Anxiety Clinical Signs
Many people in life experience some anxiety in their lives. For most of them, the feeling comes and goes as it lasts for a short time. For others, the feeling may continue for a few days. For people with general anxiety disorder, the feelings may be prevalent for a long period. They may worsen and get extremely severe that they interfere with the normal life of an individual. One of the clinical representations of anxiety is through restlessness. For instance, throughout the interview, Lauren fidgeted by biting her nail, playing with her hair, and even squirming in her seat. These signs show nervousness. Besides, anxiety is also manifested through irritability, as is seen in Lauren’s case. She is quite irritable, especially at the beginning of the interview. She almost shouts at the professional by stating that she does not care, but is there since she is paid. Eventually, anxiety is also displayed through extreme levels of worry. The worry is often unfounded and may go for a long time. For example, Lauren constantly worries about something happening to her grandfather, even when there is nothing to worry about.
Obsessive-Compulsive behaviors
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a condition associated with unwanted fears and thoughts that leads an individual to act in a particular repetitive manner. The repetitive behavior is often due to the obsessions that may lead to stress and interfere with the individual’s daily life. One behavior of people suffering from the condition is the fear of getting into contact with germs and dirt or even contaminating others. From the YouTube Video on OCD, the individual wash his hands several times a day. Besides, he is afraid of touching door handles when he enters a public toilet. He says that while he may be forced by situations to get into the public toilets, he is always mindful of the lines on the floor. This is also seen with Lauren as she says that she is often afraid of being infected with any diseases by people around her. OCD is also presented in repeatedly checking things. Patients often check on things they believe are associated with danger or harm, such as ovens, or doors. For instance, one individual states that he believed that his stove was not turned off, he would board the next plane to London to confirm if the stove is off. Likewise, Lauren says that she would check on the door of the house severally every day, a trait she shares with her mother. From the videos, another character is counting and arranging. The individuals shown are obsessed with symmetry and order. They tend to have certain superstitions about numbers and arrangements. This can be seen in the individual who always does things in threes. Lauren says that she has to serve her grandfather’s breakfast at nine or not have a splendid day. During the assessment, Lauren touches her hair repeatedly, and she also says that she fond of rearranging her things when touched with anybody. Lauren also keeps touching her hands and biting her nails, and she is afraid that she can do something that can offend others. She keep reading the story books and anticipates worries that could humiliate her.
Therapeutic communication techniques
Therapeutic communication is the face-to-face interaction that focuses on advancing the patient’s emotional well-being. Therapeutic communication techniques are often used to provide information and support to the patients and complete nursing goals when communicating with the patient. In this conversation between Lauren and the nurse, the nurse uses silence. Silence allows both of them to think through the entire conversation and process the next step. Silence also acts as a transition to the next topic. The nurse also uses broad openings in the conversation. Through the questions that the nurses ask, she allows Lauren to direct the flow of the conversation and openly discuss her thoughts. The nurse also encourages Lauren to describe her character and perceptions. For instance, she tells her to describe what happens when she fails to make the tea at nine in the morning or when she goes to check the door. Besides she also summarizes some of her assertions by recording them in note form.
Nursing interventions
One of the interventions that would be appropriate for Lauren would be to take relaxation exercises. Some of the exercises include meditation, guided imagery, and muscle relaxation. Besides, the nurse may also teach Lauren about the symptoms of anxiety and how to reduce the acceleration of anxiety. Therefore, she may encourage her to take physical and breathing exercises. The rationale for this intervention is that relaxation is a non-chemical way of reducing anxiety (Khakha, Satapathy, and Dey, 2015). Besides, relaxation techniques may be accompanied by giving the client confidence to have control over their anxiety. Lauren may also be put under cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy takes a more practical and pragmatic approach to solving the problem. It helps in changing the behavior or patterns of thinking that complicates the difficulties in the way that an individual feels (Kaczkurkin and Foa, 2015). For instance, Lauren might be encouraged to try positive reframing, where she rephrases negative phrases to positive ones. This may also involve assertive training, where Lauren is encouraged to take more control of her life, by fostering self-assurance and negotiating intra-personally.
References
Kaczkurkin, A. N., & Foa, E. B. (2015). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 17(3), 337.
Khakha, D. C., Satapathy, S., & Dey, A. B. (2015). Impact of Jacobson Progressive Muscle Relaxation (JPMR) and Deep Breathing Exercises on Anxiety, Psychological Distress and Quality of Sleep of Hospitalized Older Adults. Journal of Psychosocial Research, 10(2).
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