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Dsm-Iv Evaluation

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DSM-IV Evaluation
PSY/270
University of Phoenix

Case Study 1 – Schizoid Personality Disorder There are several believed causes for schizoid personality disorder. Cognitive theorists believe that individuals have a deficiency in the way they think, causing them to not relate and understand others normally, in turn making them withdrawn from others around them. Another believed cause is from the viewpoint of psychodynamic theorists. They believe people suffer from this disorder because of an unsatisfied need for human contact that they did not receive growing up (Comer, 2011). With these types of individuals being so withdrawn from the public, it can make it rather difficult to treat with therapy. There are several forms of therapy that do help assist in treatment however. Therapists try to have the individual experience more happy thoughts and better interact socially (Comer, 2011). They have individuals think about different emotions and write down memories that were happy ones. Also, they try various role paying techniques to teach individuals how to interact socially with others. Group therapy can also be beneficial in exposing individuals to social interaction (Comer, 2011).
Case Study 2 - Narcissistic Personality Disorder Luis in the second case study clearly displays a narcissistic personality disorder, trying to show he is better than others regardless of his current standing in society. There are several proposed causes for this disorder. Psychodynamic theorists believe that the individuals problem begins with an over rejection from parents as a child, leaving them always striving for more and putting on a persona that they are better than others to overcompensate the feeling of rejection (Comer, 2011). Cognitive theorists lean more to the complete opposite of psychodynamic theorists. They believe people develop this disorder because their parents were overly positive and making the child believe they are the best at everything, regardless of if they truly were (Comer, 2011). Sociocultural theorists believe that a family’s values and ideals are what lead to this disorder. If a family holds a stature of being better than others around them, it can lead to a child believe that and in turn continuing those beliefs into adulthood. Unfortunately it can be very difficult to treat these individuals because they do not believe they have a problem. Most do not actually seek help for this disorder, but rather another problem they are experiencing. Psychodynamic therapists focus their treatment on the individual’s defenses and basic insecurities, whereas cognitive therapists focus on the individual’s self-centered thinking. Cognitive therapists also try to redirect the individuals thinking to include the opinions of others, rather than just their thoughts (Comer, 2011). Unfortunately therapy for this disorder has yet to show a clear success rate.
Case Study 3 – Somatoform Disorder Anissa is displaying somatoform disorder since the traumatic car accident she was in. There are several different causes for this type of disorder. With preoccupation forms of this disorder, behaviorists believe the cause is learned through classical conditioning and modeling and cognitive theorists believe that these individuals are so sensitive to their bodily cues, that they are not able to interpret them properly (Comer, 2011). Hysterical forms of this disorder are based off of psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, and multicultural models. Since, these individuals truly believe that they have a medical condition; psychotherapy is generally a last resort option. Most often a form of antidepressant is used when using psychotropic drug therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapists use techniques of pointing out the patients bodily ailments, but prevent medical attention for them; this is repeated until the patient no longer notices the ailments. For hysterical forms of this disorder there are a few different approaches to treatment. Psychodynamic therapists help their patients become aware of their underlying fears and work toward resolving them. Behavioral therapists point out the horrific event the patient went through and assists in making the patient confront the event, to help work through problems associated with the event (Comer, 2011). Biological therapists use anti-anxiety drugs to assist with the patients problems.
Case Study 4 – Dissociative Disorder Karen is displaying dissociative disorder after the loss of her son. Psychodynamic theorists believe the cause of this disorder to be from repression, the mental need/want for not remembering a certain event (Comer, 2011). Behavioral theorists believe the cause of this disorder to be learned through operant conditioning; the individuals feel a temporary relief in thinking about other things than the event that had occurred. The main treatments for this are hypnotic and drug therapy. Being able to bring the event from the unconscious mind to the conscious one can help the individual to address and face the issues at hand.
Case Study 5 – Schizophrenia Tony has started displaying signs of schizophrenia during his time in college. There are several different believed causes for this disorder. There are several biological views, including genetic factors, biochemical abnormalities, abnormal brain structure, and viral problems (Comer, 2011). There are also psychological views that include regression to a pre-ego stage and efforts to reestablish ego control. Cognitive theorists lean toward the biological viewpoints as the cause of this disorder. The multicultural viewpoint suggests that certain ethnic backgrounds are predisposed to this disorder and that economic stress can also aid in the cause of this disorder. There are a few treatments to aid in this disorder. One treatment is milieu therapy; this is where institutes create a better social climate that produces productive activities for these individuals. They also help individuals with improving self-respect and giving patients a sense of responsibility in life. Other forms of treatment for schizophrenia include antipsychotic drugs and psychotherapy (Comer, 2011).

References:
Comer, R. J. (2011). Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology (6th ed.). New York, NY: Worth.

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