PSYC 2: Discussion Week 9

Class Activity

Instructions: For each case below, give the general class of disorder and the specific diagnosis. A list
of possible diagnoses is listed at the very end.

1. Kim’s college friends asked her if she would come over to their party, Kim hesitantly agreed.
Once Kim arrived at the party, she made her way to her friends but couldn’t find them. Suddenly
she felt trapped as if she couldn’t get out of the mass of people. She felt tense, her heart started to
beat fast, and she felt very anxious as if something bad was going to happen. Ever since that party
she has been afraid to attend any more parties.
-anxiety disorder- Agoraphobia

2. John has no medical history of eyesight loss; however, after experiencing several major stressful
life events he awoke one more lacking the ability to see. Two weeks after seeing several doctors,
all who told him there was nothing physically wrong with him, his eyesight returned to normal.
-somatoform disorder-conversion disorder

3. Suzan has felt incredibly happy for several months and feels she is on top of the world and no one
can touch her. Friends describe her being very energetic, almost like the energizer bunny. This
state seems to come last for a several weeks before reverting to her normal self.
-mood disorder-mania

4. Clint is a clerk for a local court and one day he decides he is not going to work until they agree to
pay him more because he believes he is the only one who can perform his job. The court quickly
finds another person to perform Clint’s job.
-somatoform disorder- Hypochondriasis

5. Dan currently is currently in forth grade and has shown to lack the ability to attend to what the
teacher is saying and occasionally will run off to follow an impulse, such as climbing a tree.
-personality disorder- Narcissistic personality disorder

6. Sam sometimes seems very "wound up." When “wound up” he seems full of energy, talks
rapidly, and makes grandiose plans. During these periods he can often go without sleep. 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 other times, Sam seems very "down." During these times, he wants to
sleep all the time and often makes thinly veiled references to wanting to commit suicide.
-childhood disorders- Attention-deficit Hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD)

7. 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 going out with his friends. His most common response is "I
just don't feel like it." He does not seem to take pleasure in everyday activities. This has been
going on for the past two months.
-mood disorder- bipolar

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

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 9. Shellie constantly worries about being fat. She has decided that food is evil and, as such, will not
eat more than a little bit each day. Shellie prides herself in the control she has over what she eats.
Most days, she limits her food intake to only a few breath mints and glasses of water.
-anxiety disorder-Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

10. Roughly one year ago Larry returned from serving in a war. Although he was not personally
injured, he has had problems since returning. He seems to lack energy and is often quarrelsome
and doesn’t seem to have a steady sleep pattern, often reliving his experiences during the war
through nightmarish dreams.
-eating disorder-Anorexia

11. Patricia is a 44-year-old female who reports that she has periods 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 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.
-anxiety PTSD

12. Tony is manipulative, charming, and lies a lot. His criminal history includes charges of multiple
armed robberies, neglect of a minor, and kidnapping of a 20-year-old man. He never takes
responsibility for his actions and does not think he has done anything wrong.
Dissociative disorder -Dissociative Fugue

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Possible Disorders:

Childhood Disorders:
 Autism
 Attention-deficit Hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD)
Personality Disorders
 Narcissistic personality disorder
 Borderline personality disorder
 Antisocial Personality (Sociopathic Personality)
Dissociative Disorder
 Dissociative Fugue
 Dissociative Amnesia
 Dissociative Identity disorder (Multiple Personalities)
Mood Disorders
 Schizophrenia
 Depression
 Mania
 Bipolar
Somatoform Disorder
 Conversion Disorder
 Hypochondriasis
Anxiety Disorder
 Agoraphobia – (Social Phobia or Panic Disorder)
 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Eating Disorders
 Anorexia
 Bulimia