A 28-year-old client performs a long, involved ritual in getting up and preparing for the day. He became unable to get to his job before noon. His family, in desperation, has admitted him to the hospital's psychiatric unit. On the unit, he is always late for breakfast, which is served at 8 am. The nurse identifies that the best approach to this problem is to:
- Allow him to eat late
- Suggest that he do the rituals after breakfast
- Get him up early so that he can complete the ritual before breakfast
- Ask him to get all the other clients up so that he will forget about his ritual
Answer(s): C
Explanation:
(A) Allowing him to eat late is not a solution to the problem because the ritual affects more than just this meal. (B) He is helpless to change this behavior because the rituals occur as a result of an irrational effort to control his anxiety. (C) To interfere with the ritual will increase anxiety. Until the basic problem is resolved, and in turn his need for the ritual relieved, arrange the schedule so that essential activities may be included (such as meals with the group). (D) This approach would be very disruptive to the other clients and would not serve to relieve the anxiety of the client.
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