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What is your diagnosis? For each case listed below, give a…

What is your diagnosis?

For each case listed below, give a diagnosis (2.5 points) and provide a rationale for why you diagnosed this disorder (2.5 points).  Please be specific and use the correct DSM 5 diagnostic terminology- saying the person has a “personality disorder” or “anxiety disorder” is not a diagnosis.  There is no diagnosis of “alcoholism” (it would be alcohol use disorder).  Generally, you’ll need a few sentences (at least) to justify your diagnosis.  Have fun!

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 advice 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.

2.       Greta 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. 

3.       Judith 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, Judith 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.

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.

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.

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.

7.       Zachery is an 18-year-old male who appears boastful, conceited, and arrogant.  When someone accuses him of being that way, he flies into a fit of 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.

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 twice daily.  She washes her hands more than twenty times a day, which takes up almost two hours a day.

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.

10.   Frank was attending college in San Francisco during the 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

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