Psychology Abnormal Behaviors Practice
anorexia
"I remember during treatment where Anne, my dietician, was working with me to include a muffin with my breakfast. I put the muffin on my plate and stared at it. It may as well have been a tarantula or python. I took a bite and literally could see my thighs getting fatter. The muffin was going straight to my thighs. I threw the muffin away after two bites and went running."
schizophrenia
At age 20, Solomon was admitted to the hospital after he went to the local FBI office demanding that the surveillance tapes that he believed were being collected regarding his daily activities be handed over. When asked why he thought the FBI was watching him, he said that 'someone' had told him to be careful because his activities were being recorded by the FBI.
obsessive compulsive disorder
Brian has repetitive and unwanted thoughts that he will harm himself. He does not want to harm himself, but cannot get out of this repetitive thought loop. These thoughts occur multiple times throughout the day and are very time consuming.
intellectual disability
Cece was a pleasant 24-year-old with appropriate skills for everyday social interactions. Although she was able to shower independently, someone had to first check the water temperature to make sure it wasn't too hot otherwise she'd scald herself. Although she understood hamburgers needed to be cooked before eating, her only attempt to cook independently had set the kitchen on fire. She is interested in men but does not understand the basic concepts of intimate relationships.
hoarding disorder
Cody has not used the kitchen in his house for years due to the clutter that covers every inch of his home. When asked to remove items or face eviction, Cody has great distress and fears losing important information. He cannot come to terms with throwing away, selling, giving away, or recycling his beloved possessions.
antisocial personality disorder
Donald has been arrested on numerous occasions for disturbing the peace and for illegally producing and selling alcohol and drugs to minors. Although a number of his clients have died from overdose, he feels no remorse.
persistent depressive disorder
For over two years, Louise has felt like she was living under a constant gray cloud. She felt as if she had lived through the marriage of her daughter and the birth of her first two grandchildren like a zombie. She felt no joy, no wonder, and would rather stay home than visit her grandchildren.
agoraphobia
Gina has not left her home in over 10 years. She fears that if she leaves her home she would not be able to get help. She has tried to leave her home, but it has only resulted in extreme stress and panic.
agoraphobia
Jay is terrified of the mall and tourist attractions, for fear that he would not be able to get help if something horrible happened. He also fears large crowds. Due to his fears he avoids these areas or requires someone to go with him to help calm his nerves.
body dysmorphic disorder
Jon believes that he is not muscular enough, even though he looks normal to everyone else. He has joined a gym and exercises daily to make his body look bigger. His extreme exercise sometimes leads to bodily damage.
body dysmorphic disorder
Juanelle is 26 years old and convinced her chin juts out terribly from the rest of her face. She is a very attractive young woman, but sees nothing but her chin when she looks in the mirror. She obsesses about how awful she looks and believes that other people think she's hideous. The only places she goes is to the grocery store and the doctor. When she's walking around the store, she covers her face with her hand or a towel. She constantly considers plastic surgery to alter her current chin.
histrionic personality disorder
Karmen threatened her psychiatrist that she would overdose on Advil. She was urged to go to the emergency where she explained that her back was "killing" her. When asked about her suicidal comments, she said they were "no big deal." She said she just wanted to worry her husband and to "teach him a lesson because he has no compassion for me." When asked if she would hurt herself, Karmen exclaimed with a smile that she didn't realize it was so serious to make threats. She mentioned that it was so nice and sweet for so many people to be concerned about her.
specific phobia
Katrina has an irrational fear of thunderstorms. Every time there is a thunderstorm she is anxious and cannot leave her home. This is greatly impacting her social and work life. She is also fearful of flying. This fear has prevented her from being able to go on business trips and visit family members.
post traumatic stress disorder
Kylie witnessed her husband have a terrible skiing accident that resulted in his death. She avoids her memories and thoughts as much as possible because it causes so much distress. Now when she sees skiing gear she is transported back to the terrible experience. Her friends have remarked that her mood has changed and she has become more distant and irritable. Her nights are restless and she is jumpy. She is really struggling to function in her daily life.
obsessive compulsive disorder
Linda thinks that her home is dirty and she will become contaminated if she does not clean her kitchen. This daily cleaning takes hours to complete. Her hands are rubbed raw, she has not been able to maintain friendships, and she is struggling to keep up with work.
generalized anxiety disorder
Lucinda always feels tense and jittery. Her worry shifts from one concern to another. Sometimes she is bothered by her job and other times she is worried that she cannot get everything done on her "to do list." She is constantly uneasy and her friends are always remarking how she is irritable, on edge, and hard to get along with.
post traumatic stress disorder
Luke was brutally attacked three months ago at a social gathering. He has been struggling with intrusive memories and flashbacks. Sometimes it's as if he is right back to the moment the attack happened. Now he avoids that area of town and the friends he was with that night. At night he struggles to sleep as he often has wild dreams when he does finally fall asleep.
somatic symptom disorder
Margaret did not have any college or training in an occupational field. After she divorced, she took a job at a local elementary school as a lunchroom worker. Sometimes she cooked, sometimes she served, and other times she cleaned the kitchen. One day she slipped and hurt herself. Although she was cleared by her doctor to return to work, Margaret reported severe lower back and neck pain. An extensive battery of tests did not reveal any medical reason for the pain, yet it was so persistent and severe that she applied for disability because she could no longer work.
panic disorder
Maya was studying for exams late at night when she was suddenly overwhelmed with fear. She was short of breath, her heart was pounding, she was sweating, and she was very nauseous. It felt like she was losing control. Since then she has unexpected attacks that have been separated by weeks or months and she never sees them coming.
specific phobia
Michelle was once trapped in an enclosed water slide and now has an irrational fear of narrow, enclosed spaces. She has been interviewing for a new job and there is a perfect match, but her new place of employment would be on the 14th floor. She cannot use the elevator at her workplace because of her irrational fear and she doesn't know what to do. Other areas of her life are also being negatively impacted by this fear.
hoarding disorder
Nicole has over 500 dogs in her possession. She loves her "babies," but her dogs are living in deplorable conditions (crowded, dirty, excess waste). Many of the dogs are underfed and rarely taken to the vet. She cannot bear to part with her beloved pets.
conversion disorder
Norene, a 55 year old woman, was admitted to the psychiatric ward of the hospital with the complaint: "I have these fits and no one can find the cause." Norene describes the sudden onset of seizures in which she falls down and shakes uncontrollably. She does not lose consciousness and the seizures do not result in any injury. When she "falls" she usually falls slowly into a chair or onto the couch, suggesting some control over her bodily movements. Recently her last child moved out of the house and her seizures started shortly after. There appears to me no medical reason for her seizure disorder.
social anxiety disorder
Pete is fearful of being scrutinized when he is eating. This greatly impacts his social life. He is unable to go out to dinner with his friends and he struggles on dates. He worries every day leading up to a date, because he might spill food or have food caught in his teeth.
borderlilne
Robin was a senior in high school. She was moody and very sensitive. At the beginning of her sophomore year she died her hair black and started wearing black eye makeup and black clothing. She rarely spoke at home, hid in her room, and avoided family meals. Whenever anyone showed concern for her well-being she got angry and pushed them away. One evening, she ran into her mom's room screaming she was going to die. Blood was pouring from her right arm. Her mother took her to the ER where her mother learned that Robin had been cutting. Under her long sleeves and long pants, her arms and legs were covered with scars and cuts. Robin was discovered to be heavy into drugs and drinking, and had very few friends.
body dysmorphic disorder
Sue has extreme and upsetting concerns about her appearance. She believes that her nose is abnormally shaped, even though no one can notice her perceived defect. On a regular basis she checks herself in the mirror and she is continuously touching her nose. When she is with her friends she talks of her nose often and believes that she looks "hideous."
social anxiety disorder
Suzy fears being judged by others. When she has to do a speech for school in front of her classmates she fears being judged as "crazy" and thinks that everyone will just stare at her. Her fear controls her life and she repeats the speech for days in advance.
generalized anxiety disorder
Tammy is always tired and worn out. It seems that she is always worried but is never sure why. This constant worry has led to muscle tension, horrible headaches, and a disrupted sleep schedule. The worry is pervasive and she is distressed.
obsessive compulsive disorder
Tom has aggressive thoughts that don't seem to go away. These thoughts consume him for hours during the day and are interfering with his home and work life. He has fair insight and recognizes that the thoughts are not true, but he cannot get rid of them.
panic disorder
Trisha was overwhelmed with terror. Within minutes she started shaking, her heart started pounding, she got dizzy, and she feared losing control. Since then she fears that this extreme worry will return. Because of this worry she has been staying home more often and denying requests to go out with friends.
obsessive compulsive disorder
Walter ran over a bump last week and he believes that he ran someone over. He has spent countless hours driving through the neighborhood looking for someone hurt on the side of the road.
dissociative amnesia
Wu moved to the US from Malaysia when he was in his thirties. He was grief-stricken when he had heard his mother was ill for a short time then died. 4 weeks after he heard the sad news, he was waiting for the subway when someone suddenly bumped into him. Wu became discombobulated (confused and disconcerted), alternating between talking incoherently and using foul language, pointing at what he said was a "snake." After a few minutes (during which the police arrived), he quieted down and became sullen. Wu claimed he did not remember anything about the whole event.
