I’m Pregnant Bonnie Brae signed in at the appointment desk for her…

Question Answered step-by-step I’m Pregnant Bonnie Brae signed in at the appointment desk for her… I’m PregnantBonnie Brae signed in at the appointment desk for her doctor’s appointment. The 34-year-old woman told the clerk that she was there to get her first prenatal exam as she suspected that she was about 12 weeks pregnant. As she changed into a gown, she wondered if it was better to know if the baby was going to be a boy or a girl. The doctor reviewed Bonnie’s health history and performed a physical exam. She mentioned that it had been 10 weeks since her last menstrual period, and she was trying to have a baby. Bonnie had tenderness in her breasts, was chronically tired, and was experiencing headaches and backaches. Her biggest complaint, Bonnie reported, was morning sickness. When asked if Bonnie had done a home pregnancy test, she told the doctor, “I don’t need to. I know.”When the doctor suggested an ultrasound, Bonnie was delighted because she wanted to see the baby. A technician wheeled in an ultrasound machine, and gel was spread across Bonnie’s abdomen. The doctor rubbed the ultrasound wand to get a view of the developing fetus. To the doctor’s surprise, there was no fetus. The doctor knew that at 12 weeks, the baby should be easy to see on an ultrasound. Bonnie was not pregnant. From time to time the doctor had run into patients who erroneously thought that they were pregnant, but they usually did not report symptoms of pregnancy like Bonnie did.Gently, the doctor informed Bonnie that there was no fetus. Bonnie was immediately defensive and insisted that the doctor repeat the ultrasound. The doctor refused; there was no need to do so. Bonnie stormed out of the office and made an appointment with another physician. That visit, two weeks later, again showed that Bonnie was not pregnant. Bonnie insisted that these doctors did not understand the special pregnancy she had and vowed not to return to “Western medicine.” Instead, she decided to seek the services of a doula and midwife.Bonnie returned to work that afternoon. Upset, she left work a little early and drove home, parking in the driveway because the garage was full. It was odd that the doors were locked and her key was not working. She had to force her way into the house. She would have to speak to her fiancé about that. Bonnie made herself some tea and was astounded when the police entered the kitchen. The officer said, “Bonnie, we have been through this before. You are trespassing and not allowed within 300 feet of the mayor or his house.” She was arrested for trespassing and taken to jail.”Call your supervisor,” Bonnie said. “There is an executive directive from the mayor himself rescinding that restraining order.” Bonnie explained that she and the mayor were planning a “hush-hush” wedding ceremony because they did not want a lot of media attention. The police officer would admit that the first time that he had heard her story, he almost believed it. He thought it was plausible that Bonnie, who was attractive, could be a mistress of the mayor. In reality, the mayor and Bonnie had no relationship, although technically, he was her boss. Bonnie worked in the city’s financial affairs division, an office that worked closely with the mayor’s administration.Bonnie was noted to be a diligent worker and to have an eye for detail. She had excellent performance evaluations. She socialized with others in the office and was well liked. It was about two years into her work for the city when a new mayor took office. Despite her limited direct contact with the new mayor, Bonnie started annoying her friends with what she called “inside knowledge” about the mayor. Soon the mayor and his private life was the only thing that Bonnie wanted to talk about. After several weeks, she started telling friends that she was “catching the eye of the mayor.” Within weeks, Bonnie started to believe that she was in a relationship with the mayor.Her friends at work were skeptical, but Bonnie was emphatic that she was getting email and text messages on the “down low” from the mayor. While she refused to show anyone proof, she did report that the mayor was embedding secret messages in office-wide emails (distributed to hundreds of people) professing his undying love for her. When her friends refused to believe her, Bonnie said, “The messages are in code, but we are on the cusp of being an item.” Her friends were skeptical, and had every reason to be, as the mayor was happily married. Still, Bonnie was fairly convincing. “He is unhappy with his wife and has told me he will leave her for me. We just have to be patient until after the next election is over.”Then Bonnie’s work performance began to falter. A supervisor noted that she was less focused at her work and seemed to be more scattered. Bonnie was pulled into her boss’s office when it was clear that she was spending an inordinate amount of time visiting bridal web sites to plan a wedding. Her boss noted that Bonnie had never been like this before. She had never had psychological problems in the past, yet her wild ideas were starting to be a problem. Bonnie was referred to counseling.By her second counseling session, Bonnie admitted that she had never directly spoken with the mayor. “I don’t need to; I know that he sends his love and that we were meant to be together,” she said. She identified meaningless “clues” that supported her belief that the mayor harbored a secret desire to be romantically involved with her. “He wears blue shirts all the time,” said Bonnie. “Why would he wear my favorite color if he was not in love with me?” She went on to point out other evidence about their relationship, including the directive for certain documents to be printed on blue paper and a redesign of the city logo (approved by the mayor) that contained both Bonnie’s and the mayor’s initials.Despite her odd ideas, Bonnie was functioning fairly well. After some discipline for spending too much time on the Internet, her work productivity returned to its former level. She continued to go out with her friends and had stopped talking so much about the mayor because it made them uncomfortable. Her belief that she was in a secret romantic relationship with the mayor continued.Indeed, she had started to leave romantic notes for the mayor in his office. He had initially dismissed them as coming from someone with a crush on him, but when she was found in his office waiting for him in the dark, he was not amused. She was warned, but her behavior escalated, and she started sending him inappropriate emails of a personal nature. She slipped letters under his office door and even managed to get his cell phone number. Her supervisor had told her in no uncertain terms that she had to stop contacting the mayor. “Mayor to you,” Bonnie replied, “boyfriend to me.”Bonnie was given a final written warning to stay away from the mayor. She seemed to take this in stride, interpreting the discipline as his way of “telling me that we need to cool things for right now.” This lasted for a few weeks and then Bonnie started trespassing at the mayor’s residence. Several times she had been found on his patio, but this was the first time that she had actually forced her way into his house. When pressed by the arresting officer to explain why she repeatedly came back, Bonnie said, “I am pregnant.”Thought QuestionsAnswer the following questions based on the case study you have just read.·  1. Clearly, Bonnie is suffering from fixed false beliefs, or delusions. However, she is missing many of the other features that are common to schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. What are those other features? ·  2. Review the case and identify the features that match up to the DSM-5 diagnosis of delusional disorder. Be sure to identify the subtype of delusional disorder that you think Bonnie has. ·  3. People who suffer from delusional disorders may benefit from medicine. What kind? What may be some challenges in someone with this condition seeking treatment? Social Science Psychology PSY 351 Share QuestionEmailCopy link Comments (0)