Page 1 of 3 Maladaptive Behavior and Psychopathology © 2013 Argosy University Psychological Evaluation Confidential: For Professional Use Only Name: Jessica E. Smith Date of Birth: 7-18-68 Date of Evaluation: 4-12-09 Clinician: S. Freud, PhD Reason for Referral Smith was referred for a psychological evaluation by Bart Jackson of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to assess her current level of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning and to provide recommendations for vocational service planning. Background History The following background information was obtained from an interview with Smith and a review of the demographic information sheet that she completed before the evaluation. Smith is a forty-one-year-old Caucasian female who was referred for a psychological evaluation by the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to assist with determining eligibility and to assess whether her emotional problems are interfering with her ability to work. She initially requested assistance from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation in October 2008 to assist her with maintaining employment. At this time, she is interested in learning new skills to enable her to find full-time work in an office setting. Smith was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, and raised in a small nearby town, Williamsport, Pennsylvania. She is the oldest of three children born to her mother and father following an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery. Her younger sisters relied upon her for their after-school child care once their mother returned to work when she was twelve years old. She spoke of her mother as having been physically and emotionally abusive in the past, often yelling, hitting her, and pushing her around. While her mother took her frustration out on Smith, her father would drink alcohol in excess. To cope with the difficult situation at home, she began to drink alcohol and cut herself with a straight-edged razor. Smith was active in school-related activities. She did not receive special educational services or have significant behavioral problems in school, describing the classroom as a safe place where she could be a ―kid.‖ Smith graduated from high school and began attending a business college in Allentown, Pennsylvania. After attending classes for several months, Smith dropped out to spend more time with her friends and to begin working at various part-time jobs. She has worked as a waitress, in a grocery store, and as a babysitter. After leaving school, Smith returned home, where she began spending time with old friends who drank alcohol and used recreational drugs. By the age of eighteen, she had begun to starve herself and burn herself with a lighter. Her second to youngest sister was killed in a car wreck around this time. To assist her with coping, Smith began to drink on a regular basis and rely upon crank (crystal meth) to regulate her mood. She attempted suicide by takin.

1. Page 1 of 3
Maladaptive Behavior and Psychopathology
© 2013 Argosy University
Psychological Evaluation
Confidential: For Professional Use Only
Name: Jessica E. Smith
Date of Birth: 7-18-68
Date of Evaluation: 4-12-09
Clinician: S. Freud, PhD
Reason for Referral
Smith was referred for a psychological evaluation by Bart
Jackson of the Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation to assess her current level of cognitive,
behavioral, and emotional functioning and to provide
recommendations for vocational service planning.
Background History
The following background information was obtained from an
interview with Smith and a review of the

2. demographic information sheet that she completed before the
evaluation.
Smith is a forty-one-year-old Caucasian female who was
referred for a psychological evaluation by the
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to assist with determining
eligibility and to assess whether her
emotional problems are interfering with her ability to work. She
initially requested assistance from the
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation in October 2008 to assist
her with maintaining employment. At this
time, she is interested in learning new skills to enable her to
find full-time work in an office setting.
Smith was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, and raised in a
small nearby town, Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
She is the oldest of three children born to her mother and father
following an uncomplicated pregnancy and
delivery. Her younger sisters relied upon her for their after-
school child care once their mother returned to
work when she was twelve years old. She spoke of her mother
as having been physically and emotionally
abusive in the past, often yelling, hitting her, and pushing her
around. While her mother took her frustration
out on Smith, her father would drink alcohol in excess. To cope
with the difficult situation at home, she
began to drink alcohol and cut herself with a straight-edged
razor. Smith was active in school-related
activities. She did not receive special educational services or
have significant behavioral problems in
school, describing the classroom as a safe place where she could
be a ―kid.‖ Smith graduated from high
school and began attending a business college in Allentown,
Pennsylvania.
After attending classes for several months, Smith dropped out to

3. spend more time with her friends and to
begin working at various part-time jobs. She has worked as a
waitress, in a grocery store, and as a
babysitter. After leaving school, Smith returned home, where
she began spending time with old friends who
drank alcohol and used recreational drugs. By the age of
eighteen, she had begun to starve herself and
burn herself with a lighter. Her second to youngest sister was
killed in a car wreck around this time. To
assist her with coping, Smith began to drink on a regular basis
and rely upon crank (crystal meth) to
regulate her mood. She attempted suicide by taking someone
else’s prescription medications and slitting
her wrists. She was subsequently hospitalized on a psychiatric
unit for one week. After discharge, Smith did
not follow through with recommendations to follow up with
outpatient counseling. Instead, she resumed her
alcohol and drug use as a means of coping with the emptiness
that she was feeling inside. As her
substance use became more problematic, Smith began to
participate in inpatient and outpatient substance
abuse programming. She met with a counselor at the local
community mental health center and was
admitted to a residential rehab program. She has remained drug
free since leaving the program in 2004;
however, she has had difficulty in remaining sober. Smith has
been arrested three times for drinking under
the influence (DUI) and at times, has temporarily lost her
driver’s license. In November 2005, she sought
Psychological Evaluation
Page 2 of 3
Maladaptive Behavior and Psychopathology

4. © 2013 Argosy University
2
mental health services again to assist her with remaining sober
and to address her underlying history of
depression. She continued to attend outpatient counseling on a
sporadic basis until August 2006 when she
recognized that her depressed mood rendered her incapacitated.
Thus, she began attending two individual
psychotherapy sessions per week, biweekly psychiatric
consultations, and participating in weekly home-
based case management services.
Smith identifies her eight-year-old daughter and her boyfriend
as her supports and sources of motivation to
remain sober. She describes having had a series of physically
and emotionally abusive relationships with
men in the past, which have affected her mood and ability to
cope with difficult situations. Smith has often
become depressed and had thoughts of suicide after a
relationship has ended. She acknowledges turning
to alcohol or isolating herself when she feels overwhelmed. She
initially moved to Jersey City two years ago
to get away from the people whom she described as ―bad
influences.‖ She has worked part-time at a local
grocery store and participated in the vocational rehab program
to assist her with returning to work. Despite
their interventions, Smith has failed to maintain employment for
longer than six months. She has also
described herself as having difficulty maintaining friendships
and trusting others. Smith currently lives in
New Jersey with her daughter. She is unemployed and receives
food stamps and Medicaid.

5. Behavioral Observations
Smith is a Caucasian female of average build who appeared to
be her stated age. She was dressed
casually and her grooming and hygiene were adequate. She wore
small, round-framed glasses with her
short-brown hair pushed back behind her ears. She maintained
good eye contact with the examiner, often
pushing her glasses up on her nose or placing her hair behind
her ears as she spoke of something that
made her feel uncomfortable. Smith was cooperative during the
evaluation, appearing motivated to answer
all questions posed to her in an honest and forthright manner.
She seemed alert and well rested, relating
appropriately to the examiner. Smith often apologized for not
knowing an answer to a test item or stated
that she could not do something that she perceived as difficult.
Tests Administered
igence Scale®—Third Edition
(WAIS®–III)
—Third Edition (WRAT-3)
(MMPI-2)
-Motor Gestalt Test
Mental Status Examination Results
Smith reports an extensive history of mental health treatment,

6. having received inpatient and outpatient
treatment for depression and substance abuse. She has been
prescribed Prozac, Paxil, Remeron,
Klonopin, Xanax, Valium, and Librium to assist with managing
her depressive symptomology and difficulties
with controlling her anxiety and physical withdrawal from
alcohol and methadone. Smith’s attitude toward
this evaluation seemed quite positive as evidenced by her
interest in participating in the evaluation and self-
report. She appeared to answer all questions honestly and did
not appear to be irritated with the evaluation
process. Her responses were spontaneous and she needed
minimal redirection to respond to the questions
that were asked of her. Smith was oriented to person, place, and
time and denied having experienced
auditory or visual hallucinations. She denied current thoughts of
suicide; however, she acknowledged
having attempted suicide as a teen. Smith reportedly used a
razor blade to slash her arms, hit herself with a
hammer in the face, took someone else’s prescription
medication, and burned her arms with a lighter after
fighting with her mother, breaking up with a boyfriend, feeling
rejected, and losing her younger sister. She
reported having had a couple of mutually fulfilling relationships
in the past, although she indicated that she
had difficulty getting along with people. Her remote and recent
memory showed no signs of impairment;
however, her ability to make realistic life decisions was marred.
Medical history is significant for a back
injury that occurred following a car wreck (1984) and removal
of her gall bladder (1996). Since the car
wreck, Smith has experienced lower back pain when lifting
heavy weights or moving in an awkward fashion.
Assessment Results and Interpretations

7. Psychological Evaluation
Page 3 of 3
Maladaptive Behavior and Psychopathology
© 2013 Argosy University
3
Intellectual Functioning
The WAIS®–III was administered to obtain an estimate of
Smith's current level of cognitive functioning. The
results from this evaluation suggest that Smith is functioning
within the Low Average range of cognitive
functioning with no significant difference evident between her
verbal and nonverbal reasoning abilities.
Overall, Smith demonstrated abilities ranging from the Low
Average to Average range with relative
strengths in her word knowledge, categorical thinking, and
ability to distinguish essential from nonessential
details with a relative weakness in her abstract reasoning skills.
Smith's WRAT-3 performance showed high school–level
reading, eighth grade–level spelling, and fifth
grade–level arithmetic skills. She achieved a Low Average
range standard score on the reading and
spelling subtests with a Borderline range standard score on the
arithmetic subtest. She reported having had
difficulty with arithmetic in school and often becoming too
anxious to complete her assignments or finish
test items. Thus, this score is likely an underestimate of her
current level of functioning. Results suggest

8. that her fundamental academic functioning is below average;
however, due to the lack of discrepancy
between her achievement and intelligence test scores, the
presence of a learning disorder was not
evidenced.
Visual Processing and Visual–Motor Integration
Smith's ability to reproduce or copy designs was assessed on an
instrument involving visual–motor
integration and fine-motor coordination. She appeared to
accurately see the stimulus figures and
understand what she saw; however, she had difficulty
translating her perceptions into coordinated motor
action. She completed the Bender-Gestalt test in two minutes,
forty-two seconds and incurred four errors of
distortion and rotation. A short completion time such as this is
often associated with impulsiveness and
limited concentration.
Personality Assessment Results
The MMPI-2 was administered to assess Smith’s personal
attitudes, beliefs, and experiences. Smith’s
MMPI-2 profile suggests that she acknowledges that she is
experiencing a number of psychological
symptoms. She is likely to be experiencing a great deal of stress
and seeking attention for her problems. At
times, Smith comes across as a confused woman who is
distractible, has memory problems, and may be
exhibiting personality deterioration. Thus, she is in need of
intensive outpatient therapy and psychotropic
medication to continue to address her long-term personality
problems. Smith might be described as an
angry woman who is immature, engages in extremely pleasure-
oriented behaviors, and feels alienated. She

9. is likely to feel insecure in relationships, act impulsively, and
have difficulty developing loving relationships
with others. She often manipulates others (men) and may
hedonistically use other people for her own
satisfaction without concern for them. She has difficulty
meeting and interacting with other people, is
uneasy and overcontrolled in social situations, and tends to be
rather introverted.
Smith has a negative self-image and often engages in
unproductive ruminations. She frequently reports
having numerous somatic complaints when she is anxious and
feels as though other people are talking
about her. Under stress, her physical complaints will likely
exacerbate. Her insight into her problems is
limited and she often attempts to find solutions that are simple
and concrete. She may prefer to be alone or
with a small group due to feeling alienated from the
environment. She often exhibits poor judgement,
emotional liability, and impulsivity. Smith may become upset
easily and overreact to situations. Her profile
reflects a chronic pattern of maladjustment, which may affect
her ability to solve problems and fulfill her
obligations. It is likely that Smith has a history of
underachievement in school and in the work force due to
her inability to cope with difficult situations.
DIAGNOSTIC CASE REPORTS 2
DIAGNOSTIC CASE REPORTS 3

10. RA: Diagnostic Formulation
Sherry L. Crowe
Dr. Jennifer Hahn
Maladaptive Behavior & Psychopathology
FP6005
March 29, 2017
Running head: RA: DIAGNOSTIC FORMULATION 1
RA: Diagnostic Formulation
Assignment 2: RA: Diagnostic Formulation
Review the case given below case study (Psychological
Evaluation for Jessica E. Smith) for this required assignment
(RA). On the basis of the information in the case study, provide
a principal (primary) and a secondary diagnosis for the person
using the most recent DSM codes. You will also discuss your
diagnoses in narrative (paragraph) form. Then, identify and
discuss at least one differential (possible alternate) diagnosis
for the principal diagnosis and at least one differential (possible
alternate) diagnosis for the secondary diagnosis that you gave.
Lastly, discuss whether a diagnosis from other conditions that
may be a focus of clinical attention is warranted.
While you are welcome to list medical conditions that might be
a concern, your primary and secondary diagnoses should be
psychological conditions listed in DSM-5.
Your paper should have separate sections for:
· Principal and secondary diagnoses
· The reasons for selecting the principal and secondary
diagnoses
· Social and cultural factors that may influence the principal
and secondary diagnoses
· Differential diagnoses, including a consideration of whether a
diagnosis from other conditions are applicable
· The reasons for selecting the differential diagnoses

11. · Your rationale and justification for why your actual diagnoses
are a better fit than your differential diagnoses
Include citations and references in APA style. Your paper
should be 5–7 pages in length.
Click here to read the case study (Psychological Evaluation for
Jessica E. Smith).
Submission Details:
· By Wednesday, March 29, 2017, save your report as
M3_A2_Lastname_Firstname.doc and submit the document to
the M3 Assignment 2 RA Dropbox.
Assignment 2 Grading Criteria
Assignment Component
Proficient
Maximum Points
Provide a principal diagnosis for the selected case study.
At least one principal diagnosis was provided.
20
Provide a secondary diagnosis for the selected case study.
At least one secondary diagnosis was provided.
20
Discuss the rationale for the principal and secondary diagnoses
in narrative form.
Discussed clear reasons for the principal and secondary
diagnoses based on the DSM criteria.
24
Discuss social and cultural factors that may influence the
principal and secondary diagnoses
Provided a thorough discussion on social and cultural factors
that may influence the principal and secondary diagnoses
24
Identify at least one differential (alternate) diagnosis for the
principal diagnosis.
Provided a plausible differential diagnoses for the principal
diagnosis, including a consideration of whether a diagnosis
from other conditions are applicable
20

12. Identify at least one differential (alternate) diagnosis for the
secondary diagnosis.
Provided a plausible differential diagnoses for the secondary
diagnosis, including a consideration of whether a diagnosis
from other conditions are applicable.
20
Discuss the reasons for your differential diagnoses.
Gave a clear rationale for each of the differential diagnoses
based on the DSM criteria.
32
Justify why your initial diagnoses are a better fit than the
differential diagnoses.
Clarified why your actual diagnoses are better suited for the
person in the vignette than any of the differential diagnoses.
24
Writes in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrates
ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of
sources (i.e., APA); and displays accurate spelling, grammar,
and punctuation.
Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated
ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of
sources; and displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and
punctuation.
16
Total:
200
Anxiety Disorders
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that
18% of the population suffers from anxiety disorders in any
given year. The following are anxiety disorders that occur in

13. adults:
· Specific phobia
· Social anxiety disorder (social phobia)
· Panic disorder
· Agoraphobia
· Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
· Substance/medication-induced anxiety disorder
· Anxiety disorder due to a medical condition
You may be familiar with some of these disorders through
media accounts, such as movies or news stories. Many
individuals suffer from anxiety in social settings, such as when
they have to do public speaking, or have an irrational fear of
things, such as a fear of snakes.
GAD is a common anxiety disorder. GAD is when an individual
feels an overwhelming sense of anxiety with no identified
precipitant, quite frequently in such a way that some aspect of
his or her life functioning is affected. Often, in a correctional
setting, an offender may request a consultation with a
psychiatrist in order to request antianxiety medication, which
has a sedative effect. Jail and prison settings are conducive to
anxiety due to being busy, crowded, noisy, uncomfortable, etc.
Therefore, because the emotional response of anxiety is
appropriate to the situation, it would not qualify as a disorder.
Instead, it is more effective to teach offenders relaxation
techniques that they can use to quell any anxious feelings.
Further, offering behavioral techniques to address anxiety rather
than making a referral to a psychiatrist for medications is a
particularly appropriate response for offenders who might have
substance abuse issues, since the goal is to try to reduce their
reliance on medications to cope with their feelings.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders
With the publication of DSM-5 in 2013, obsessive-compulsive
disorders (OCDs) were given their own distinct category.

14. Previously, there was only one type of OCD, and it was
included in the anxiety disorders category in DSM-IV-TR. In
the current version of DSM, multiple types of OCDs are listed.
Other disorders that are included in the obsessive-compulsive
category are body dysmorphic disorder, hoarding disorder,
trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder), and excoriation (skin-
picking disorder). However, these disorders are much less likely
to be encountered by a forensic mental health professional.
Also, within the Obsessive Compulsive Disorders section
of DSM lies OCD. A further exploration of OCD itself can be of
help in distinguishing it from its same-name category.
OCD, as the name implies, involves obsessions (repeated,
unwanted thoughts, such as “I’m going to be harmed”) and
compulsions (repeated, unwanted behaviors, such as hand
washing or excessive checking). The thoughts typically center
on something bad happening if the behavior does not occur. The
behavior will temporarily relieve the thoughts only for them to
soon return until another repetition of the behavior occurs to
again temporarily relieve them, for example, “Before I leave the
house, if I don’t check twelve times that every appliance is
switched off, one might be left switched on and burn down the
entire house.” Treatment for OCD is usually cognitive
behavioral to train the individual to replace or tolerate his or
her unwanted thoughts in order to reduce the likelihood of
acting on them.
OCD has been portrayed in films such as The Aviator and As
Good as It Gets as well as in Monk, the former television series.
You may wish to view these depictions of OCD to gain a better
understanding of how OCD affects people’s lives. You can also
click here to go to the Faces of Abnormal Psychology website.
There, you will see twelve different disorders listed. For this
module, view the video on OCD, entitled “Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder.” (You do not have an assignment on this
video.)
· Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders

15. Although a number of disorders are listed in this category, the
three that are most relevant to a forensic mental health
professional are posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute
stress disorder, and adjustment disorder. PTSD has often been
highlighted in the media, especially among war veterans. There
is little doubt that combat can trigger PTSD, and there has been
an increased prevalence of PTSD among soldiers returning from
Iraq. However, PTSD is also found among first responders, such
as paramedics and rescue workers, as well as victims of violent
crimes. PTSD can result from a violent crime that occurred just
once, such as an assault on a stranger, or PTSD can result from
violent crimes that have occurred over many years, such as
abuse from a family member. As a forensic mental health
professional, you will want to understand causes of and
treatments for PTSD.
Click here to go to the Faces of Abnormal Psychology website.
There, you will see twelve different disorders listed. For this
module, view the video on PTSD, entitled “Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder.” (You do not have an assignment on this video.)
· Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Eating Disorders
The two most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa
and bulimia nervosa. Let's review them further.
Click here to go to the Faces of Abnormal Psychology website.
There, you will see twelve different disorders listed. For this
module, view the video on bulimia nervosa. (You do not have
an assignment on this video.)
· Bulimia Nervosa
A question has recently arisen on whether obesity should be
added to the DSM. Although, currently, obesity is not a

16. diagnosis in the DSM, according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (n.d.), obesity affects over 35% of the
adult population in the United States, which is a much higher
rate than the rate for both anorexia and bulimia combined.
Obesity also has a cultural component. Hundreds of years ago,
in medieval times, being overweight was considered desirable
because food was scarce. However, at the time, the obesity rate
was much lower than it is currently, which likely reflects the
fact that individuals then were not eating the types of processed
foods that we eat today. Conversely, in today's society of
plentiful food in this country, being ultrathin is considered
desirable, thus lending further credence to the notion that the
ideal body size is the one that is the hardest to obtain.
Eating disorders are relatively rare among offenders. However,
when they do occur, they might go unnoticed as in a busy,
crowded correctional environment, weight loss might evade
detection. If a forensic mental health professional notices
extreme weight loss in an incarcerated individual, he or she
would need to determine whether it is due to stress of being
incarcerated or the result of an attempt to exercise control in an
environment where an individual has very little control, in
which case, therapy and perhaps medical intervention would be
warranted.
Reference:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Overweight
and obesity.
Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/index.html
Sleep Disorders
Nearly half of the population has at some time complained of a
sleep disorder, typically insomnia. Consumers are regularly
inundated with advertisements for sleep aids as well as cures for
sleep apnea. In spite of what television advertisements might
suggest, behavioral changes related to a bedtime routine and

17. relaxation exercises are more effective in the long term at
improving one's ability to fall asleep than medication.
Medication can be quite effective in helping a person to fall
asleep. However, when the medication is stopped, often the
sleep problems return, which is not the case when more
permanent behavioral changes have been put in place.
Often, in a correctional setting, incarcerated individuals
complain of difficulty sleeping. However, in a busy, crowded,
loud prison, such complaints are not surprising. Again, when
the reaction is appropriate to the situation, it would not be
considered a disorder. It would be more of a concern if an
offender is unable to sleep for days on end since not sleeping
for several days at a time could pose serious health risks.
Because an incarcerated individual may attempt to malinger
(feign symptoms for secondary gain) problems with sleeping in
order to obtain medications that he or she can use to trade for
money or food or to help him or her sleep away the prison time,
a forensic mental health professional must be judicious about
when to refer an offender for an evaluation by a psychiatrist for
sleep issues.
Adjustment Disorder
Adjustment disorder is characterized by a psychological
response to an identifiable stressor that results in clinically
significant impairment. As the name implies, adjustment
disorder refers to adjustment to a significant event, usually a
major life change, such as a change of job, a change in the
relationship status, and the addition or loss of a family member.
All major life events involve a period of adjustment. However,
the time that it takes to get used to a new life situation is not
necessarily a disorder in and of itself as not everyone who
experiences a major life change will develop adjustment
disorder. To meet criteria for adjustment disorder, the
individual must have a reaction that exceeds what would be

18. expected for the given situation. Also, the reaction must cause
some degree of impairment in an aspect of the individual's life
functioning at work, school, or home or in social activities.
Adjustment disorder is unique because even though the
precipitant is known, it is ongoing and usually unalterable.
Therefore, instead of a treatment involving the removal of the
stressor (which is very likely not possible), treatment must
focus on increasing the individual's coping mechanisms to
better manage the change. Typically, talk therapy would be the
most useful treatment for this disorder, with medications rarely
being warranted for it.
Adjustment disorder is common among offenders after they are
incarcerated because the change from full freedom in society to
almost no freedom while locked up can mean a significant
adjustment. Adjustment disorder is generally seen more in
offenders who are new to a prison or jail setting rather than in
offenders who have been incarcerated a number of times
previously, as repeat offenders are already all too familiar with
the correctional environment. If an offender has adjustment
disorder, it is important to determine whether he or she has
adjustment disorder with a depressed mood type because an
offender with a depressed mood type of adjustment disorder
might be at risk for suicide.
Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative disorders are characterized by a disruption in
memory or consciousness or the integration of personality.
Daydreaming, which we all do, is a very mild, yet healthy form
of dissociation in that it is a temporary break from
consciousness. However, daydreaming is not considered a
disorder by any means. Conversely, perhaps the most commonly
known dissociative disorder is dissociative identity disorder
(DID), formerly known as multiple personality disorder.
Although some clinicians refer to DID as the unidentified flying

19. object (UFO) of psychiatry due to its low prevalence rate, there
have been several well-documented cases of the disorder. One
of the first examples was made known through a book by two
psychiatrists, The Three Faces of Eve. This book, which was
later made into a popular film, depicted the development of
three different personalities in Christine Sizemore. Ms.
Sizemore later reported that she developed 20 different
personalities, who had different allergies and physiological
measures, such as blood pressure and heart rate. She had the
personality of a ten-year-old boy, and some personalities had
skills that she did not otherwise possess.
Another interesting dissociative disorder is dissociative fugue.
This disorder involves travel away from one's home along with
the inability to recall parts of one's past. Sometimes, these
individuals are found wandering on the streets with no
recollection of their personal identity. The face of such a person
may appear on the news, referred to as "Jane Doe" or "John
Doe," with a request that anybody who knows of the
individual's identity should contact the authorities.
Conclusion
Eating, sleeping, and anxiety are all part of every human
being’s neurological and biological functioning. When a
disruption occurs in one of these areas, it can have a substantial
impact on an individual. Eating disorders such as anorexia can
be fatal. Sleep disorders are of concern due to the addictive
properties of the medications that are often taken to attempt to
resolve them. Anxiety disorders can be biological in origin, or
sometimes their etiology is related to a severe external stressor.
While one's anxiety level can impact eating and sleep habits,
anxiety disorders do not necessarily co-occur with eating and
sleep disorders, nor are they necessarily a cause of them.
However, the treatment for both sleep disorders and anxiety

20. disorders is often similar in that it involves relaxation training.
The treatment for eating disorders can vary but is generally
cognitive in nature since self-starvation or binging reflects a
complex decision to override our biological instincts to eat for
survival.
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Maladaptive Behavior and Psychopathology
© 2013 Argosy University
Eating Disorders—Types
Anorexia Nervosa
There has been recent attention given to concerns about the
media, and models in particular, glamorizing
the waiflike body associated with anorexia. This illness is quite
serious because of its high mortality rate. As
many as 10% of individuals with anorexia will die from it,
which means that they literally starve themselves
to death.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia, characterized by binge episodes followed by purging,
either through self-induced vomiting, laxative

21. abuse, or excessive exercise, is a chronic disorder associated
with serious medical complications. These
complications can range from poor nutrition and electrolyte
imbalances to more severe medical conditions,
such as tears in the esophagus, gastric ruptures, and cardiac
arrhythmias. One irreversible complication is
the loss of tooth enamel.