"Lisa is 30 yrs old, married woman and mother of 4 children. She has various worries for years but has never before sought professional help. During the past three months she has become increasingly unhappy to the degree that her family physician finally suggested she seek psychological help. For a number of months Lisa has been experiencing intrusive, repetitive thoughts which centered on her children's safety. She frequently imagined that various, serious accidents has occurred and could not put these thoughts out of her mind. For example, on one occasion she imagined that her son had a broken leg playing football at school and called school to see if he was all right. Even after learning that he was fine, she admitted being somewhat surprised when he arrived home unharmed. Specific numbers have come to have special meanings for Lisa and her preoccupation with them was beginning to interfere with her daily routine. While shopping she worried if she selected the first box of cereal off the shelf, something terrible would happen to her eldest child but if she selected the second box, the next eldest child would be harmed, and so on. If she drank one cup of coffee she found she had to drink four and similarly, she had to smoke four cigarettes in a row to protect her children."

Question

"Lisa is 30 yrs old, married woman and mother of 4 children. She has various worries for years but has never before sought professional help. During the past three months she has become increasingly unhappy to the degree that her family physician finally suggested she seek psychological help. For a number of months Lisa has been experiencing intrusive, repetitive thoughts which centered on her children's safety. She frequently imagined that various, serious accidents has occurred and could not put these thoughts out of her mind. For example, on one occasion she imagined that her son had a broken leg playing football at school and called school to see if he was all right. Even after learning that he was fine, she admitted being somewhat surprised when he arrived home unharmed. Specific numbers have come to have special meanings for Lisa and her preoccupation with them was beginning to interfere with her daily routine. While shopping she worried if she selected the first box of cereal off the shelf, something terrible would happen to her eldest child but if she selected the second box, the next eldest child would be harmed, and so on. If she drank one cup of coffee she found she had to drink four and similarly, she had to smoke four cigarettes in a row to protect her children."

What psychological disorder would you diagnose Lisa with?

Obsessive compulsive. Am I correct?

Answer 1

Anankastic

I am embarassed to think that your instructor has implied that you are qualified to diagnosis symptoms. Live is more complex than that. I currently have a thyroid issue, my primary care doctor sent sonograms, MRI, and lab tests ahead to the thyroid doctor. So I went to the thyroid doctor, and asked her if she received and reviewed what was sent. She said, of course not, I would never look at that until I personally examined the patient first.

Ok, your question, your OCD matches my OCD daughter. But I think if I were to examine the woman, I would look into Anankastic personality disorder also. Sometimes these things are not simple case studies, and sometimes there are multiple disorders functioning.
I do remember a girl I dated in high school, Lord, she had to wash her hands every 15 minutes, it was very impossible to do anything on a date without hand washing. I don't know how her life turned out over the years..

Answer 2

Yes, you are correct. Based on the symptoms described, Lisa appears to be experiencing symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). OCD is a psychological disorder characterized by intrusive and repetitive thoughts (obsessions) along with behaviors or rituals (compulsions) that individuals engage in to reduce anxiety or prevent harm. In Lisa's case, her intrusive thoughts about her children's safety and the need to engage in specific behaviors or rituals to protect them are consistent with the symptoms of OCD. It is important to note that only a qualified mental health professional can provide an official diagnosis, so it's recommended for Lisa to seek professional help for a proper evaluation.