Question

A client who lost her home and dog in an earthquake tells the admitting nurse at the community health center that she finds it harder and harder to feel anything. She says she can't concentrate on the simplest tasks, fears losing control, and thinks about the earthquake incessantly. She becomes extremely anxious whenever the earthquake is mentioned and must leave the room if people talk about it. The nurse suspects that she has:

1. phobic disorder.
2. conversion disorder.
3. posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
4. adjustment disorder.

Answer 1

Based on the described symptoms of difficulty feeling emotions, concentration problems, excessive fear, and avoidance behaviors, the nurse correctly suspects that the client is likely experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after losing her home and dog in an earthquake.

Step-by-step explanation:

The symptoms described by the client to the admitting nurse at the community health center after losing her home and dog in an earthquake strongly suggest that she is experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These symptoms include difficulty feeling emotions, concentration problems, excessive fear of losing control, incessant thoughts about the earthquake, and high levels of anxiety when the earthquake is mentioned. PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder that can occur after a person has been through a severe psychological trauma, such as an earthquake. The client's need to leave the room during conversations about the earthquake highlights an avoidance behavior, which is characteristic of PTSD. Therefore, the nurse's suspicion that the client may have PTSD is well-founded based on the symptoms presented.