaker remained sober for more than nine days but resumed drinking due to a lack of alcohol restrictions. Based on his behavior and propensity to abuse alcohol and cocaine, the current diagnostic impression includes a substance abuse problem and the trauma of separation from his son.

Patterns

The patterns observed over time in the patient’s substance abuse indicate that the current level of alcohol abuse is relatively high. Namely, it is shown that he drinks excessively, even before a flight, and has been drunk at least two times. In addition, the problem is exacerbated by the presence of trauma, namely Whitaker’s separation from his children due to his divorce from his wife. Whitaker’s behavior at the hotel, namely breaking into the mini-bar in search of alcohol, indicates an alcohol abuse problem. Thus, although these patterns are not explicitly observed in the film, they are implied, which allows us to make appropriate assumptions about the extent of Whitaker’s alcohol abuse problem.

Consequences

The consequences that Whitaker suffers as a result of his alcohol and drug misuse are serious. Whitaker drove home to meet his ex-wife and son and realized that both treated him with enormous contempt, which eventually escalated into a conflict involving the police. Moreover, the client has not had significant abstinence periods, nor has he participated in a 12-step program. During the court hearing, he was with Charlie, acknowledging his fault. As a result of the hearing, he was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment and to retake the FAA license exam.

Interpretive Summary & Diagnostic Impressions

F10.20Alcohol Use Disorder-Moderate

The signs and symptoms observed in the patient indicate that he suffers from a substance misuse problem. Specifically, the fact that the patient drinks excessively yet can fly a plane suggests that he is a high-functioning alcoholic. Moreover, Whip’s denying that he has a health issue, particularly a significant alcohol misuse problem, proves that he falls in the category of F10-F20 (“DSM-5 substance use diagnosis,” n.d.). Furthermore, the fact that he smoked first thing, smoked in bed and passed out from smoking and drove drunk on at least two instances indicates the presence of dangerous behavior. Therefore, it is recommended that appropriate measures be taken to manage the specified type of addiction.

F10.20Alcohol Use Disorder-Severe

One could also argue that the patterns of alcohol misuse observed in the patient indicate the presence of a severe health issue. Though the patient demonstrates qualities of a high-functioning alcoholic, his behaviors are disruptive enough to qualify for the stage of alcohol misuse. Nevertheless, Whitaker remained sober for 13 months during his imprisonment.

14.20 Cocaine Use Disorder-Moderate

Since the patient uses cocaine confidently and as a routine action, it can be assumed that he suffers from cocaine misuse disorder. Thus, adequate treatment strategies and interventions are necessary to manage the situation. For this purpose, the Cognitive Behavior Therapy approach is recommended along with medical treatment, namely, dopamine agonists (Kampman, 2019). The patient asking for cigarettes in the hospital and then smoking process the presence of craving. The specified approach is expected to help Mr Whitaker overcome his health issue effectively.

References

DSM-5 substance use diagnosis. (n.d.). LACounty.gov. Web.

Kampman, K. M. (2019). The treatment of cocaine use disorder. Science Advances, 5(10), 1-9. Web.

Zemeckis, R. (2012). Flight [Film]. Paramount Pictures.

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