Mini Case Study Anxiety

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Mini Case Study: Anxiety

Jim is my boyfriend’s father and I have known him for just over two years. He is also like a second father to me because he has done so much for me. Jim has given me a job that I can handle while going to school full time and has given me a place to live for free so I could focus on school instead of worrying about making rent and bill payments. Jim is 53 years old and has experienced anxiety problems since he was 15 years old. When I first met Jim, I would’ve never guessed he had anxiety. My first impression of him was that he is a loud, outgoing, and flamboyant human being. He was not shy with me at all and at times was even a little too much for me to handle at first. The more I got to know Jim though, the more
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He experiences panic attacks when he is around a lot of people and if he is not in his “social circle” as he calls it. He explained his social circle includes his home, his son and daughter’s homes, a specific grocery store, drive-thru restaurants, and work. It is very hard for his family to get him to leave the house and go somewhere out of his comfort zone. He missed all of his son’s sporting events growing up because of the loudness and the number of people at the events. Jim said if he were to go, he would experience nausea and the feeling of being sick to a whole new level. Family vacations have also diminished as he’s gotten older. About 15 years ago when his anxiety was better under control, him and his family would go to Jamaica every year. He explains he might have felt a slight sense of anxiety but not enough to make him miss out on the fun. In the last few years, Jim’s family and I have been going to Las Vegas a lot since my boyfriend and I turned 21. The first time we went, Jim came with. Immediately his anxiety kicked in. He feared being on an airplane and being at airports. The first few days he stayed in his room the entire time. He forgot his medication at home and refused to leave the room which became his comfort zone. Jim and his wife had to find a doctor in Las Vegas that would come to the room and prescribe him the medication he was on, which was not easy to do and not how they planned spending their vacation. Once he finally got his medication, he left his room. We went on a tour that took place on a bus full of people. Jim immediately got sick and couldn’t hold it in. We had to ask passengers for their plastic bags so Jim could use it until the tour was over. Since that vacation, Jim has passed on going to Vegas or any vacation four times. He understands and feels awful about missing family trips and adventures but we have also understood why he does not feel comfortable. We always invite him to dinner or mini road