lecture 11 p8: psychological challenges

Question 1

Flum Anesthesia

Answer 1

○ Individuals with conversion disorder may experience symptoms like numbness from the wrist down.
○ This symptom has no medical basis but is perceived by the individual, suggesting a psychological origin

Question 2

Brain Processing and Conscious Experience

Answer 2

○ Some cases involve individuals reaching for objects or moving out of the way despite claiming the inability to see.
○ The brain processes visual information, but a disconnect prevents it from reaching conscious awareness.
○ Understanding the precise mechanisms behind these experiences remains a challenge

Question 3

Factitious Disorder

Answer 3

● Intentional feigning, exaggeration, or induction of physical or psychological symptoms
(○ Motivation is not external incentives but often centers around garnering attention or making medical professionals look foolish)

● Former Terminology
○ Previously known as Munchausen Syndrome, where individuals mimic symptoms for attention or to assume the sick role.
○ An extension is Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, where caregivers induce symptoms in others, typically vulnerable individuals.

Question 4

Factitious Disorder and Motivations

Answer 4

● Intent to Embarrass Medical Professionals
● Seeking Preferential Treatment

Question 5

Intent to Embarrass Medical Professionals

Answer 5

○ Individuals with factitious disorder intentionally create symptoms, often resorting to extreme measures such as self-injections or ingestion of harmful substances.
○ Motivations may include harboring a grudge against medical professionals.

Question 6

Seeking Preferential Treatment

Answer 6

○ Some individuals develop a desire for the sick role’s preferential treatment.
○ They intentionally produce symptoms to receive special attention, a phenomenon more common in those who experienced it as children

Question 7

Montausel by Proxy

Answer 7

● Similar to factitious disorder but involves inducing symptoms in another person, often a child under one’s care.
○ Caregivers may administer substances, medications, or perform actions leading to symptoms in the child

Question 8

● Motivations Montausel

Answer 8

○ Motivations may include a desire for attention, portraying themselves as exemplary caregivers.
○ In some severe cases, the child may experience fatal complications from medical interventions or induced symptoms

Question 9

Understanding Montausel by Proxy

Answer 9

● Attention-Seeking Behavior
● Fatal Consequences

Question 10

Attention-Seeking Behavior

Answer 10

○ Individuals engaging in Montausel by Proxy often seek attention and accolades for their caregiving abilities.
○ The act of inducing symptoms in the child becomes a means of garnering sympathy and admiration.

Question 11

Fatal Consequences

Answer 11

○ In severe cases, the child may suffer fatal outcomes due to complications from medical interventions or the induced symptoms themselves.
○ This behavior is deemed a form of severe child abuse

Question 12

Dissociative Disorders and Stress

Answer 12

Triggered by Stressful Events

○ Dissociative disorders often emerge in response to highly stressful or traumatic events.
○ The mind may compartmentalize or separate aspects of itself to cope with overwhelming experiences.
○ Different types of dissociative experiences include amnesia, derealization, and depersonalization.

Question 13

Depersonalization

Answer 13

Feeling of Separation from Body

Question 14

depersonalization criteria

Answer 14

○ Depersonalization involves a sense of separation from one’s body.
○ Individuals may feel as if they are observing themselves from an external perspective, similar to a dreamlike state.
○ Sensations of limbs moving without control contribute to the disconnect experienced

Question 15

Derealization

Answer 15

● Perception of the World as Unreal

Question 16

derealization criteria

Answer 16

○ Derealization includes a distorted perception of the external world.
○ Individuals may feel as if reality is foggy, dreamlike, or lacking authenticity.
○ Sensory distortions contribute to the feeling that the real world

Question 17

Types of Dissociative Amnesia

Answer 17

● Localized Amnesia
● Selective Amnesia
● Generalized Amnesia
● Continuous Amnesia
● Anterograde Amnesia

Question 18

Localized Amnesia

Answer 18

○ Loss of memory or awareness for a specific time frame or place.
○ Examples include not remembering activities during a certain time of the day or night.

Question 19

Selective Amnesia

Answer 19

○ Remembering specific events during a time frame while remaining unaware of other occurrences.
○ Individuals recall certain incidents but not the entirety of what happened.

Question 20

Generalized Amnesia

Answer 20

○ Loss of memory not restricted to a specific time frame.
○ Memory gaps may extend across various events, creating a more generalized form of amnesia

Question 21

Continuous Amnesia

Answer 21

○ Inability to form new memories while retaining ongoing gaps in memory.
○ Often seen in cases where new experiences fail to integrate into long-term memory.

Question 22

Anterograde Amnesia

Answer 22

○ Impaired ability to create new memories after a specific event or point in time.
○ Notable examples include the case of H.M., who had anterograde amnesia following the removal of the hippocampus

Question 23

Dissociative Fugue

Answer 23

○ Dissociative fugue involves not only amnesia but also unexpected travel away from home.
○ Individuals may take on a new identity during this state.
○ The condition often arises from significant stress or trauma.

Question 24

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Answer 24

● Characterized by Multiple Personalities
○ DID involves the presence of two or more distinct identities, each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the world.
○ Transitioning between identities often associated with memory gaps.
○ The disorder may arise as a protective mechanism during severe abuse or trauma.

Question 25

Role of Stress in Dissociative Disorders

Answer 25

● Memory Loss and Coping Mechanism
○ Stressful or traumatic events can trigger dissociative experiences, including memory loss.
○ Dissociation serves as a coping mechanism, allowing the mind to compartmentalize overwhelming experiences.
○ Understanding the relationship between stress and dissociation is crucial in diagnosis and treatment.

Question 26

Selective Recall in Dissociative Amnesia

Answer 26

○ Selective amnesia illustrates how individuals may recall specific events while remaining unaware of others during a particular time.
○ The mind selectively retains or blocks memories in response to stress.

Question 27

Amnesia and Biographical Information

Answer 27

○ Dissociative amnesia may involve an inability to recall or report on biographical information.
○ The memory loss is often consistent with the nature of the stressful or traumatic event.

Question 28

DID facts

Answer 28

○ Involves the presence of two or more distinct identities or personalities.
○ Each personality has its own unique pattern of perceiving and interacting with the world.
○ Transitioning between identities is often associated with memory gaps.

Question 29

Three Main Features of DID

Answer 29

● Mutually Amnesia
● Distinct Identities
● Mutual Awareness or Lack Thereof

Question 30

Mutually Amnesia

Answer 30

○ Each personality may have amnesia regarding the experiences of the other personalities.
○ Memory gaps may exist between the periods when different personalities are dominant.

Question 31

Distinct Identities

Answer 31

○ Each identity has its own set of characteristics, including differences in intelligence, cognitive functioning, and personality traits.
○ These differences extend beyond what might be typical in role-playing or adopting different personas.

Question 32

Mutual Awareness or Lack Thereof

Answer 32

○ Some systems involve all personalities being aware of each other’s existence.
○ In other cases, certain personalities may have no awareness of others.

Question 33

Dissociative Disorders & trauma exp.

Answer 33

○ Dissociative disorders often emerge as coping mechanisms in response to severe trauma or stress.
○ The mind may compartmentalize different aspects of the self to shield against overwhelming experiences.

Question 34

Therapy-Induced Personalities

Answer 34

Creation of Personalities in Therapy:
○ Some personalities may be created during therapy sessions, especially if there are leading questions or suggestions.
○ This highlights the importance of careful and ethical therapeutic practices in cases of dissociative disorders.

Question 35

Challenges in Diagnosis

Answer 35

Distinguishing Trauma-Induced and Therapy-Induced Cases
○ Distinguishing between personalities that emerge from traumatic experiences and those created during therapy can be challenging.
○ It requires a comprehensive understanding of the individual’s history and experiences.