Question

A young woman comes to her psychiatrist's office for help. She feels that others are exploiting her, but has no hard evidence. She is preoccupied with the lack of loyalty that she feels all of her friends have. She reads hidden demeaning connotations into the psychiatrist's comments. She bears grudges and is unforgiving of slights. Her most likely diagnosis is:

A. Schizophrenia
B. Schizotypal personality disorder
C. Paranoid personality disorder
D. Schizoid personality disorder
E. Dementia

Answer 1

A young woman exhibiting symptoms of distrust, reading hidden meanings into statements, and being unforgiving of slights is most likely to be diagnosed with Paranoid Personality Disorder.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most likely diagnosis for a young woman who feels exploited without hard evidence, is preoccupied with loyalty issues, reads hidden demeaning meanings into statements, bears grudges, and is unforgiving of perceived slights is C. Paranoid Personality Disorder. This condition is characterized by a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent. It differs from Schizophrenia and Schizotypal Personality Disorder, which often include symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, and more severe social and cognitive deficits. Schizoid Personality Disorder is marked by detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of expressed emotions. Dementia involves cognitive decline that interferes with daily functioning and is not characterized by the suspiciousness seen in Paranoid Personality Disorder.