DSM IV Disorders DSM IV-TR - Anxiety, Essay

DSM IV Disorders

DSM IV-TR - Anxiety, Somatoform, and Dissociative Disorders

American Psychological Association has compiled and published DSM IV-TR, which is a diagnostic manual of mental disorders. This manual not only categorizes mental enormities but also provide guidance and assistance to medical practitioners about the suitable and appropriate diagnosis and treatment of the included mental illnesses. Moreover, specific codes have been assigned to each disorder in DSM IV-TR with a purpose of providing an effective method for medical documentation. Additionally, this manual serves as a valuable resource for teaching the technicalities of psychopathology. DSM IV-TR extensively discusses wide range of mental disorders such as anxiety, somatoform, and dissociative disorders.

The person who experiences frequent fear and panic about different things is believed to be suffering from anxiety. Acute state of anxiety is conducive to various other mental disorders such as obsessive-compulsion disorder, panic disorder, phobia, and so forth. Furthermore, somatoform is a mental enormity that is concerned with mental distress and mutilation in which mind faultily directs the body. This disorder further classifies into branches including pain disorder, conversion disorder, and others. Additionally, dissociative disorders include, "A class of psychological disorders characterized by loss of contact with portion of one's consciousness or memory, resulting in disruption in one's sense of identity" (Weiten, Dunn & Hammer, 2010, p. G-3). Victims of dissociative disorders experience acute conditions that impair their brain function.

Somatoform disorder is associated with several symptoms that are shown on/in the body of the sufferer such as pain. However, there exists no particular physical reason for these indications. Unlike other mental illnesses, somatoform victims actually experience pain and do not falsify it. All these symptoms adversely affect their capability of performing daily life activities.

The case study of Pam reflects an example of somatoform. She suffered from periodic hip pain since her teenage when she confronted a road accident. Additionally, she often experienced severe headaches for last few years that again were not continuous. She consulted few specialists who referred her to pain clinic where a team of several health practitioners identified that her pain is associated with psychological factors.

Pam came from a family where children were not given equal parental affection so she remained a deprived child with regard to the extent of care and attention received from her parents. Moreover, her parents did not share a strong marital relation, as her father was mostly engrossed in work that adversely affected the whole family. Pam's family lack healthy social interactions with neighborhood and the impassiveness of her parents had begotten to children becoming inexpressive about their thoughts and feelings. Furthermore, Pam grew up in a much feminine style due to limitations imposed by her family.

Her mother suffered from many gynecological problems and frequently visited doctors. Pam was influenced by the observation that whenever her mother fell ill, she gained the attention of otherwise indifferent family members. Pam dated boys during her teenage with an intention of broadening her social circle; however, her ethical hesitation and the hip pain often impeded…