1. Name That Disorder
This activity presents case studies in which individuals suffer from symptoms of psychological disorders.
Related Topics: Psychological disorders, psychotherapies.
NOTES
This activity should be presented AFTER students have read the section of their textbook on psychological disorders.
The activity consists of eight case studies; in each, an individual experiences symptoms of either panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, paranoid schizophrenia, antisocial personality disorder, agoraphobia, or major depressive disorder.
You might want to present this activity in conjunction with the ActivePsych activity “Creative People with Psychological Disorders.”
Acknowledgements: This activity was written by Antoinette R. Miller, Clayton State University

2. Case Study 1
Irene occasionally experiences unpredictable episodes of intense dread, accompanied by chest pains and a sensation of smothering. Her symptoms have no apparent physical cause.
NOTES
Students will be presented with eight case studies in this activity. After each case study, the following slide will prompt students to identify the disorder from which the person is suffering.
Before moving on to the next case study, have students speculate about Irene’s symptoms and the disorder from which she suffers.

3. Case Study 1: DIAGNOSIS Irene suffers from
obsessive-compulsive disorder
panic disorder
agoraphobia
posttraumatic stress disorder
antisocial personality disorder
NOTES
Irene suffers from “B,” panic disorder. Point out that panic disorder is an anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable minutes-long episodes of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations.
Also point out that anxiety disorders are psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety. In a generalized anxiety disorder, a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal.
If you are using Classroom Response System (iClicker) technology to poll your students, you can graph their responses. For more information on iClicker, go to:
If you don’t have iClicker technology, tally responses manually by having students write responses on a piece of paper. You may collect the papers or ask students to raise their hands to indicate the response they chose.
You can use class responses to launch a discussion or start a debate.

4. Case Study 2
Jason is so preoccupied with staying clean that he showers as many as 10 times each day.
NOTES
Before moving on to the next case study, have students speculate about Jason’s symptoms and the disorder from which he suffers.

5. Case Study 2: DIAGNOSIS Jason suffers from
major depressive disorder
paranoid schizophrenia
panic disorder
bipolar disorder
obsessive-compulsive disorder
NOTES
Jason suffers from “E,” obsessive-compulsive disorder. Point out that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions).
If you are using Classroom Response System (iClicker) technology to poll your students, you can graph their responses. For more information on iClicker, go to:
If you don’t have iClicker technology, tally responses manually by having students write responses on a piece of paper. You may collect the papers or ask students to raise their hands to indicate the response they chose.
You can use class responses to launch a discussion or start a debate.

6. Case Study 3
Although she escaped from war-torn Iraq two years ago, Lila still has haunting memories and nightmares. She is also severely depressed.
NOTES
Before moving on to the next case study, have students speculate about Lila’s symptoms and the disorder from which she suffers.

7. Case Study 3: DIAGNOSIS Lila suffers from
bipolar disorder
antisocial personality disorder
post-traumatic stress disorder
major depressive disorder
agoraphobia
NOTES
Lila suffers from “C,” posttraumatic stress disorder. Point out that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience.
If you are using Classroom Response System (iClicker) technology to poll your students, you can graph their responses. For more information on iClicker, go to:
If you don’t have iClicker technology, tally responses manually by having students write responses on a piece of paper. You may collect the papers or ask students to raise their hands to indicate the response they chose.
You can use class responses to launch a discussion or start a debate.

8. Case Study 4
One day Matt felt optimistic, energetic, and on top of the world. A few days later he felt hopeless and lethargic. He thought that the future looked very grim.
NOTES
Before moving on to the next case study, have students speculate about Matt’s symptoms and the disorder from which he suffers.

9. Case Study 4: DIAGNOSIS Matt suffers from
panic disorder
agoraphobia
major depressive disorder
antisocial personality disorder
bipolar disorder
NOTES
Matt suffers from “E,” bipolar disorder. Point out that bipolar disorder is a mood disorder in which the person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depressions and the overexcited state of mania. (Formerly called manic-depressive disorder.)
Also point out that mania is a mood disorder marked by a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state.
If you are using Classroom Response System (iClicker) technology to poll your students, you can graph their responses. For more information on iClicker, go to:
If you don’t have iClicker technology, tally responses manually by having students write responses on a piece of paper. You may collect the papers or ask students to raise their hands to indicate the response they chose.
You can use class responses to launch a discussion or start a debate.

10. Case Study 5
Claiming that she heard a voice commanding her to warn other people that eating is harmful, Sandy attempts to convince others restaurant patrons not to eat. The psychiatrist to whom she is referred finds that Sandy’s thinking and speech are often fragmented and incoherent. In addition, Sandy has an unreasonable fear that someone is “out to get her.” Consequently, she trusts no one.
NOTES
Before moving on to the next case study, have students speculate about Sandy’s symptoms and the disorder from which she suffers.

11. Case Study 5: DIAGNOSIS Sandy suffers from
paranoid schizophrenia
panic disorder
bipolar disorder
post-traumatic stress disorder
antisocial personality disorder
NOTES
Sandy suffers from “A,” paranoid schizophrenia. Point out that schizophrenia is a group of severe disorders characterized by disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and actions.
Delusions are false beliefs, often of persecution or grandeur, that may accompany psychotic disorders; those with paranoid tendencies are particularly prone to delusions of persecution. Someone with paranoid schizophrenia may jump from one idea to another, even within sentences, thus creating a “word salad.”
If you are using Classroom Response System (iClicker) technology to poll your students, you can graph their responses. For more information on iClicker, go to:
If you don’t have iClicker technology, tally responses manually by having students write responses on a piece of paper. You may collect the papers or ask students to raise their hands to indicate the response they chose.
• You can use class responses to launch a discussion or start a debate.

12. Case Study 6
Bob has never been able to keep a job. He’s been in and out of jail for charges such as theft, sexual assault, and spousal abuse.
NOTES
Before moving on to the next case study, have students speculate about Bob’s symptoms and the disorder from which he suffers.

13. Case Study 6: DIAGNOSIS Bob suffers from
post-traumatic stress disorder
major depressive disorder
bipolar disorder
antisocial personality disorder
obsessive-compulsive disorder
NOTES
Bob suffers from “D,” antisocial personality disorder. Point out that antisocial personality disorder is a personality disorder in which the person (usually a man) exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even toward friends and family members. The person may also be aggressive and ruthless or a clever con artist.
If you are using Classroom Response System (iClicker) technology to poll your students, you can graph their responses. For more information on iClicker, go to:
If you don’t have iClicker technology, tally responses manually by having students write responses on a piece of paper. You may collect the papers or ask students to raise their hands to indicate the response they chose.
• You can use class responses to launch a discussion or start a debate.

14. Case Study 7
Sadie is so fearful of being overwhelmed by anxiety that she rarely steps outside her apartment. The thought of going shopping and getting lost in a crowd terrifies her, so she has her groceries delivered. Because of her fear, she earns her living as a freelance writer and works at home.
NOTES
Before moving on to the next case study, have students speculate about Sadie’s symptoms and the disorder from which she suffers.

15. Case Study 7: DIAGNOSIS Sadie suffers from
obsessive-compulsive disorder
agoraphobia
bipolar disorder
major depressive disorder
panic disorder
NOTES
Sadie suffers from “B,” agoraphobia. Point out that a phobia is an anxiety disorder marked by persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation. In particular, agoraphobia is fear or avoidance of situations in which escape might be difficult or help unavailable when panic strikes.
If you are using Classroom Response System (iClicker) technology to poll your students, you can graph their responses. For more information on iClicker, go to:
If you don’t have iClicker technology, tally responses manually by having students write responses on a piece of paper. You may collect the papers or ask students to raise their hands to indicate the response they chose.
You can use class responses to launch a discussion or start a debate.

16. Case Study 8
For the last month Gabrielle has felt lethargic and has been unable to get out of bed in the morning. She has withdrawn from friends and family because she feels worthless and unlovable.
NOTES
Before moving on to the next case study, have students speculate about Gabrielle’s symptoms and the disorder from which she suffers.

17. Case Study 8: DIAGNOSIS Gabrielle suffers from
major depressive disorder
antisocial personality disorder
paranoid schizophrenia
post-traumatic stress disorder
bipolar disorder
NOTES
Gabrielle suffers from “A,” major depressive disorder. Point out that major depressive disorder is a mood disorder in which a person experiences, in the absence of drugs or a medical condition, two or more weeks of significantly depressed moods, feelings of worthlessness, and diminished interest or pleasure in most activities.
If you are using Classroom Response System (iClicker) technology to poll your students, you can graph their responses. For more information on iClicker, go to:
If you don’t have iClicker technology, tally responses manually by having students write responses on a piece of paper. You may collect the papers or ask students to raise their hands to indicate the response they chose.
You can use class responses to launch a discussion or start a debate.

18. A Concluding Thought
A medical model is when a disease has physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and, in most cases, cured.
With psychological disorders, the medical model assumes that these mental illnesses can be diagnosed on the basis of their symptoms and cured through therapy, which may include treatment in a psychiatric hospital.
NOTES
Point out that the DSM-IV is the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition), and it is a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders. It is presently distributed in an updated “text revision” (DSM-IV-TR).
Explain that the DSM-IV-TR defines a diagnostic process and 16 clinical syndromes.

19. Consider This… How do we define “abnormal behavior”?
Why are personality disorders different from the other “common” psychological disorders?
Can you truly make a diagnoses based on short descriptions such as these?
NOTES
Point out that mental health workers view psychological disorders as persistently harmful thoughts, feelings, and actions. When behavior is deviant, distressful, and dysfunctional, psychiatrists and psychologists label it disordered (Comer, 2004).
Also point out that standards for deviant behavior vary by culture and context. For example, going naked in some cultures may be considered routine behavior that in other cultures would be grounds for arrest. As another example, mass killings during wartime may be considered as normal, or even heroic.
Further point out that maladaptive behavior patterns impair people’s social functioning without anxiety, depression, or delusions—and these disruptive patterns are personality disorders. As an example, remind students of the symptoms presented in case study 6 (Bob, who suffered from antisocial personality disorder).
Point out that the DSM-IV-TR is considered by practitioners to be a helpful and practical tool, although not all are enthralled with its medical terminology. The World Health Organization uses the International Classifications of Disorders (ICD-10), which covers both medical and psychological disorders. Also, most insurance companies in North America require an ICD diagnosis before they will pay for therapy.
***These questions should be used to promote class discussion. They are not constructed for use with Classroom Response System (iClicker) technology.
Source:
Comer, R.J. (2004). Abnormal Psychology. New York: Worth Publishers.