Sheila, age 62, has been a widow for about 6 years and recently lost her job at an electronics assembly plant.
For the past few months Sheila has found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on anything.
Sometimes her hands start trembling and her heart begins racing for no reason.
She seems tense and anxious all the time and she worries about everything.
Her friends finally convinced her to visit a mental health clinic.
The initial interview established a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder
and Sheila was assigned to the care of the clinic’s psychiatrist.
After examining her case, the psychiatrist placed Sheila on a treatment plan that involved a daily dose
of an anti-anxiety medication that boosts the level of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain.
Sheila responded quickly to the medication. Within a few weeks her friends noticed some improvement in her symptoms.
By the time she had completed four months of the treatment, Sheila was feeling almost back to normal.
The psychiatrist then made plans to transfer Sheila to one of the clinic’s psychotherapists for follow-up care.