Senioritis

Diagnostic Features: A crippling disease that strikes high school

seniors. Symptoms include: laziness, an over-excessive wearing of
track pants, old athletic shirts, and sweatshirts. Also features a lack of
studying, repeated absences, and a generally dismissive attitude. The
only known cure is a phenomenon known as graduation.

Associated Disorders: Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Personality,

Substance Related, Dysphoria, and Conduct Disorders.

Specific Culture etc: Most widely affects male and female seniors
in high school aging 17-18 in or around the United States and Canada.

Durations: Symptoms usually begin in the second semester of the

junior year, where for about 4 months the person feels relieved from
stress. Then comes senior year, where the pressure is placed back on
to finish strong and like a dormant volcano, it erupts all at once
causing the person to just not care anymore about much of anything.

Specific Symptoms: Apathy, disregard for consequences, panic

attacks, degrading social relationships, lack of motivation, mood
swings, increased participation in risky activities, and dismissive
attitude.

Prevalence: about 60-70 % of seniors have experienced senioritis,

spread equally throughout young men and women.

Course: Right around completion of college applications, and after

first report card it may fade, come back in full force a couple of weeks
before graduation and then disappears again after graduation.

Subtypes: Subtypes of senioritis would include the following:

Do-It-Tomorrowitis: The victim will have severe
procrastination and will find any excuse under the sun to put off
their homework for a later time. These people do not have a
severe case of Senioritis because they at least attempt to try to
do what is assigned to them.
Killmenowitis: The senior will find many things throughout
the day to be intensely boring and unbearable. Their boredom will

reach such alarming heights that they can crash to their desk,
asleep, or even make gestures of shooting themselves, hanging
themselves, ect. while the teacher's attention is focused
elsewhere.
Senior Ditch Day Everydayitis: The senior will find it
increasingly challenging to actually attend school. They often
ditch, whether going somewhere to do something they want to
do, or simply staying at home to get in some extra beauty rest.
This can often cause them to miss consecutive days, or just
frequently missing school.
Turn-upitis: The victim of the disorder will have no difficulty
in seeking party-like atmospheres. Will easily venture and be
drawn to what is considered to be a fun atmosphere and seek
pleasure fulfilling activities instead of focusing on schoolwork.
You're-not-my-momilis: The victim becomes very rebellious,
which is evident through their refusal to do work and assignements.
They feel that the teacher no longer has power over them. Anything
the teacher says or does ignites rage in the victim and they feel that
since the teacher is not their parent that they do not really have to
listen to what they say nor do what they ask.

Diagnostic Criteria: Symptoms which define it-if you go to

school in your pajamas, a failing grade doesnt upset you, your
test are left blank, or youre an alcoholic.
Also you could have extreme apathy-sudden change in work
habits or personality, continuous lack of motivation, decrease in
responsibilities.

Case Study: Macy Smith

Age: 18

Gender: Female
Occupation: Student, Lifeguard
Social Functioning
-Macy fails to attend class on a daily basis.
-She doesnt care about the consequences of her actions
-Family and friends dont feel she is reliable
-Doesnt appear to care about her future (feels she is done after
high school)

Mental Health Quality of Life Scale (areas that recieved a

higher score):
Intelectual Functioning: 8
Employment Economic Functioning: 14
TOTAL: 45
Axis Diagnosis
Axis 1: Senioritis Ditchitis
Axis 2: N/A
Axis 3: N/A
Axis 4: Problems with reliability, failure to attend classes, lack of
comprehending consequences
Axis 5: 61 on global assessment of functioning

THERAPY
COGNITIVE
Therapist- So why dont you want to go to class
Mario- Id rather be spending time with my friends
Therapist- Couldnt you spend time with your friends in class, or
after school?
Mario- I guess...
Therapist- So what are your goals for the future?
Mario- I want to become a mechanical engineer
Therapist- How are you going to achieve those goals?
Mario- Going to college
Therapist- How do you expect to get into college without going to
class?
Mario- I guess that makes sense.
Therapist- Well do you think you should start attending classes

more often?
Mario- Yes, probably. Now that you have pointed out how it affects
my future.
Therapist- How do you think attending class will benefit you?
Mario- My grades will get better so I can graduate and go to
college.
Therapist- Good. This session is over, be sure to think about
consequences before you act on them, well check on your
progress next week.

THERAPY
BIOLOGICAL
The patients over-expression of complicated emotions is ruining her
relationships and preventing her from reaching her full potential as a
student. The only way to end such a destructive spiral is to remove the
emotional aspect of her worldly perceptions. A minor frontal lobotomy
may be the only procedure that can help suppress these
overwhelmingly powerful feelings of depression and helplessness.
Once emotion has been removed from her cognition, she will see that
the only logical path to pursue is one of a scholarly, educational way of
life.