Karen is unfocused,her speech is pressured,and she appears to be in a state of euphoria.For the last week she has gotten no more than 2 hours of sleep a night.Yesterday,she took a second mortgage on her house,flew to Hawaii,and bought some property and a surf shop.Considering these behaviours and symptoms,a psychologist might diagnose Karen's problem as:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Karen's symptoms, including euphoria, lack of sleep, pressured speech, and impulsive behavior such as taking out a second mortgage to buy property and a surf shop in Hawaii, are indicative of a manic episode. This is a symptom of bipolar disorder, specifically the manic or hypomanic phase. Dysthymia is a chronic low-grade depression that lasts for two years or more, hypochondriasis is a preoccupation with having a serious medical illness despite evidence to the contrary, and somatoform disorders involve physical symptoms without any medical explanation. None of these diagnoses fit Karen's symptoms and behaviors.

Karen Is Unfocused,her Speech Is Pressured,and She Appears to Be