Disorders Assignment

Read each case below and determine what psychological disorder each patient might have. In your own words, state your reasons why. Type your answer directly below each case.

A. Case: James had a very difficult time in Kindergarten. He could not perform simple functions such as cutting, drawing, and writing. His teacher said that he had trouble staying in his seat and paying attention. Instead, he often spent his 4 hours a day in class laying on the floor under the table or wandering aimlessly through the classroom touching everything. James was unable to stay on task no matter what he chose to do. I believe James has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) because he has trouble focusing and concentrating as his teacher said “he had trouble staying in his seat and paying attention.” In addition, he has no control with his emotions and behavior being restless such as stated “laying on the floor under the table or wandering aimlessly and touching everything.” Finally, one of the symptoms of ADHD according to kidshealth.org is trouble focusing on instructions and difficulty following through. As clarified that James “could not perform functions such as cutting, drawing, and writing.” The National Institute of Mental Health divided ADHD with 3 subtypes:

1. Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive
2. Predominantly inattentive
3. Combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive

B. Case: Isabel is intelligent but failing her first period class in biology because she is constantly late to class. She wakes up at five o’clock with every intention of getting to school on time. Isabel spends three hours taking a long shower and then repeatedly changes her clothes until she “feels right.” Finally, she packs and repacks her books until they too are just right. When she opens the front door and prepares to walk down the front steps, Isabel goes through a ritual of pausing on each step for a certain length of time. Even though she understands that her thoughts and behaviors are irrational, she still feels compelled to complete her rituals.

I believe Isabel has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) because of her uncontrollable obsessions with certain thoughts that results in compulsions which is an impulsive behavior that are performed repeatedly. As stated “she packs and repacks her books.” According to psych central website’s article, OCD is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent and disturbing thoughts (called obsessions) and/or repetitive, ritualized behaviors that the person feels driven to perform (called compulsions).

C. Case: Carla was the driver of a car that was involved in an accident. Her friend, who was in the car with her at the time, was killed. After that, Carla became very preoccupied with her health and thoughts of death. She reports that her health anxieties came in waves and describes one of the worst episodes. Shortly after college, Carla became convinced she had lupus and the idea totally consumed her. She says that all she could think about was dying, lupus, and being sick for the rest of her life. Though her doctors and friends and family tried to reassure her, Carla’s thoughts persisted.

I believe that Carla has a Hypochondria because she honestly believes that she has lupus. Although her doctors and family and friends reassured her that she does not have lupus, she is obsessed worrying about her idea of life-threatening disease and that she will be dying soon. According to Family Doctor website’s article Hypochondriasis is one the somatoform disorders. It is defined that hypochondriasis “occurs when a person believes that normal body functions (such as a grumbling stomach) or minor symptoms (such as a common headache) are symptoms of a very serious disorder, it can mean cancer or tumor respectively.”

D. Case: Michael appears to have it all—good job, lots of friends, nice house. People who know him well, however, aren’t always sure what to think of him. He might throw a big party one week, inviting everyone over for a lavish dinner, and then refuse invitations for the next month. While his job seems fulfilling and pays well, Michael often talks about finding a job at another company or even changing careers. Michael dates, but hasn’t had a steady girlfriend in many years. Instead, he tends to date one woman for a while, and then move on quickly.

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