Essay Question Pool

1. Meet Althea. She is a 13 year old girl who presents as very nervous, uncomfortable, and restless. She tells you that she gets very anxious whenever she is in public and so she struggles to leave the house. Althea also tells you that she has significant anxiety about being humiliated or embarrassed in front of others. She thinks that she will do or say "something stupid" and so she tends to avoid situations involving large groups or public performance. While Althea is quite concerned about her own health, her schoolwork, and the possibility of the big earthquake finally hitting the Lower Mainland, she also says that she is quite concerned about her father's safety. She noted that whenever she is separated from her father and hears sirens, she worries that her father might be in danger. Because of Althea's fears about her own death as well as her father's, she engages in a variety of rituals (e.g., not touching the colour red, making sure that her belongings are all arranged symmetrically) in order to deal with the distress that these thoughts cause her. Discuss which diagnoses may apply to Althea. There are several so be sure to mention them all. Within your discussion, you might want to (read: should) comment on the reasons why it may be difficult to settle on a particular disorder. Finally, give some ideas on how you might begin to work with Althea in therapy.