Anxiety Disorder

Symptoms

Jack is a 35-year-old male patient who reported to me several symptoms of extreme anxiety. Jack works at a marketing firm and even though he enjoys the job, he feels that the new schedule is overwhelming and grueling. The stressful situations experienced by Jack at work made him develop several issues related to anxiety. The main symptoms that Jack is experiencing include, difficulty in getting relaxed before bed, constant worries about many tasks that should be completed at work, racing thoughts, and insomnia. Even though Jack, presents several issues related to anxiety problems, he reports that he does not consider himself depressed or anxious. Other cognitive and physical symptoms presented by Jack include restlessness, more fatigued than usual, irritability, impaired concentration, muscle aches, and trouble sleeping. Considering the complexity of Jack’s issues, the problems would be best addressed by a combination of different types of treatment.

Coping Skills

To help Jack deal with his anxiety symptoms, several coping skills were recommended. To determine which one or a combination of the following anxiety coping strategies suits Jack best, he could try them one at a time. For whatever many days he needed to acclimatize his body and mind and create a habit, he can practice his chosen talent once or twice daily. Some of these methods necessitate the supervision and instruction of a qualified therapist, even if many of them can be self-applied (DeGeorge, Grover & Streeter, 2022). One of the most effective ways was meditation during the worst of his anxiety. To shut his thoughts off and concentrate on his breathing was challenging for someone who thinks a lot like Jack. He was only able to focus for a little period at first before his mind started wandering. His concentration improved as a result of listening to certain meditation music while meditating. His recurrent thoughts were easier to analyze and understand thanks to it. Spending regular time with friends and family could also help him manage his anxiety, even though everyone is different and not everyone has social anxiety.

Another effective coping skill for Jack was stress reduction, laughing, and a sense of community are all boosted by social interaction, which also lessened loneliness. According to research, having a strong social network can ultimately increase stress tolerance. It helped to get Jack’s worries out of his thoughts and made him seem less intimidating if he writes down what was worrying him. People who only occasionally suffer anxiety will find these relaxing techniques especially beneficial. When faced with a tough situation, they might also be helpful for someone with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) (Munir, Takov & Coletti, 2022). Quick fixes were not; however, the only form of treatment Jack would think of especially since he had GAD. The severity of symptoms would be lessened, and ideally, they could be avoided altogether, using long-term measures. It is nearly impossible to think positively and rationally in such circumstances. Because Jack does not want other people to make him feel horrible or say something positive, one of the main reasons was to avoid talking to others during this time. It was also recommended that Jack try starting small and celebrating minor victories and view himself as his greatest judge. A session of positive self-talk or looking in the mirror and telling himself nice things was helpful. Jack was able to recognize his accomplishments and kept his strengths in mind while he appreciated where he came from.

Another coping skill for Jack was achieving a balance between the fundamental requirements of sleep, nutrition, health, and water level (Munir, Takov & Coletti, 2022). Over time, it helped produce greater results. Engaging in any physical activity or exercise regimen aided in the reduction of Jack’s anxiety. By doing this, endorphins are released, causing the body to experience happiness. Additionally, it aided in lowering his stress, enhancing sleep, and battling sadness and anxiety. Another effective skill was a confrontation. This involved Jack investigating his concerns by asking himself what is upsetting him. In this case, he was required not to avoid it; but rather, address it. He was required to feel the need to feel the fear, be interested in it, look for solutions, and learn the truth. There was always a subtextual message or something he was attempting to avoid but was too weak to face. Eventually, he had to face it, no matter how much he tried to avoid it. To complete this lengthy process, he had to be resilient and patient. Jack also had to keep in mind that he was not alone. As a means of communication from his body, he had to consider it. People only experience this when they have lost their perspective and inspiration. To get perspective, Jack needed to find methods to escape the internal conflict. Most people experience anxiety to varying degrees. Simple weakness prevents them from discussing it.

Being committed to cognitive-behavioral therapy and medications would also help Jack cope with anxiety symptoms. CBT would help him learn specific skills for improving his symptoms and build his confidence in managing the symptoms and avoiding the triggers (APA, 2020). Cognitive-behavioral therapy will help promote positive behaviors and thought patterns for Jack. CBT can also help in alleviating the symptoms of GAD exhibited by Jack and also improve his quality of life. Since CBT focuses on updating unhelpful thinking patterns and finding active coping strategies, worked well with Jack who is experiencing several anxiety issues. CBT is grounded on the cognitive model theory which states that the way an individual views a situation is significantly connected to the person’s reaction than the situation itself (DeGeorge, Grover & Streeter, 2022). A person’s perceptions are often unhelpful and distorted especially when the person is distressed. Jack was more equipped to handle the ups and downs of daily life he had to lead a healthy lifestyle, which lessened the impacts of anxiety. All the techniques significantly helped in reducing the anxiety symptoms presented by Jack.

Symptoms Experienced

The list of symptoms that Jack reported includes:

• Irritability
• Restlessness
• Fatigue
• Challenge in concentration
• Too much worry
• Sleep issues
• Headaches and muscle aches

Based on the summary of his report one of the major problems presented by Jack is a general anxiety disorder. According to DSM-5, General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) involves excessive worry and anxiety that occurs for more than 6 months due to certain events in a person’s life (APA, 2020). For an individual to be diagnosed with GAD he or she must meet the DSM-5 diagnosis criteria which include specifiers such as the presence of excessive worry and anxiety concerning certain activities and the worry may be challenging. Other cognitive and physical specifiers presented by Jack include restlessness, being more fatigued than usual, and trouble sleeping. The symptoms of GAD presented by Jack include ongoing worry and tension about overwhelming tasks at work, problems with sleeping, and fatigue. It is evident that Jack is stressed and worries a lot about his work.

Panic Disorder

Mary, a 39-year-old female patient, was brought to the ER by her mental health provider after complaining of respiratory issues. As a result of her doctor’s inability to identify a medical cause for Mary’s symptoms, she became frustrated, anxious, and angry. In the past six months, Mary has had several situations in which she felt a strong sense of panic that would quickly peak. She would also get sweaty, feel her heart racing, have soreness in her chest, and have trouble breathing during these times. Mary worried occasionally that she would pass away. Because of this, Mary is constantly concerned about having another attack. She has also started to steer clear of strange situations and persons where it might be difficult to get help if a panic episode strikes again. The anxiety and accompanying avoidance are having a substantial negative influence on Mary’s life as a result of his refusal to accept social invitations, his search for justifications to stay home whenever feasible, and her reliance on her parents to drive her children to their many activities. Mary’s husband has become intolerant of what he views as her excessive anxiety over panic attacks, despite his initial understanding. Mary had no substantial medical history, either personally or in her family, of neurological or mental conditions. Hyperlipidemia and diabetes mellitus are some of her additional medical issues. With her spouse and two kids, she enjoyed nice relations.

References

American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2020). Assessment measures. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Arlington, VA: Author. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.AssessmentMeasures

DeGeorge, K. C., Grover, M., & Streeter, G. S. (2022). Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder in Adults. American Family Physician, 106(2), 157-164. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2022/0800/generalized-anxiety-disorder-panic-disorder.html

Munir, S., Takov, V., & Coletti, V. A. (2022). Generalized anxiety disorder (nursing). In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK568696/