Introduction
Anxiety disorder is considered one of the most common mental health problems around the world, as it impacts people of different age groups regardless of their social background. This paper aims to delve into three distinct case studies portraying individuals grappling with various manifestations of anxiety: Social anxiety disorder, PTSD, and separation anxiety disorder are the other examples. By carefully analysing the above scenarios, we can respond to treatment with individually developed modalities for each client based on their specific symptoms and attributable reasons. Focusing on the use of evidence-based methods, including Cognitive behavioural Therapy (CBT), trauma-focused interventions, and family therapy, we aim to ensure successful treatment and provide the necessary well-being.
Social Anxiety Disorder Individual Therapy
The first case study involves Hannah, an adult woman who experienced social anxiety disorder, which gets worse during the period of life transition, especially when she leaves her parents and moves into her place. The aspects relating to Hannah’s symptomology, namely her avoidance of social interactions, feelings of isolation, and heavy self-consciousness, are all related to social events. In terms of the personalised dimension of her transgressions, individual therapy represents the most ideal process for overcoming the social anxiety disorder.
Individual therapy offers Hannah a personalised approach that caters to her troubles, a place where she feels entirely safe while she explores the beliefs and emotions that may perpetuate her anxiety. Among the various approaches to social anxiety treatment, Johnson’s (2014) case study emphasised the importance of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which is an evidence-based intervention. Through CBT, several factors work on faulty thought patterns, teaching new as well as better ways to cope with anxious feelings.
The therapeutic process for her involves attending sessions where she is taught the application of techniques such as cognitive restructuring and exposure therapy. By helping Hannah gradually get to the feared social situations, she could desensitise herself to the stuff that triggers her anxiety and build confidence in her interactions with others. In addition, psychoeducation that includes social anxiety disorder helps Hannah normalise her emotions and experiences, decreasing her feelings of unacceptableness or inferiority. (Johnson, 2014).
For instance, individual therapy helps Hannah seek her anxiety problems holistically, not just emotionally, but at the same time, improving her personal life and self-determination. The unconventional therapist suggests such techniques as relaxation and mindfulness exercises that will help Hannah cope with anxiety on their own when she goes home. By working on collaborative goal-setting and ongoing support, individual therapy prepares Hannah with the skills needed to socialize quickly and confidently.
Group Therapy for PTSD
In the second case, Paul, who is suffering symptoms of PTSD, was a combat veteran who had just come back from a deployment in Iraq. Paul has acquired psychological symptoms, such as irritability, avoiding people, experiencing nightmares, and being vigilant all the time, which consequently have adverse effects on his routine living. Taking into account the shared nature of trauma in PTSD, the case for Paul’s rehabilitation via the group approach is robust.
Group therapy provides a supportive environment that facilitates connection with others who are also experiencing similar difficulties, allowing them to share, get validated, and be there for one another (Podell, 2016). From the case study, Paul’s symptoms have contributed to the lack of personal connectivity and feelings of loneliness within his family. Through group therapy, Paul can experience a sense of relatedness and share his coping strategies with others to learn from them.
An approach focusing directly on trauma, for instance, Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), can be added to group sessions so that his symptoms can be adequately addressed. Typically, TF-CBT works to deal with the traumatic thoughts; it tries to change the counterproductive beliefs, and it will help you develop healthy coping mechanisms, whereas EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to neutralise and process the traumatic memories.
Additionally, group therapy can be a beneficial complementary medicine for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Group therapy creates a unique channel for psychoeducation where members can be educated on the course of PTSD, its symptoms, and evidence-based treatment methods. This everyday cognition could play a key role in destigmatizing their situations and bringing into being a feeling of validation and solidarity among the group members. Group therapy provides a place to experiment with experimental stress with management and relaxation techniques such as diaphragm, attic breathing, progressive muscular relaxation, and mindfulness-based interventions. These skills can help members of the group to develop coping abilities that are more useful and to feel prepared and empowered to control and manage PTSD symptoms as well as emotions.
Family Therapy for Separation Anxiety Disorder
The third case study centers on a kid who has problems with separation anxiety disorder, which is expressed as intense fear and distress from staying away or being left alone by their parents. The child’s anxieties of being left, nightmare occurrences, and hesitating to be parted with their mother indicate that the child is functioning impaired. Treatment of a case of separation anxiety in this manner would then be best served by family therapy as the only suitable option for treatment.
Family therapy comprehends the family as a system as a whole and the roles of every member in treating their problem in individual mental health (Symptom Media, 2019). As family therapy aims to identify and modify elements of the family dynamic that may contribute to the child’s anxiety, including parent behaviors, communication patterns, and attachment styles, the child can receive comprehensive treatment. Family therapy is created to improve any issues in family cohesion, communication, problem-solving, and the child’s needs.
The therapist may use those methods from attachment-based therapies such as EFFT to resolve separation anxiety by creating strong attachment bonds through regulating emotions. EFFT is designed to make parents and other carers feel more effective in this bond, thus providing a starting point for the child to learn the safety measures that make the development process a little less scary. Through organised interventions and experiential exercises, family therapy can help children and caregivers create strategies that can be applied after separations.
EFT provides a secure and comfortable place where a youngster can open up about the emotions and concerns connected to separation (Johnson, 2019). When the therapist normalises and recognises those feelings, the child can see how to handle and regulate emotions psychologically. Even the professionals are taught how to respond sensitively and provide the necessary comforting factor to the child when troubled. In addition, EFFT uses graded exposure methods, wherein the child is gradually allowed to practice brief separations from caregivers in a safe and relational environment. This process contributes to the development of a child’s self-confidence and resilience. Caregivers learn to tackle second-hand anxiety without encouraging avoidant behaviours. Furthermore, family therapy permits the families to address any pervasive family stressors or conflicts that might be at the root of the child’s anxiety. Through the facilitation of open communication and empathy within the family, therapists can improve the family’s resilience and adaptive functioning while at the same time reducing the child’s tendency to rely on problematic coping mechanisms.
Conclusion
Conclusively, the optimal choice of treatment model for people with anxiety disorders requires advanced knowledge about their symptoms, requirements, and treatment goals. Individual therapy is a possible option that could help in dealing with social anxiety by providing individualized interventions, but peer support and trauma-focused interventions may be sought in group therapy by people with PTSD. Unlike single-person therapy, therapy for the whole family focuses on family relationships and separation anxiety in children. By individualising interventions to every client’s specific circumstances and basing them on solid research knowledge, clinicians increase chances of recovery that are truly meaningful and have an overall positive effect.
References
Johnson, J. (2014). Case study clinical example: First session with a client with symptoms of social anxiety (CBT Model) [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH2tF8oB3cw
Johnson, S. M. (2019). Attachment theory in practice: Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) with individuals, couples, and families. Guilford Publications.
Podell, J. (2016). PTSD case study [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj3E8yp_pCE
Symptom Media. (2019). Separation Anxiety Disorder Video, Clinical Psychology Case [Video]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/sY3Q2EJIm-g
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