Abnormal Final Exam
ADHD
After Marta (age 10) is asked to stop doing something, she will stop for a while, although when she's thinking about something else she might start again. This has earned her many trips to the principal's office, where she expresses regret and says she will stop, but she can't seem to sit quietly in class. She often does her homework but forgets to bring it to class the next day. She has lost her keys, her school text book, and at least 3 coats.
major depressive disorder
Alexa feels very "blah" about the world. She used to be part of a number of clubs and organizations, but she has dropped most of them because she doesn't get anything ouf of them any more. She finally moved into the new apartment she had been exited about two months ago, but she hasn't found the energy or interest to start unpacking. She needs to buy some new furnature, but can't decide what to get (and isn't intersted anyway). Alexa reports feeling guilty about how nice the new place is, and that she probably doesn't deserve it. This thought and others keep her up at night, she says. She also reports feeling agitated, and paces about the room during her interview.
hair pulling disorder (trichtolliomania)
Barbara has pulled out most of her eyebrow hair. She plucks absentmindely at them when she's under stress, and, although she would like to stop she cannot.
schizotypal personality disorder
Barbara has some rather odd beliefs. She's certain that we are all part of a "cosmic chain" and thus the boundaries between herself and others are pretty poor. At times, she feels like part of another world, which makes it hard for her to connect with other people. Many times, she's more comfortable by herself because being around others - even close family - makes her very uncomfortable. These beliefs are not so out of bounds that they can be shown to be false, yet they have big part in her problems getting along in day-to-day life.
personality disorder- trait specified
Barbara has some rather odd beliefs. she's certain that we are all part of a "cosmic chain" and thus the boundaries between herself and others are pretty poor. at times, she feels like part of another world, which makes it hard for her to connect with other people. these beliefs are not so out of bounds that they can be shown to be false, yet they have an outsized role in her problems getting along in day-to-day life
persistent depressive disorder
Becka's family is quite concerned about her. For the past three years, she has stopped doing anything fun with them or with others, complains that she is always tired, and seems to be generally gloomy all of the time. Becka agrees that she hasn't had a great three years and decides to go to treatment to start feeling better. Six years ago, she felt the same way, but otherwise has not had other problems in her life.
hoarding disorder
Betty's house is difficult to navigate because she's accumulated so many papers, books, and junk. She is reluctant to part with any of the clutter as she "might need that!" in the future. She had a roommate for a while to help with expenses, but the person moved out after only a month when the clutter became unmanagable. Betty would like to live in a cleaner house but is unable to do so.
brief psychotic disorder
Beverly started hearing voices and seeing strange birds that no one else can see two days ago, following a very stressful experience with her family. she's never had problems like this before
factitious disorder
Bobby is pretending to hear voices because he likes the attention he gets from friends, family, and especially people at the hospital when they think he is sick. He is not actually hearing voices.
specific learning disorder
Bryn has trouble exprerssing herself in writing. She is able to talk to others just fine, and her other academic skills are fine, but when she goes to write down her thoughts they come out as a jumble.
no diagnosis
Carl is 32 and is sexually attracted to high school girls who have reached puberty but who are not yet 18. He has acted on these urges multiple times and has been arrested for statutory rape several times.
substance abuse disorder
Elizabeth can out-drink everyone (drinking alchohol) before she blacks out. She gets jittery and shaky if she goes for too long without drinking, and she has been arrested for driving under the influence. None-the-less, she drinks regulary, including just before she needs to drive.
insomnia disorder
Claire is unable to stay asleep for more than 3 hours. In the mornings she is tired and groggy. This has been going on more nights than not for several months, with no medical explanation. She is very unhappy about the situation.
female orgasmic disorder
Claudia finds that she becomes sexually aroused during sexual activity, but has difficulty moving past that stage. She is seeking help for this problem from a sex therapist because it is distressing to her.
obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
Elliot strives to be perfect in every way and cannot understand why others do not do so as well. At work, he is excessively focused on the rules and doing things the right way, to the extent that he sometimes loses track of the larger goals of any project he's assigned. He has trouble forgiving friends and family for their shortcomings, and frequently gets into arguements at home about keeping the house neat.
exhibitionistic disorder
Martin gets sexual gratification by exposing his genitals to unsuspecting strangers in parks and other public venues. He enjoys this activity a great deal and has joined an online community of like-minded people, so this activity has actually improved his social relationships
bipolar I
Dennis was hospitalized 5 years ago when he thought that he could absolutely be elected to be mayor of Los Vegas. he'd never been there before though, and got a last-minute flight to go out there. once there, he was arrested on he strip for belligerent campaigning in a casino after he refused to leave. after treatment at the hospital, he was feeling much better for a while, although he has distressing periods where he feels quite blue. he could still enjoy some things, but he didn't have much energy and gained a bunch of weight the most recent time this happened. he was super happy recently to feel very energized and full of plans again, and has gotten quite a bit done
specific phobia
Depak is afraid of falling from a high place. He avoids heights whenever possible, and, if he finds himself in one, he experiences shortness of breath, extreme dizziness, sweating, and an extreme terror that he will die.
genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder
Despite having a long-term sexual partner, Mark hasn't had an erection in a couple of years. This is because he has lost interest in sexual activity most of the time. He would like to be interested in sex again and is distressed that he isn't.
major neurocognitive disorder
Edmund had a major stroke five years ago. His family reports that he's not been the same person since, and in fact has continued to decline in functioning. He's got problems both speaking and understanding when others speak to him or when he reads, although he can see and hear just fine. Lately, he's started having a lot of trouble planning his day and taking care of his finances; he may lose his home soon because he has stopped paying bills even though he has enough money to do so. He's also experiencing trouble with naming simple objects.
psychological factors affecting other medical conditions
Elaina has been told by her physician that she has inherited her mother's heart condition. Once she heard that, Elaina panicked and started having flashbacks to the time her mother died unexpectedly in front of her. Because of her extreme discomfort thinking that she has the same condition, Elaina now refuses to undergo further tests or to start treatment that might substantially prolong her life.
specific phobia
Elise is afraid of storms. Every time she hears thunder she panics and tries to go to the most interior space possible to muffle the sound. She will not drive in the rain or be outside if there are storms predicted for the day. This embarasses her and she would like to get over it.
social anxiety disorder
Emily, a college student, comes to treatment because she is afraid to go to class. She does fine while taking classes online, but she is afraid to sit in the classroom with other students. This is particularly true in smaller classes that require students to speak in class - she worries that if she opens her mouth she'll panic and make a fool of herself. This has been happening to her since she said something foolish the first day of her freshman year: she's now a sophomore
no disorder
Eric wakes up earlier and earlier each day, and gets tired and ready for sleep in the mid- to late afternoon each day. Although he's teased by his friends, he's happy with being a morning guy and is managing to get a lot done at school.
erectile disorder
Ethan has been having trouble attaining an erection lately. In the past, he had no such difficulty, and he can't seem to figure out the cause.
oppositional defiant disorder
Ethan is in 3rd grade. His parents and teachers are concerened because he goes out of his way to actively defy most of the adults in his life. When he gets into trouble for this (and other things), he blames anyone else he can. He spends a good deal of time in school trying to "get even" with kids who he says have slighted him.
panic disorder
Ever since moving to a new city last year, Marcia has near daily episodes in which she feels as if she's not real. During these episodes, she feels dizzy, flushed, and is terrified that she is going crazy. She has no idea when or if it will happen to her again and she lives in fear of having another one.
OCD
Every time Jacob passes a stopped car on the side of the road, he calls 911 to report it. He has reported the same car on more than one occasion and the police have asked him to stop calling. He can't make himself stop, however, because he is afraid that if he does he will drive by a car with someone who got seriously hurt in an accident and that person will die and it will be all his fault. He is extremely distressed by both the thought of failing to help an injured person and by police telling him he cannot call them any more to report cars on the side of the road.
anorexia nervosa
Fergus has lost one hundred pounds this past year. His weight is 15 percent below what his physician says is a healthy weight for him, yet he refuses to acknowledge his thinness or the serious risks of his self-starvation. Fergus is afraid that if he gains weight, no one will ever date him again. Fergus is most likely exhibiting _____
generalized anxiety disorder
For as long as she can remember, Judith worries daily about whether her husband made it safely to work, how her children are getting on in school, what she should cook for dinner, and if the family will be satisfied with the meal she prepares. Judith is sluggish most of the time, and has trouble concentrating on positive things.
bipolar I
For the past three weeks, Austin has been unable to concentrate on much. He is down in the dumps and can't get enjoyment out of the things he used to. He's binge eating, having trouble sleeping, and has felt so worthless that he's considered killing himself. Two years ago, medical records show, he was hospitalized for a full-blown manic episode.
bulima nervosa
Fredrique is of normal weight and is over-concerned with his body image. He often will eat at the all-you-can-eat buffet and then because he feels a lack of control over eating that much, he will use excessive exercising to control his weight.
autism spectrum disorder
From the time Bryan was a small child, he has been extremely sensative to sounds, smells, and uncomfortable clothes. His parents reported that even as an infant/toddler, he did not make eye contact easily and rarely initated conversations. He is now in elementary school and is extremely interested in cars - to the exclusion of anything else. He currently spends most of his time pushing small toy cars around his parents' livingroom floor.
obstructive sleep apnea disorder
Genelle snores loudly, feels fatigued even after 8 hours of sleep, and a sleep study confirmed that she stops breathing several times every hour due to a blocked airway.
pica
Gina eats glue because it tastes good.
frotteuristic disorder
Howard gains sexual gratification by rubbing against and fondling the body parts of nonconsenting adults.
sexual sadism disorder
Jacob has a sexual fixation with humiliating others. He has found many sexual partners, although none of them agreed to be humiliated during sex until he forced it on them. Jacob would not like this information about himself to be made public, but all-in-all he's pretty happy with his sex life.
kleptomania
Jake describes his hobby as "stealing things - the more ridiculous the better". He gets a lot of enjoyment from stealing small and medium-sized objects he will never use and brags to his friends about it.
substance use disorder
Janey uses a legal substance to get a buzz because she enjoys it. She has gone into debt to pay for this habit, and is in danger of losing her job because she spends a good deal of time buzzed and unable to work. She has tried to quit using, but is uanble to find anything she enjoys as much as she enjoys that substance.
borderline personality disorder
Janine has been in and out of the hosptial for suicidal behaviors and threats for the past 7 years. She either loves or hates the people closest to her, with no in-between. She's always had a poor sense of who she really is as a person and feels empty inside.
major neurocognitive disorder
Jasica, an older adult, is having difficulty remembering what she did yesterday and is often not able to find the right word to say what she wants to say. This has been getting gradually worse over the past few years. In the past 8 months, she has started swearing when she would never have sworn in the past. She also has had problems with remembering simple steps to get things done, like how to pay bills or how to floss her teeth. Last week, she nearly burned her house down when she forgot that she had turned on a burner to her stove, and yesterday in the grocerey store she forgot where she was and kept asking people to call her (deceased) husband to come and get her.
adjustment disorder
Jason has been very angry with the world since being dumped by a short-term romantic partner a few weeks ago. They had gone on a couple of dates, but it didn't seem to be headed into a serious relationship. Since the "breakup", Jason has had trouble concentrating at school, snaps at all of his friends, and was recently arrested for getting into a bar fight.
specific phobia
Jason is afraid to take a train because, although he knows better, he fears that he will be injured or killed in a train wreck. This has caused him significant difficulties in the past year in getting to work in the major metropolitan area in which he lives, and he seeks treatment for it.
illness anxiety disorder
Jeanette often tells others that she has ulcerative colitis (a gastrointestinal disease) and will die of it like her grandfather. although she has a few symptoms of any gastrointestinal problems, medical professionals to see if she has it
ADHD
Jeannette is an adult who feels extremely restless. She's had difficulty sitting still her whole life, and, although she no longer fidgets as noticiably as she did when she was younger she still feels the need to be on the go. She takes frequent, impulsive trips, although the wait to get on the airplane or bus or being stuck in traffic makes her very impatient.
anorexia nervosa
Jerome refuses to eat enough to meet his daily calorie needs. He weighs only 75% of what he should weigh. He does this due to a false, fairly unshakable belief that he is too fat, combined with an intense fear of being fat.
illness anxiety disorder
Jessica is so worried that she has inherited her mother's heart condition that she avoids any and all excitement. She has read and reread online heart disease sites, and is certain she has at least one, maybe two, fatal heart conditions. Because of her fear, she avoids even routine medical care if there is any chance that her heart function might be measured.
PTSD
Jim is a former police officer who retired from the force two years ago following a deadly shootout following a traffic stop. He received a serious gunshot wound that nearly killed him, but he has now make a complete physical recoverly. He has trouble sleeping and avoids the part of town in which the shooting occurs. Although he doesn't exactly blame himself, he does wonder if he could have prevented the entire incident if he had done some things differntly. He feels very guilty when he thinks this, as one of his friends was killed in the incident. He has trouble driving because every time he sees the car like the one the shooter drove, he feels trapped in his memories of the incident and finds it impossible to concentrate on the road.
no diagnosis
Jimmy uses a legal substance to get a buzz because he enjoys it. He can afford his habit, and although some of his relatives disapprove he does not face any other repercussions from its use.
encopresis
Martin, a 27-year-old resident in a group home, has started to deficate in the corners of his group living space. He knows he shouldn't do this and seems embarassed about it, but he also seems to be doing so intentionally.
no diagnosis
Martinique is on vacation in Australia. While there, her local friends tell her that they've spotted an eastern brown snake, an aggressive deadly snake that attacks with little provocation, in their back yard. Later that afternoon, Martinique is walking barefoot through the back yard and she encounters a snake that appears to be the eastern brown snake in her path. She freezes out of fear that it might bite her.
adjustment disorder
Ken received a traffic ticket three weeks ago. Although he was charged with running a red light, he's pretty sure that the light was yellow. He's found it difficult to concentrate on much else since the ticket. He paid the ticket off immediately, but is worried about its impact on his driving record (which is otherwise good) and what it says about his judgement. Basically, he can't let it go, and his worry and anxiety about the ticket are affecting his social interactions with other people.
narcissistic personality disorder
Kent expects that other people will treat him as being smarter, more athletic, and all around better than them. He gets angry when people question his ability, and will go to great lengths to tell others how wonderful he is.
bipolar II
Kim has periods of time where she feels much more energetic than usual. she's full of plans, doesn't need much sleep, and her friends tell he she talks a LOT. she gets a lot done during those times though. When she's not experiencing this energetic surge, she sometimes feels pretty normal and other times feels so sad and lethargic she can't do anything. when that happens she loses all interest in things she normally likes to do, has trouble thinking, and feels very slowed down. she's considered suicide during a couple of these times. this goes on for days or weeks until she starts to feel OK, then good again
bulima nervosa
Laurell is of normal weight and is over-concerned with her weight and figure. She often will eat an entire box of doughnuts and then because she feels a lack of control over eating that much will use laxatives to get rid of the unwanted calories.
specific learning disorder
Lulu is in 4th grade and generally does well in school. Her family has helped her study for hours for spelling tests, but she still fails them. Her IQ is well above average and the rest of her grades are great.
paranoid personality disorder
Mallory has never gotten along with others - she thinks that most other people are evil and otherwise out for nothing but themselves. Consequently, she trusts almost no one.
no diagnosis
Marie has periods of time where she feels much more energetic than usual. she's full of plans, doesn't need much sleep and her friends tell her she talks a LOT. she gets a lot done during those times though. when shes not experiencing this energetic surge, she feels pretty normal and has no concerns
avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder
Marike had multiple difficult medical treatments as a child, many of which left her nauseated. Although she has made a complete medical recovery, she finds it difficult to eat enough to maintain a healthy body weight as she still associates food with vomiting. As such, she now eats only small amounts of very bland food and is only able to maintain her physical health by using supplements.
malingering
Marilyn is pretending to hear voices to avoid jail time for assault. She is not actually hearing voices.
pyromania
Marjorie frequently sets fires. She feels a lot of tension before setting them and, although from time to time she can reduce it by distracting herself, she frequently feels she needs to set a fire to calm herself down. She's been arrested for starting illegal fires several times.
delirium
Marjorie is an elderly women who is in a medical hosptial recovering from major surgery. Since beginning oral pain medication following the surgery, she has become extremely disoriented, with no idea where she is or why she is there. She has trouble concentrating and planning even simple things, like a trip to the bathroom. This was 3 days ago and, athough sometimes she is better other times she is not.
social anxiety disorder
Marsha is usually afraid of social interactions with people she does not know. When she had to give a presentation for work recently, she ran out of the room, certain she'd make a complete fool of herself. She had very sweaty palms, her heart was racing, and her mind was blank. This has happened several times before and is interfering with her career.
no diagnosis
Martin consistently gets low scores on standardized IQ tests and performed badly in school. He lives in an apartment by himself, which he pays for out of his check from the job he's held for 9 years. Much of the rest of his check goes for other living expenses like food, clothes, etc. which he manages himself. He sees friends and family regularly, and is known as a good cook.
no diagnosis
Mary has pulled out most of her eyebrow hair. She is going for a "bald look" that she saw online and wants to have only the barest hint of eyebrows.She's succeeded, with only a fine line above each eye now
factitious disorder
Mary pretends to have the same heart condition as her mother because her mom treats her nicer if she thinks they share the same disease. They read websites on the disease and talk about various treatment options together. Mary does not have heart disease and has been told as much by her physicians, but, because Mary is an adult, her mom is not part of those conversations. They have attended national conventions together for people with the disease, and a good part of Mary's identity is wrapped up in being a patient with this problem. She and her mom are even planning to write a book together about coping with heart disease and how it brought them closer together.
avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder
Mary refuses to eat enough to meet her daily calorie needs. She weighs only 75% of what she should weigh. She does this because she does not like the way any food tastes, and finds the feeling of food in her stomach "disgusting".
substance use disorder
Michelle has been using a substance for a long time and would like to stop. Every time she tries, however, she feels absolutely lousy so she continues to use to prevent that. She has sacrificed lots of money and time to get her substance and is in danger of breaking up with her significant other over it. When she isn't using, she can't wait until she can sneak away and use again.
no diagnosis
Mick has a sexual fixation with humiliating others. He has found many willing partners who enjoy being humiliated during sex. Mick would not like this information about himself to be made public, but all-in-all he's pretty happy with his sex life.
no diagnosis
Mike eats laundry pods as part of a dare.
personality disorder- trait specified
Neil has a long standing pattern of taking any possible with little regard for the consequences. he cares little about what will happen as the result of his actions and thus he's made very poor decisions (when he's made them at all) about his goals in life. his relationships with others have have also suffered, as he cannot be trusted to followed through on even most basic friendship tasks like showing up when plans have been made
delirium
Patrice, an older adult, is having difficulty remembering what she did yesterday and cannot find the right word to say what she wants to say. This started abruptly last week. She also is having problems with remembering simple steps to get things done, like how to pay bills or how to floss her teeth. Today, she nearly burned her house down when she forgot that she had turned on a burner to her stove, and yesterday in the grocerey store she forgot where she was and kept asking people to call her (deceased) husband to come and get her.
agoraphobia
Patty comes to treatment because she has been afraid to take the train to work for the past year. She tells the therapist that she feels "trapped" inside the train between stations and that she "freaks out" if she thinks about the fact that she can't leave too much. She has had similar feelings about being in a crowd - she'll be stuck there and can't leave.
malingering
Reginald was in a motor vehicle accident. although there is no damage to him physically, he wears a neck brace when other people can see him. he admits to his friends that he is hoping to sue the other drive for a lot of money
bipolar II
Sarah comes to treament because she is extremely sad. In the past month, she has been sleeping 15 hours a day, her appetite is gone and she's lost weight, and she feels as if life will never get any better but only worse. She speaks very slowly and in a very sad tone of voice, punctuated by tears. This is odd, she says, because just six months ago she was happier than she has ever been. She was full of energy and only needed a few hours of sleep. During that time, she took what she now calls "silly risks", but she felt GREAT about herself then. She even ended up doing better than normal at work, and made a bunch of new friends. She reports having "mood swings" like this in the past too, but this time she's just unbearably sad.
no diagnosis
Sherman has not slept more than three hours for the past month or so. Despite this he feels rested and better than ever. He is really excited about a bunch of projects he is working on, and talks about them rapidly and exitedly to anyone who will listen. Outside listeners think his ideas are somewhat unlikely but basically sound and Sherman is no danger to himself or others. He has had no previous problems, and has never before had his mood change dramatically from a "normal" level, either up or down.
circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder
Shondra works the night shift, but her body and mind are still on the day shift. She cannot become accustomed to her new work routine, even though she has been on it for 5 months. She is unable to sleep when she is off work, and on the job, she's exhausted and ready to sleep. Her performance at work has slipped and she is in danger of losing her job
conduct disorder
Sondra bullies other kids, initiates fights, has broken into someone's car, and has shoplifted several times before. Her parents brought him into treatment because, at age 14, she's already been picked up for truancy 8 times.
intermittent explosive disorder
Susan is in marital therapy because she frequently initiates fights with her spouse. She describes being unable to control her anger, and has destroyed some of their favorite things in fits of rage. Although she has never hit her spouse, she's threatened to do so on many occasions.
psychological factors affecting other medical conditions
Susan is so freaked out about her cancer diagnosis that she can't participate meaningfully in making decisions about her treatment. As a result, she is not getting the medical care that she needs to treat the cancer.
no diagnosis
Tabitha's siblings and friends think that she owns too many collectable figurines. She does have over 1000, and they cover most of the shelves in her living room, dining room, and bedroom. They are on shelves and not in the way of her living space - she lives alone - and she loves having them displayed. She is reluctant to part with any of them, and she can easily afford them.
specific phobia
Terrance is afraid of dogs. He can pet them if he really needs to (for example, if it would be socially awkward to refuse), but when he does he feels a huge rush of fear. He tries to avoid being around them at all costs, to the point that he avoids going to events that he worries might attract people with dogs. He rebooked a flight one time when a passenger on his original flight had a service dog with them.
adjustment disorder
Three months ago Elizabeth was demoted at work, an event she describes as "humiliating and VERY traumatic!!" on her intake form. Since then, she's been sad and has trouble getting out of bed to go into work. What dignosis fits her problem best?
dissociative amnesia
Three weeks ago, Tracy witnessed a very bad car accident in which the driver was killed. Tracy herself was standing on the corner at the time the accident happened and was not injured. Although she would like to help with the police investigation, she is unable to remember anything helpful, but she's pretty sure she saw the whole thing - the first thing she can remember is seeing the cororner's truck pull away. She feels very badly about this.
no diagnosis
Tina has not, nor has she ever been, interested in sexual activity. She is perfectly happy with her life as it is and sees no need to change.
PTSD
Tina was in a terrible car accident three years ago. Although she was seriously injured, her best friend was killed on impact. She blames himself for the accident even though her friend was driving. Sometimes she feels as if the accident is still happening or has just occurred.She avoids riding in a car or driving; instead she walks everywhere possible, even destinations that are miles away. She has difficulty sleeping and the sound of traffic still can alarm her. She's often angry, even when she's not specifically thinking about the accident, and she has trouble enjoying the good things in his life.
intermittent explosive disorder
Vaughn has violent outbursts that scare his coworkers. He has even destroyed property and been arrested for assault. His outbursts are disproportionate to the amount of frustration the incident should generate and has now led to him being fired as well as a no contact order being placed on him from his girlfriend.
OCD
When Gerald is distressed, he counts anything he can. Sometimes this is no problem, but other times he's so busy counting ceiling tiles, cracks in the sidewalk, or lines of type on a page that he can't finish the task he's trying to do or get to where he needs to be on time. He's had days where the only thing he has accomplished for school is counting the pages in his textbook and the lines of type on the page.
dissociative identity disorder
When Steven first came to treatment, he was very gloomy and had a dismal view of the world and everything in it, including himself. Then one day, he came to a treatment session full of delight and wonder. That day, he asked the therapist to introduce herself because he didn't recall knowing her. He said he came to the appointment because he figured it was something he had to do as it appeared in his calendar for that day, but he didn't recall having sessions in the past. He also asked her to change all of his records from Steven, which is not his name, to Parker.
acute stress disorder
While working as a paramedic, Ronald is often exposed to violent death and injury. Although it normally doesn't bother him, six days ago he worked a car crash in which his son's friend was killed. Since then, he's been unable to stop thinking about the event, has had trouble sleeping, often feels as if he is back at the scene of the accident, has been irritable, feels worthless, and has even started avoiding his young son. What diagnosis fits his problems best?
panic disorder
chad has been to the emergency room 7 times in the past year thinking that he's having a heart attack. Although each time he has been reassured that he is perfectly healthy, he none-the-less has recurrent episodes of shortness of breath, chest pains, and dizziness which cause him to be certain that he is dying. He's terrified that he will have another episode.
depersonalization/derealization disorder
elmer repeatedly feels as if he's watching his life from a distance. on many occasions, he's felt very detached from what's going on and as if he were in a virtual reality simulation rather than his real life, although he knows that isn't true (and is actually IS real life); it just doesn't feel that way to him. He finds this very unnerving and would like it to stop
narcolepsy
for the past year, Bob has been overcome with tiredness several times a day. Frighteningly, he sometimes falls asleep in the middle of what he is doing without realizing it, even though he gets adquate sleep each night. This is causing him a lot of distress.
dissociative amnesia
jeanette's mother died suddenly eight years ago. Before, she died, the mother asked everyone to leave the room except for jeanette. presumably, she had something to say to jeanette of great importance. Jeanette has never been able to remember their conversation, though, no matter how hard she tries. she remembers being at her mothers bedside with the other relatives, then she remembers in the hallway outside the room as medical personnel filed out and said they were sorry but nothing more could be done. Jeanette would very much like to recall what her mother told her just before she died but jeanette seems to have blanked it out. this has caused jeanette much anguish over the years, and has caused her more than a few problems with relatives who do not believe that she does not remember what her mom said.
bipolar I
john was hospitalized 5 years ago following a physical fight with his family members. they were trying to stop john from spending the very last of their family savings on a "sure-fire plan to go to the moon! according to john at the time. at the time, john had already spent $10,000 on sheet metal to build his rocket; he was trying to spend the rest of the money on all the things you'd need for spaceflight including juice boxes, space suits, and helmets (which he thought he could make from motorcycle helmets). when the police arrived, john was talking very fast and could not be dissuaded from his plans! he had not slept more than an hour or two in the past week, but was ready to go and full of energy. after treatment at the hospital, he was feeling much better and he hasn't had any particular problems since
malingering
kaitlyn says that she hears voices and sees things that aren't there. she is actually pretending to have these problems though: she is hoping to get a disability payment for severe mental illness
schizophrenia
margaret hears voices when no one is around. she's heard them for years, and she has made peace with them. she's made so much peace, in fact, that she does little besides sitting and staring- she's not able to take care of her basic needs because she can't get herself to do anything
schizophreniform disorder
stanly has been hearing voices for the past six weeks. During the same time, he has also expressed a lot of worry that his private thoughts are apparent to others, especially "the world government". According to his family, he has also stopped bathing or otherwise taking care of himself. Two months ago he had few if any symptoms, and he hasn't had any psychological problems before this.
no disorder
teddy gets sexual gratification from "stealing" his girlfriend's underwear and masturbating into them. She knows he is doing this and finds it weird, but is basically OK with it.
schizophrenia
tommy believes that thoughts are being pulled out of his head by a thought sucking machine run by google. he has trouble expressing this to people, though, because when he tries to explain his experiences he easily gets derailed and often says nonsensical things. although he is out now, eight months ago, after the thought sucking started, he was immobile for several days straight. he's had these other problems continually since then
