Question

During a heated argument with his father, Mike was suddenly unable to move his left arm. Medical tests did not detect anything physically wrong, but the paralysis occurred whenever Mike argued with his father. It is likely that Mike suffers from

A. agoraphobia
B. illness anxiety
C. DID
D. a conversion disorder
E. PTSD

Answer 1

Mike likely suffers from a conversion disorder, which is characterized by neurological symptoms, like paralysis, that cannot be explained by medical tests and often occur following emotional or physical distress.

Step-by-step explanation:

When Mike experiences sudden paralysis of his left arm during arguments with his father, without any physical cause identified medically, it is most likely that he suffers from D. a conversion disorder. Conversion disorder is a mental condition in which a person has blindness, paralysis, or other nervous system symptoms that cannot be explained by medical evaluation. Symptoms usually appear suddenly after a period of emotional or physical distress or psychological conflict. Mike's paralysis manifesting specifically during arguments with his father suggests a strong psychological trigger leading to the physical symptoms. Therefore, conversion disorder best fits the description of Mike's symptoms compared to other options, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which typically follows a severe psychological trauma, and not typically triggered by specific and immediate incidents like conversations.