BOF: 2.48
A 42-year-old female presents with a history of extreme
fatigue and headaches. She also complains that she has lost her enthusiasm for
life and that she feels that life is devoid of any pleasure and she has no
interest any more.
She also complains of episodes where she goes in to a
state of panic and feels extremely anxious.
These symptoms have gone on for two months and are
interfering with her work as a lawyer.
In this patient which of the following features would
suggest that she has a severe form of her illness?
a)
Second person auditory hallucinations
b)
Visual hallucinations
c)
Third person auditory hallucinations
d)
Obsessional symptoms
e)
Phobic symptoms
Answer:
a)
The symptoms she describes suggests that the patient is
depressed.
In severe forms of depression the patient may have
delusions of guilt, bodily disease and persecution and second person auditory
hallucinations insulting the patient or suggesting suicide may occur.
Third person auditory hallucinations occur in
schizophrenia and visual hallucinations usually suggest an organic brain
syndrome.
Phobic and obsessional symptoms occur in depression and
do not suggest it is severe.
