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Case Study
Case Study - The Case of Agnes
Sandra D. Darby
PSY/410
October 28, 2008
Kristi Lane, PhD.
The Case of Agnes
The following is a case study analysis of Anxiety, Somatoform, and Dissociative Disorders. The writer will present an analysis of a selected case as described in the text, Case studies in abnormal behavior (8th ed.) by Meyer R., Chapman, L.K., & Weaver, C.M. (2009). The writer will also provide a brief overview of the selected case as well as analyze the biological, emotional, cognitive and behavioral components of the disorder. The case selected is “The Case of Agnes”.
Overview of Case Study
The character in this case study is known as Agnes, a woman who was brought in to the community mental health center in the eastern seaboard city by her daughter who believed that her mother was mentally ill. Her family included of a husband and one daughter. Agnes believed that she suffered from “heart disease”, but her physician reassured her that it may be anxiety and tension. Agnes may have being suffering from anxiety disorder known as Agoraphobia, which is classified in the DSM-IV-TR as a fear of being left alone or finding oneself in public places in which one could be embarrassed and unable to find help in case of sudden panic attacks (Meyer, Chapman & Weaver, 2009). The biological, emotional, cognitive and behavioral components of this disorder are discussed in this paper.
Current Description According to the text, Agnes is a thin 43 year-old married white female who was taken to the mental health center in her hometown in the eastern seaboard city by her 22 year-old daughter, who feared that her mother was mentally ill. She claimed that her mother wanted to accompany her everywhere she went and that placed her in an awkward position. Agnes has always been a tense person and has reported experiencing agoraphobic symptoms for about seven years with symptoms becoming even more intense over an extended period. Agnes also believed that she



References: (Myer, R., Chapman, L.K., & Weaver, C. M.). Case Studies in abnormal behavior (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Agoraphobia/Pages/Causes.aspx http://www.sound-mind.org/agoraphobia-symptoms.html#.UmyRYhttp://www.sound-mind.org/agoraphobia-symptoms.html#.UmyRY1XD8RY1XD8RY Clark, D. M. (1988). A cognitive model of panic attacks. In S. Rachman & J. D. Maser (Eds.), Panic: Psychological perspectives. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. www.springer.com/cda/content/.../cda.../9780387283692-c2.pdf?...0... Hazlett-Stevens, H., & Craske, M. G. (2003). Live (In vivo) exposure. In W. O’Donohue, J. E. Fisher, & S. C. Hayes (Eds.), Cognitive behavior therapy: Applying empirically supported techniques in your practice. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

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