Author Question: A fellow nurse reports a strange experience: She was riding with her carpool partner after working ... (Read 54 times)

savannahhooper · **on:** Jul 19, 2018

A fellow nurse reports a strange experience: She was riding with her carpool partner after working her second double shift in a row when she looked down at her hands on her lap and did not immediately recognize them as her own.

They seemed small and far away to her. She felt like I wasn't myself for several minutes, after which she gradually returned to normal. This happened several weeks ago, and she has never had a similar experience otherwise. She is worried she is losing her mind or suffering from a brain tumor. Which response most accurately reflects what the friend probably experienced? a. Not accepting part of one's body as one's own is an indication of body dysmorphic disorder; this is a psychiatric disorder and prompt treatment is needed.
b. The long hours of work with little recovery time led her to have a transient episode of depersonalization; these are common, stress-related, and not a sign of major illness.
c. The friend had a mini-fugue experience, which suggests deeper underlying conflicts or past trauma that has not resolved; it could progress and merits counseling.
d. Such feelings of unreality could be early symptoms of dissociative identity disorder; she might not have recognized her own body because an alter personality was taking control.

Question 2

__________ is a major challenge for adults because energies are not concentrated on the self, and the demands can create feelings of anxiety, isolation, inadequacy, and helplessness.

a. Adulthood
b. Adolescence
c. Childhood
d. Parenting

Anonymous · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 19, 2018

Answer to Question 1

B
Feeling detached, distanced, or disconnected from one's body or that one's body is somehow unreal, while otherwise maintaining contact with reality, is called depersonalization. About half of adults have a transitory episode, but in a small number of cases, it becomes recurrent and can then be diagnosed as depersonalization disorder (which does not appear to be the case here). Body dysmorphic disorder involves a mistaken belief that one has a significant bodily defect. There is no such thing as a mini-fugue.. Dissociative identity disorder does not typically include present or later awareness of the activities of alter personalities, especially early in the disorder.

Answer to Question 2

D
Most of a parent's energy is focused on the child or children every minute of every day. The responsibility is immense and can cause various emotions, especially if the parent works outside the home. Adulthood, adolescence, and childhood do not have a primary focus on others as parenting does.