Distinguishing Positive from Negative — Breakdowns to Breakthroughs examination

Eleven questions. Nine of eleven passes, and you can take it again as often as you like.

What two errors does the chapter say come from failing to discern the type of falling apart?

Over-medicating trauma and under-diagnosing depression Pathologising a breakthrough and romanticising a breakdown Rushing a client and keeping them in therapy too long Trusting the body too much and the mind too little
Which characteristic most distinguishes the inner conflict of positive disintegration?

A horizontal pull between two jobs or two relationships An absence of any real conflict because the person has gone numb A vertical, moral tension between what one is and could become A repeated loop of identical arguments with other people
How does the chapter describe negative disintegration?

Circular rather than spiralling, going around without ascending Spiralling steadily upward toward greater complexity and deeper values Frozen in place by a single overwhelming event Driven by a clear vision of an emerging ideal
What is the crucial difference between disintegration and traumatic fragmentation named in the chapter?

In disintegration one is present to the dissolution; in trauma experience is split off In disintegration the person feels nothing; in trauma they feel absolutely everything Disintegration always takes much longer than trauma to resolve and settle Trauma always involves moral conflict while disintegration never does
If a practitioner cannot tell whether someone is in positive disintegration or traumatic fragmentation, what does the chapter advise?

Err on the side of assuming growth and encourage the person to lean in Pause all contact until the picture becomes clear Err on the side of assuming trauma and provide stabilisation support Offer both interpretations and let the person choose
A client says, 'I'm terrified but somehow I know this is right.' Which green light does this reflect?

Loss of reflective capacity The capacity to hold paradox Increasing rigidity rather than opening Repetitive patterns without evolution
Which of these does the chapter list as a red flag rather than a green light?

New values emerging, even if they are still confused Creative or intellectual energy that persists through it all Heightened sensitivity with a body that feels more alive The same crisis recurring for months without any new insight
According to the chapter, how is horizontal suffering best supported?

With developmental witnessing that trusts transformation With immediate referral for psychiatric medication With practical problem-solving and values clarification With encouragement to deepen the dissolution
How does parts activity typically differ between positive disintegration and traumatic fragmentation?

Reorganisation is messy but connected; fragmentation isolates parts behind walls In both states the parts fall silent and become fully cooperative with each other Reorganisation shows no parts at all, only Self, while fragmentation shows many Fragmentation shows lively inner dialogue while reorganisation shows none at all
A psychologically sophisticated client describes her crisis fluently in growth language, but her body shows numbness and chronic hypervigilance. Which diagnostic error would trusting her words alone commit?

Pathological reductionism Developmental romanticism Premature reclosure Ignoring the body
What does the chapter mean when it says diagnosis is 'a process, not a moment'?

A diagnosis should be delivered once and then followed firmly A crisis can change, so conclusions are held as working hypotheses Diagnosis should be avoided until the crisis has fully passed Only a full team of professionals can arrive at a diagnosis