A 31-year-old male architect visits a new psychiatrist seeking help for severe, debilitating anxiety. He describes being overwhelmed by intrusive, horrific images of his house catching fire. To neutralize these thoughts, he feels driven to check the stove and electrical outlets exactly twelve times before leaving for work. This ritual consumes over two hours daily, threatening his employment. He also reports experiencing a profoundly depressed mood, fatigue, and anhedonia for the past six weeks. His medical record reveals a prior psychiatric admission three years ago for an episode of grandiosity, pressured speech, and zero sleep requirement that lasted 10 days. The patient is currently taking tranylcypromine, prescribed by a previous provider, but finds it ineffective for his checking rituals. He requests to switch to a different class of medication, specifically a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), starting today.
Which of the following actions represent appropriate steps in the comprehensive management of this patient's psychiatric conditions? (Select all that apply)
- Refer the patient for psychotherapy focused on repeated, prolonged encounters with feared stimuli while resisting compulsionsCevap
- Cease tranylcypromine and enforce a mandatory 14-day washout period before initiating any serotonergic medicationsCevap
- Incorporate a mood-stabilizing agent into the pharmacological regimen if an antidepressant is eventually prescribedCevap
- DCommence an SSRI immediately while gradually tapering the monoamine oxidase inhibitor over the next two weeks
- EPrescribe an antidepressant as monotherapy to rapidly target the current depressive symptoms and minimize side effects