Humanities Homework Help

I’m studying and need help with a Psychology question to help me learn.

Make sure to read Chapter 12 before doing the exercise. Read each vignette and answer the questions after each vignette.

Eric is a 25-year old Caucasian male, who was brought to the emergency room by police officers after responding to a 911 call by a distraught girlfriend. When the clinical social worker was brought in, Eric was talking incoherently to himself, was disheveled, and agitated. He stopped when he noticed the social worker in the room and informed her that, “they are coming to get him.” When pressed what he meant, Eric stated that the “green men in the sky” have been listening to his “brain aura.” He became more agitated and began banging his head on the wall, at which time the medical doctor was called in to sedate Eric. The girlfriend, who was waiting in another room, informed the social worker that she first noticed Eric’s strange behavior 2 weeks ago, which became progressively worse. She added that she had to call the police because she was afraid he would hurt himself.

1. What is Eric’s diagnosis? How did you come to this conclusion?
2. How would you explain Eric’s behavior from the biological model? How would he be treated from the biological model?

Alberto is a 22-year old Hispanic American male, who was referred to Dr. Strange for therapy by his mother due to increased stress at his job. Although Alberto has avoided dwelling on problems related to his job, he has begun to develop irrational beliefs about his lover, Elizabeth. Despite Elizabeth’s repeated vows that she is consistently faithful in the relationship, Alberto has become obsessed with the belief that Elizabeth is sexually involved with another person. Alberto is suspicious of everyone with whom Elizabeth interacts, questioning her about every insignificant encounter. He searches her closet and drawers for mysterious items, looks for unexplained charges on the charge card bills, listens in on Elizabeth’s phone calls, and has contacted a private investigator to follow Elizabeth. Alberto is now insisting that they move to another state.

1. What is Alberto’s diagnosis? How did you come to this conclusion?
2. How would you explain Alberto’s behavior from the behavior model? How would he be treated from the behavior model?

At the time of her admission to a psychiatric hospital, Hazel was a 42-year-old mother of three children. She had a 20-year history of schizophrenia-like symptoms, and she experienced periodic episodes of mania. Her schizophrenia-like symptoms included delusions, hallucinations, and thought disorder. These symptoms were fairly well controlled by antipsychotic medications, which she received by injection every two weeks. She was also treated with lithium to control her manic episodes; however, she often skipped her daily dose because she liked “feeling high.” On several occasions following extended periods of abstinence from the lithium, Hazel became manic. Accelerated speech and bodily activity, sleepless nights, and erratic behavior characterized these episodes. At the insistence of her husband and her therapist, Hazel would resume taking her lithium, and shortly thereafter her manic symptoms would subside, although her schizophrenia-like symptoms were still somewhat evident.

1. What is Hazel’s diagnosis? How did you come to this conclusion?
2. How would you explain Hazel’s behavior from the psychodynamic model? How would she be treated from the psychodynamic model?

George is a college junior who has devised an elaborate system for deciding which courses to take, depending on the course number. He will not take a course with the number 5 in it, because he believes that, if he does, he might have to “plead the Fifth Amendment.” Rarely does he talk to people in his dormitory, believing that others are intent on stealing his term paper ideas. He has acquired a reputation for being somewhat of a “flake” because of his odd manner of dress, his reclusive tendencies, and his ominous drawings of sinister animals displayed on the door of his room. The sound of the nearby elevator, he claims, is actually a set of voices singing a monastic chant. George’s older brother informed the therapist that George has always been “odd” since he was young but that the behavior became more pronounced when he attended college.

1. What is George’s diagnosis? How did you come to this conclusion?
2. How would you explain George’s behavior from the cognitive model? How would he be treated from the cognitive model?

At the time that Jon, a 26-year old Caucasian male, developed a psychological disorder, he worked for a convenience store chain. Although family and friends always regarded Jon as unusual, he had not experienced psychotic symptoms. This all changed as he grew more and more disturbed over the course of several months. His mother thought that he was just “stressed out” because of his financial problems, but Jon did not seem concerned about such matters. He gradually developed paranoid delusions and became preoccupied with reading the Bible. What brought his disturbance to the attention of his supervisors was the fact that he had submitted an order to the district office for 6,000 loaves of bread. He had scribbled at the bottom of the order form, “Jesus will multiply the loaves.” When his supervisors questioned this inappropriate order, Jon became enraged and insisted that they were plotting to prevent him from fighting world hunger. Paranoid themes and bizarre behaviors also surfaced in Job’s dealings with his wife and children. Following two months of increasingly disturbed behavior, Jon’s boss urged him to see a psychiatrist. With rest and relatively low doses of antipsychotic medication, Jon returned to normal functioning after a few weeks of hospitalization.

1. What is Jon’s diagnosis? How did you come to this conclusion?
2. How would you explain Jon’s behavior from the sociocultural model? How would he be treated from the sociocultural model?

Julio met Ernesto in the company cafeteria of the accounting firm where they both worked. After a brief and very casual conversation, Julio began to develop the belief that Ernesto was secretly trying to break into his workstation to plant faulty reports. Soon Julio became convinced that Ernesto was conspiring with three others in their unit to make it appear that Julio was incompetent. Julio requested a reassignment so he would no longer have his job, in his opinion, jeopardized by the behavior of his co-workers.

1. What is Julio’s diagnosis? How did you come to this conclusion?
2. How would you explain Julio’s behavior from the [pick a model] model? How would he be treated from the [pick a model] model?

Joshua is a 43-year-old man who stands daily near the steps of a local bank on a busy street corner. Every day for the last couple of years, he wears a Red Sox baseball cap, a yellow T-shirt, worn-out hiking shorts, and orange sneakers. Rain or shine, day in and day out, Joshua maintains his post at the bank. Sometimes he is conversing with imaginary people. Without provocation, he sobs miserably. Sometimes he explodes in shrieks of laughter. Police and social workers keep taking him to shelters for the homeless, but Joshua manages to get back on the street before he can receive treatment. He has repeatedly insisted that these people have no right to keep bothering him.

1. What is Joshua’s diagnosis? How did you come to this conclusion?
2. How would you explain Joshua’s behavior from the [pick a model] model? How would he be treated from the [pick a model]model?