Psychotic Disorder

Anxiety disorder is a mental disorder that affects the person’s feelings of fear and anxiety. This disorder can take the form of the phobic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. The disorders result from conditions such as drug use, withdrawal from given drugs and genetic factors. On the other hand, psychotic disorders are also mental disorders that appear as the confusion of a person’s personality. This results in hallucinations, incoherency, chaotic speech and delusions. Individuals who suffer from psychotic disorders are often said to be schizophrenic. This paper involves the diagnosis of the six clients’ conditions defining the specific types of anxiety disorders or psychotic disorders by identifying the DSM IV-TR criteria that are evident in each client’s condition. It is important to note that some of the studies are co-occurring disorders, others are substance induced, and lastly, some of them are mental health conditions only.

Case 1

The Allyson case involves a mental case disorder that is specifically a general anxiety disorder. Allyson is a 25-year-old lady who works from home. The mental disorder makes her uncomfortable amongst people, and thus, she prefers being alone and work from home. Allyson meets the criteria given that the anxiety experienced by her causes impairment or distress in occupational, social and other important functional areas. The mental disorder which is of general anxiety disorder results from usage of medication, a general medical condition or drug abuse. Also, Allyson does not suffer mental disorders exclusively as a result of the psychotic disorder, mood disorders or pervasive development disorders. The DSM IV-TR criterion that is noticeable in Allyson’s case is the presence of hard and excessive inability to control anxiety and worry, which occurs persistently. It is also evident given that it results to insomnia, fatigue, tension and impaired concentration.

Case 2

Tom suffers from a psychotic disorder known as the delusional psychotic disorder. In Tom’s condition, he is concerned with fixed beliefs that involve real-life experiences or situations about the September 11 terrorist attacks in his mind. Given that he was near the location of the 9/11 attacks, these situations keep reoccurring in his mind upon having the sight of a plane flying overhead. Persons that are diagnosed like Tom usually have such delusions persisting for close to thirty days and upon the occurrence of a particular event that reminds the person of the past experiences. The DSM IV-TR criterion that is evident in Tom’s case is the delusional disorder criterion that encompasses the occurrence of non-bizarre delusions, which is a part of a mental disorder. Tom meets this criterion given that the delusions occur persistently within the environment that necessitates the occurrence of such delusions, which results from his living closer to the site of the September 11 attacks.

Case 3

Jennifer’s friend, Mark is suffering from a mental anxiety disorder referred to as phobic anxiety disorder. This phobic disorder is usually characterized by the persistent fear of a given person, situation or object, which results in the person committing certain acts to ensure that the situation is avoided. Such actions by the persons suffering from phobic anxiety are termed as excessive and are usually irrational and disproportionate to the extent of the danger that is posted. The perceived danger that is posed by the object, situation or person reduces the person’s occupational and social activities, and given that Mark is only 19, such a condition may persist for a long time. Mark usually hides in his bedroom and believes that the government will not be able to hear what he is saying only when he is in his bedroom.

The side effects is that Mark’s occupational activities have been hampered given that he no longer goes to work and that he has increased the intake of pot. The specific criteriaon that is evident in this case is the phobia criterion given that Jennifer’s friend, Mark is government phobic. The conditions have been met as stated above considering that Mark has taken an irrational step that is not proportionate to the danger posed by the government. This means that there is the element of unreasonable fear and much anxiety that results from exposure to a given object, and he seeks to avoid such a situation as much as possible including failing to go to work.

Case 4

Angela, a 35-year-old human resources manager and mother is suffering from a substance-induced psychotic disorder as a result of her usage of the methamphetamines substance. She believes that by using this substance, she will be able to perform better her work chores; she also thinks that the substance gives her enough energy when she is home to manage her household and children. The specific characteristics that are observed in Angela’s case are her obsession with her boss who she thinks is going to fire her the next minute. This takes place even though there are no visible signs that her career is at risk. The case can be regarded as delusional disorder given that the patient suffers from having persistent false, fixed beliefs that involve real life occurrences, which may be true to a certain extent. This makes individuals such as Angela think that they are being conspired against, and such delusional behaviors usually persist for a month unless they are substance-induced like in Angela’s case.

Case 5

Justin, a 20-year-old college student who recently started lining his single dorm room with tin foil suffers from generalized anxiety disorder. The specific characteristics of such a mental disorder are the conditions that he is living in given that he thinks that his neighbors have been listening to on his phone conversations and wants to prevent their listening with the use of this foil. This has led to him cutting his social so that he no longer attends classes and has stopped interacting with his friends. The specific criteria that is evident in this case is the presence of conditions of general anxiety disorders that are characterized by a string of uncontrollable and excessive worry about one’s personal security. This criterion has been met in Justin’s case as he has cut short his social life by stopping his interaction with his friends and college mates. It is also evident that Justin has had such a condition persisting for a long period of time, which ultimately interferes with his social life.

Case 6

Karen is a 35-year-old wife and mother suffering from a psychotic disorder referred to as the substance-induced psychotic disorder. This is evident given that after she withdrew from the consumption of alcohol, she has become constantly worrying, restless and irritable. It is evident that Karen has had difficulties withdrawing from the consumption of alcohol taking into consideration the fact that she had been mixing vodka with other drinks such as coke and ginger ale. The specific DSM IV-TR criterion that is evident in Karen’s case is the alcohol withdrawal disorder. This happens when the brain adapts to the continuous usage of alcohol, and thus, sudden withdrawal from alcohol intake results in substance-related disorders such as withdrawals, irritableness, restlessness and a lot of worries. Karen meets the criteria given that she suffers from alcohol withdrawal effects that affect her mood levels.