Case 5 Write-Up - Summary Case Studies in Abnormal Psychology PDF

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Ashley Athy Case 5 The client in this case study, Leon, exhibits marked levels of both anxiety and depression. The anxiety seems to have begun when he was a small child, as he had trouble speaking in front of others even before he had entered kindergarten. The subsequent depression has been distressing and has caused Leon to seek help from various sources. As for Leon’s anxiety, a viable hypothesis for a diagnosis could be Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It is mentioned in Leon’s case study that he does not suffer from panic attacks or any “sudden anxiety”— his anxiety builds and builds and levels off once a certain level is reached. However, throughout the case study it is apparent that Leon’s anxiety is triggered by social situations or even the possibility of a social situation: he fears being evaluated negatively or “messing up.” This fear is so great that his grades suffer (when an oral presentation is required) and he has significant trouble making friends and dating. Even his career choice was made on the basis of little social interaction being involved. Because it appears that Leon’s anxiety is triggered by social situations, a diagnosis of Social Phobia may make a bit more sense. Leon fears being evaluated by others (moreso that they will think of him as “stupid”), experiences anxiety either in a social situation or with the expectation of one, and avoids social situations because of that anxiety. In addition, because of this distress and difficulty in forming relationships Leon also experiences fairly severe depression, which must be accounted for in his diagnosis. As Leon’s depression has maintained fairly steady, somewhat low levels (he only experiences a “typical” mood for just a few days) dysthymic disorder may be a viable diagnosis to account for his depression. In dysthymic disorder, the client experiences a depressed mood for most of the day with few times of “normal” mood in between. In addition, the client experiences low self-esteem and difficulty concentrating, among other things. In conclusion, Leon can be diagnosed as having Social Phobia with Dysthymic Disorder....