Question 1

Beatrice feels faint every time she thinks of leaving the house and uses various excuses to avoid going anywhere. What is Beatrice suffering from?

Accepted Answer

Beatrice's symptoms of feeling faint and avoiding leaving the house suggest agoraphobia, which is the fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult or help unavailable, often leading to avoidance of public places.

Question 2

Tiana worries excessively about her children, her job, her house, and her finances to the point that she cannot get anything done. Her sense of foreboding is interfering with her ability to sleep, eat, and enjoy life. Which disorder is Tiana most likely suffering from?

Accepted Answer

Tiana's excessive worry about various aspects of her life, along with the interference in her daily functioning and enjoyment, aligns with the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.

Question 3

Laura is in class when she begins to feel uncomfortable, irritable, and unable to focus on anything that is happening. She decides to leave for some fresh air. But as soon as she stands up, she is hit suddenly with an incapacitating attack of anxiety. Which disorder is Laura most likely suffering from?

Accepted Answer

Laura's sudden and intense attack of anxiety, which is incapacitating, is characteristic of a panic disorder, where individuals experience unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear.

Question 4

Carmen complains of headaches, diarrhea, and muscle tension, which began when she started to worry about succeeding in her doctoral program and to fear that her husband will leave her. Which condition is Carmen most likely experiencing?

Accepted Answer

Carmen's symptoms of headaches, diarrhea, and muscle tension, combined with her excessive worry about her doctoral program and fear of her husband leaving, are indicative of generalized anxiety disorder, which involves persistent and excessive worry about various aspects of life.

Question 5

Which disorder is characterized by recurrent and unpredictable attacks of anxiety, panic, or terror?

Accepted Answer

Panic disorder is characterized by recurrent and unpredictable attacks of anxiety, panic, or terror.

Question 6

In what way do phobias differ from ordinary fears?

Accepted Answer

Phobias differ from ordinary fears in that they often involve intense reactions such as fainting or vomiting, which are disproportionate to the actual threat posed by the object or situation.

Question 7

How do phobias differ from generalized anxiety disorders?

Accepted Answer

Phobias are more focused as they are intense fears of specific objects or situations, unlike generalized anxiety disorders which involve a more widespread and persistent anxiety.

Question 8

What do we call an intense, irrational fear focused on a particular object, activity, or situation?

Accepted Answer

A specific phobia is an intense, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation.

Question 9

Which of the following is an intense, irrational fear triggered by a particular object or situation?

Accepted Answer

A specific phobia is an intense, irrational fear of a specific object or situation.

Question 10

Joan's fear of large dogs is irrational and intense. She goes to such great lengths to avoid large dogs that her fear and avoidance of them disrupts her everyday functioning. What is Joan suffering from?

Accepted Answer

Joan's symptoms align with a specific phobia, which involves an irrational and intense fear of a specific object or situation, in this case, large dogs, leading to avoidance behavior that disrupts daily life.

Question 11

Brian suffers from repetitive, intrusive thoughts and uncontrollable urges to perform certain repetitive behaviours. Which disorder would Brian most likely be diagnosed with?

Accepted Answer

Brian's symptoms of repetitive, intrusive thoughts and uncontrollable urges to perform repetitive behaviors are characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Question 12

While an obsession is an unwanted thought, what is a compulsion?

Accepted Answer

A compulsion is an unwanted behavior that a person feels driven to perform, often in response to an obsession.

Question 13

Michael is extremely preoccupied by his fear of germs to the point that he wears a surgical mask, has his home sanitized daily, and washes his hands every time he touches anything. Which condition would Michael most likely be diagnosed with?

Accepted Answer

Michael's behavior of excessive cleaning and fear of germs aligns with obsessive-compulsive disorder, which involves unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions).

Question 14

When a person experiences repeated, uncontrollable thoughts, fears, or mental images that cause great anxiety and distress even though they have no basis in reality, what is he or she experiencing?

Accepted Answer

Obsessions are repeated, uncontrollable thoughts, fears, or mental images that cause anxiety and distress, often seen in conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Question 15

What do the descriptions "acro," "claustro," and "pyro" refer to?

Accepted Answer

These prefixes refer to specific phobias: "acro" relates to heights (acrophobia), "claustro" to confined spaces (claustrophobia), and "pyro" to fire (pyrophobia).

Question 16

Tony has frequent, intrusive recollections of his combat experience in Afghanistan, a month after his return. He experiences emotional numbing and tensing, and avoids loud environments. What is Tony most likely suffering from?

Accepted Answer

Tony's symptoms, including intrusive recollections, emotional numbing, hyperarousal, and avoidance of triggers, align with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can occur after experiencing traumatic events like combat.

Question 17

Two weeks after Vince witnessed the death of a close friend in an accident, he is experiencing insomnia and nightmares. He also has trouble concentrating and unpredictably explodes in anger. What is Vince most likely experiencing?

Accepted Answer

Vince's symptoms, such as insomnia, nightmares, difficulty concentrating, and anger outbursts, occurring shortly after a traumatic event, align with acute stress disorder, which typically occurs within a month of the trauma.

Question 18

Miguel cannot remember vital personal information such as his name, address, and date of birth. His memory problem is not due to a physical or medical condition, drugs, or illness. What condition does Miguel most likely have?

Accepted Answer

Miguel's symptoms align with dissociative amnesia, a condition characterized by an inability to recall important personal information, usually following stress or trauma, without a physical or medical cause.

Question 19

Which of the following would be evidence of a dissociative disorder?

Accepted Answer

Dissociative disorders involve a disconnection and lack of continuity between thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions, and identity. Feeling like a stranger in one's own body and experiencing life robotically are indicative of dissociation.

Question 20

Dorothy disappeared after being accused of murdering her parents, and was found months later living in a convent far from her home. Dorothy claimed that her name was Sister Francis Odile, that she had always been a nun, and that she doesn't know anyone by the name of Dorothy. Even after being positively identified, Dorothy continued to insist on the incorrect name. Which disorder is Dorothy most likely suffering from?

Accepted Answer

Dorothy's symptoms of assuming a new identity and being unaware of her past suggest dissociative fugue, a disorder characterized by sudden travel away from home and inability to recall one's past.

Quiz 11: Psychological Disorders