Question

What Is Your Diagnosis?

For each case listed below, give a specific diagnosis, then state the general class of disorders to which that disorder belongs (anxiety disorders, mood disorders, personality disorders, dissociative disorders, drug abuse and addiction, or schizophrenia).

1.   Tony sometimes seems very “wound up.” At those times, he seems full of energy, talks very rapidly, and makes very grandiose plans. (One time, he gave away all of his belongings and was planning to move to Washington, D.C., so he could advise the President.) At these times, he also seems to need almost no sleep. During other periods of time Tony seems very “down.” During these times he does not take care of himself. He seems to want to sleep all the time, and he often makes thinly veiled references to wanting to commit suicide.

     

      Specific diagnosis _______________      General class of disorder _______________

2.   Emily often drinks too much, especially at parties. She has gotten two DUI tickets after leaving parties. She is also in danger of losing her job because she often misses work on Monday due to a hangover after partying on the weekend.

     

      Specific diagnosis _______________      General class of disorder _______________

3.   Paula has not left her house for several months. When she tries to go out, she experiences great anxiety. She says she is afraid that if she leaves her house to go somewhere, she will not be able to get back. Before all this started, Paula seemed fairly normal except for having several episodes where, for no apparent reason, her heart started pounding, she started to sweat profusely, and she experienced all the symptoms of fear and terror. One of the reasons she is afraid to leave the house is because she is afraid she will have one of these episodes again. (Hint: there are two specific diagnoses here.)

     

      Specific diagnosis _______________      General class of disorder _______________

      Specific diagnosis _______________      General class of disorder _______________

4.   Horace sleeps a lot, has great difficulty getting out of bed in the morning, and generally does not want to do anything. He has stopped seeing friends whom he used to see often, and declines all invitations to do things socially. His most common response is “I just don’t feel like it.” He looks sad all the time and does not seem to take pleasure in everyday activities. This has been going on for the past two months.

     

      Specific diagnosis _______________      General class of disorder _______________

5.   Patricia is a 44-year-old female who reports that she has periods of time where she cannot remember what she has done. She reports that after one such period, she received a telephone call from a man who claimed to have met her in a bar where she was “the life of the party.” She had also told the man her name was Priscilla. Patricia thinks that this is odd because she does not drink, and she is a rather shy and retiring person. However, the man had her correct telephone number and was able to give a good physical description of her.

     

      Specific diagnosis _______________      General class of disorder _______________

           

6. Marianne is a 34-year-old female showing signs of disorganized thought and flat affect. She says that she hears voices telling her to do things. She believes that her behavior is being controlled by other people and she thinks that all her former friends have formed a conspiracy and are out to get her. She also tends toward repetitive, highly ritualized behavior.

     

      Specific diagnosis _______________      General class of disorder _______________

7. Zachary is a 17-year-old male who appears boastful, conceited, and arrogant. When someone accuses him of being that way, he flies into a rage. He shows little care for others and is often envious when others are recognized for their achievements. He is also prone to daydreaming and fantasizing about the success that awaits him.

     

      Specific diagnosis _______________      General class of disorder _______________

8. Sandy feels dirty unless she bathes and changes clothes at least four times a day, and she is fastidious about the house as well. Every room is scrubbed at least twice a week and the bathroom is taken care of daily.

     

      Specific diagnosis _______________      General class of disorder _______________

9. Although he was not personally injured, Harry has had problems since the earthquake two years ago. He is listless and quarrelsome and sleeps fitfully, reliving the quake in nightmarish dreams.

     

      Specific diagnosis _______________      General class of disorder _______________

10. Frank was attending college in San Francisco during a recent earthquake. He lived in the area that was hardest hit by the quake. Frank was not home when the earthquake hit and was not injured in any way, but when he returned home, he found his building demolished and his two roommates crushed to death. Frank immediately drove himself to the airport, bought a ticket to Boston, and got on the plane. His parents found him on their doorstep in Boston the next morning. Frank remembers nothing about the earthquake and nothing about going to college in San Francisco. The last thing he remembers is being a high school student and living with his parents in Boston.

     

      Specific diagnosis _______________      General class of disorder _______________

Answer 1

1) Bipolar disorder, mood disorder

2) Alcohol used disorder, Drug abuse sand addiction

3) Post traumatic disorder, general disorder

4)Major depressive disorder

5) Dissociative Identity Disorder

6) Schizophrenia, other psychotic disorder

8) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

9) PTSD - he has been reliving the event for a long time through his nightmares, he's also very irritable. Also - consider the time factor. This has been going on for 2 years. Acute stress d/o is no longer diagnosed if symptoms persist for longer than one month.

10) Dissociative disorder- the general class - suddenly just lost touch with his identity, took off across the country and has no recollection of how he got there or where he had been.