Question

Chapter 15 Psychological Disorders: What is Abnormal? (23 marks)

Rationale: The purpose of this activity is to review criterion for psychological disorders.

PART 2: Instructions: For each of the following brief case studies, identify the disorder being described. After you indicate the disorder, identify TWO symptoms from the case study that justifies your answer. Be specific, using the case study symptoms.

1.         Edwina is worried, anxious, and sure that something terrible is going to happen to her. She’s not sure what it would be, but she “just knows.” The feeling occurs on almost a daily basis and frequently keeps her awake at night. This has been going on for over a year.

2.         Last week, Roger suddenly quit his job. He told his family he had decided to learn carpentry. He purchased a truckload of wood and nails, which now sits in his driveway because he changed his mind and decided to enroll in a school for massage therapy. The school confirms that he registered but that he has not attended class. Roger claims that he can learn all he needs simply from reading the books. For the last 3 days, he has not slept. He started to read the massage therapy books but became so upset by the lack of quality photos in the texts that he bought a camera. Today, he is taking photos for his new career as a photojournalist.

Answer 1

1. This is a case of generalized anxiety disorder. This is because she is experiencing persistent and excessive worry and her worries are free floating, that is, they do not attach themselves to specific situations.

2. This appears to be a case of Bipolar I disorder. Edward seems to be in a manic phase, as his behaviour is characterized by elevated energy and activity as well as decreased need for sleep.