For this assignment, you will analyze a case and discuss the characteristics of the disorder. The facilitator will assign you one of the two cases to analyze.
Analyze Alice.
Part 1
Part 2
Review and discuss the other case (assigned to the other students) and read those students’ analyses. Compare the characteristics in the two cases and the analyses.
Jerome’s Case
Jerome is a 28-year-old African American male who lives alone in an apartment. He tells everyone he meets that he is a rapper and a male model. He has business cards for each vocation. He has never recorded a song nor held any modeling job. He has worked in a series of entry-level jobs to pay his bills. He usually gets fired for failing to show up to work. He claims he has modeling gigs or is recording when, in fact, he is not.
Much of Jerome’s spare time is spent at the gym and in nightclubs. He has had a series of failed relationships with women that typically end when they confront him about his supposed fame. He has a great deal of difficulty in considering their needs or interests and becomes upset or even abusive if he is not the focus of the conversation.
The closest Jerome got to a singing audition was when he traveled to a nearby city to audition for American Idol. He performed for the judges and was quickly told to stop. When confronted with negative feedback he screamed that they had no idea about music and that he was already a star. He became so unruly that security had to escort him out.
Jerome has had several arrests for fights in nightclubs. He tells the police on each occasion that the other guy started it because “he is jealous of my fame.” Jerome has never been in treatment nor taken any medications. When asked if he has any problems, Jerome reports, “Not me—just waiting for the world to bow down at my feet!”
Alice’s Case
Alice is a 52-year-old Caucasian who was brought to the emergency room by the police in a disheveled and disoriented state. Her clothing was dirty, and she smelled of alcohol. Currently, she is homeless and stays on the streets or in a shelter. When interviewed, Alice appeared guarded. She answered questions only minimally and her answers made little sense. She is concerned that the police “stole her baby.” The police officer who brought her in later provided a child’s baby doll that Alice says is her child. Alice takes the doll with her at all times and cares for it as if it were a real child. There is no evidence that Alice has ever been pregnant.
Alice has a long history of psychiatric hospitalizations and has been on psychotropic medications. When on medications, her thought and speech eventually become clearer. She does not like the medications—she says that they make her tired and gain weight. Alice has some sores on her feet that she has not taken care of, and they appear infected.
