Author: Taryn A. Myers, Ph.D., Virginia Wesleyan College
Please note: Clinical Choices allows you to enhance and test your understanding of the disorders and treatments covered in your textbook, in a simulated case study environment. It is not intended to replicate an actual intake interview or therapy session or provide training on therapeutic techniques. Clinical Choices is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for clinical training.
The receptionist hands you the intake paperwork prior to your intake interview with your new client, Priya, who self-referred for therapy because her anxiety is interfering with her job performance. Click on the button below to review the paperwork before you begin the interview.
New Client
Priya: Case #10105
Psychological Clinic
Intake Paperwork
Client Name: Priya
Age: 33 years old
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Indian (South Asian)
Occupation: Flight attendant
Current living situation: I live alone
Why are you seeking services at our clinic?
I am afraid my anxiety will start to get in the way of my job as a flight attendant.
You will now ask Priya a number of questions you would typically ask during the intake interview. As you conduct the interview with Priya, begin to think about her symptoms, what her diagnosis might be, and later, what type of treatment might be most helpful to her. Click the “play” button below the illustration to hear Priya’s responses to your questions. To read the transcript for these answers, click on the “transcript” button. Take notes in the box provided as you listen to Priya’s responses.
“Hi Priya, it's nice to meet you. What we are doing today is called an intake interview. I’m going to have you tell me what brought you here today and ask you some questions that I ask everyone who comes to the clinic. This information will tell me how best to help you. This may mean continuing to see me for therapy at this clinic, or it may involve referring you to another mental health professional or facility. Let’s start. Tell me about what brought you to the clinic today.”
Transcript
Priya: I’ve thought about coming in before [hesitates] I just wasn’t ever sure if it was a good idea. But now... I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle and I’m… [sharp intake of breath] I’m going to get fired! I’m a flight attendant for a major airline. I actually really love my job! It gives me a chance to travel and see new places and meet new people. I like helping the passengers and hearing their stories. I don’t mind the multitasking. I feel like I’m really good at solving problems while I work with the passengers. I like the bustle of the airport. [with pride] I think I’m good at my job, too. I feel like I can manage any crisis that comes up. But over the past, I don’t know… [tries to remember] year or so… I’ve been missing work – a LOT of work… [sighs] because I feel anxious about flying. That’s not a good problem to have in my line of work, obviously. I sit and think over and over about all the possible things that could go wrong. I just feel really tense all over and super anxious – almost panicky – and then I can’t bring myself to go to work.
Check Your Notes
What brought you in?
- Worried she will get fired
- Works as flight attendant
- Missing work
Based on her initial report of her symptoms, which of the following anxiety disorders could Priya be suffering from? Check ALL that are possible diagnoses for Priya. Click on the name of the disorder to review the diagnostic criteria.
wCfH0QtRgXJ8o+c+ | Social Anxiety Disorder |
bI0LPa9lfHQ+dYqk | Specific Phobia |
bI0LPa9lfHQ+dYqk | Panic Disorder |
wCfH0QtRgXJ8o+c+ | Agoraphobia |
bI0LPa9lfHQ+dYqk | Generalized Anxiety Disorder |
Hint
Priya talked about being anxious and panicky about flying, as well as thinking over and over again about bad things that could happen.
“That sounds really difficult, especially in light of your line of work. Missing work must be frustrating for you. Has your anxiety been affecting your life in other ways?”
Transcript
Priya: I am very anxious about staying in hotels in different cities. I’m starting to wonder if this is the right career for me. I used to be able to calm down once I got to work. But now I find myself worrying about terrorist attacks or a plane crash. But … all this anxiety makes sense, right? It is actually dangerous to fly – we could crash! And something could happen to me while I’m staying in a strange city. We always arrive so late at night, and some of those cities have very high crime rates. As a single woman, it’s just not safe to be out at that time of night… you know what I mean? … Even as I was sitting in your waiting room I was wondering whether I should even be here. After all, everyone has some anxiety, right? Then I was worried you might think I’m crazy for even coming … [pauses] …or the opposite, that I’m beyond help and there’s nothing you or I can do. I find myself thinking about everything that could go wrong …all these possibilities… just play over and over in my mind. I can’t stop worrying…Then, I’m exhausted and I can’t sleep, and that’s when I call in sick to work… I worry I won’t be able to do my job well because I’m sleep deprived. I’m worried that my co-workers will think I’m not pulling my weight or that I’ll snap at them because I’m so tired.
Check Your Notes
Other concerns
- Anxious about staying in hotels in strange cities
- Traveling alone at night as a single woman
- Worries about plane crashes or terrorist attacks
- Thinks anxiety is normal, rational
- Everyone has some anxiety
- Worried what therapist will think of her
- Can’t stop thinking of anxiety-producing scenarios
- Insomnia and exhaustion
- Calls in sick to work when sleep deprived
- Worried about job performance and relationship with co-workers
“It sounds like what you might be experiencing is what we call “rumination” – dwelling on thoughts and thinking about the same things over and over again. It must feel overwhelming, and it’s very common among people who experience anxiety. When did you first start feeling anxious about flying and other things?”
Transcript
Priya: There have just been so many crashes and mishaps in recent years. Every time I hear about one, I keep thinking, “I could be on the next plane that goes down! This is just one more sign that the world is not safe at all.” You would think that we would not see air disasters like these… especially after 9-11… and yet…After those crashes, I get sick with worry every time I fly. [pauses] … I worry that I will miss the bus to the airport and be late for work [feels the need to explain] – I take the bus because I don’t drive. I never wanted to drive – I find it incredibly scary. My father made me take Driver’s Ed when I was 16, but then I had two accidents in my first 6 months of driving … so I quit. Driving is too dangerous. I got into accidents even when I was being perfectly safe! I feel like I used up all my good luck with those accidents, so I’ve never driven again, but I still worry about my parents or siblings getting killed in a car crash. But my biggest worry is really flying… I worry I’ll panic on the airplane and then the pilots will have to make an emergency landing, which would upset the passengers. It would be completely embarrassing.
Check Your Notes
How long?
- After recent airline crashes and mishaps
- She could easily have been on such flights
- Now she worries every time she flies
- Worries she will miss bus
- Doesn’t drive → too scary
- Worry she will have panic attack while on the job→ causing an emergency landing
“You mentioned being worried about panicking on a flight – have you ever actually experienced what is called a panic attack, where you unexpectedly felt very anxious or fearful out of the blue with physical symptoms like dizziness or chest pain?”
Transcript
Priya: Yes, definitely! It’s so scary! I feel like I’m going have a heart attack or to die. [reflecting] …I guess I’ve had a few in my life. I have anxiety medications I can take if I have one, so I carry them with me everywhere I go. I haven’t had an attack in probably like 2 years, though.
Check Your Notes
Panic attacks?
- Has had a few
- Has access to anxiety medications
- Takes anxiety medication for panic attacks
- Has not had a panic attack in 2 years
Hint
Review the criteria for panic disorder and decide whether what is happening to Priya meets the criteria.
“Let’s talk a bit about your childhood. What was it like growing up in your family?”
Transcript
Priya: Pretty normal, I guess. My parents were married and had four of us – I was the baby. We lived in a normal, average-sized town in Ohio. My dad was kind of distant, hard to impress. I would try to do well in school to impress him, but he never noticed. He worked long hours and when he was home, he had to take my mom out to do errands because she was afraid to go out alone. She was “sick” a lot, and she only ever left the house with dad. Now that I’m older, I wonder if she might have had some kind of phobia. She kept telling me that the world was a dangerous place and warned me about all the horrible things that could happen if you are not on your guard at all times. I wasn’t allowed to play outside unless my mom or dad was there watching me, which made it hard to make friends. [pauses] …I always felt like I didn’t really fit in with my siblings. My brothers are the two oldest, and we got along fine, but they felt like two more dads more than anything else. My sister is 3 years older, and we weren’t really very close … we are so different – different personalities, different ways of looking at the world. My sister never worries about anything and lives one day at a time. She always made me feel inadequate, because she did really well at everything she tried… spur of the moment… no planning … just like that! She never understood why I was always thinking about the future. [sadly] I felt like she looked down on me for it.
Check Your Notes
Childhood
- “normal”
- Parents married
- Youngest of 4 children
- 2 older brothers, 1 older sister
- Dad distant → tried to impress
- Mom anxious → housebound; only ever left house with dad
- 2 older brothers→ more like fathers
- Sister 3 years older – carefree, never worries
How could Priya’s childhood have influenced what Priya is experiencing now? More than one answer could be correct. Select all that apply.
wCfH0QtRgXJ8o+c+ | Priya’s sister’s carefree attitude could have made Priya worry more. |
bI0LPa9lfHQ+dYqk | Priya may have constantly worried about how to impress her father because she could not tell when what she did pleased him. |
wCfH0QtRgXJ8o+c+ | Priya’s brothers teased her, making her self-conscious. |
bI0LPa9lfHQ+dYqk | Priya’s mother’s anxiety could have influenced how Priya saw the world. |
Hint
Think about how the behavior of the most significant people in Priya’s life may have influenced her.
“It sounds like you actually started to feel anxious as a child, long before you developed a fear of flying. Do you remember when you first started feeling anxious as a child?”
Transcript
Priya: Come to think about it, as far back as I can remember I’ve always been a worrier. My brothers and sister used to call me a “worry wart” growing up. When I was little, I used to go around the house unplugging all the appliances before bed because I was afraid of a fire starting overnight. …I remember hearing about how smoking causes lung cancer, and then I was afraid my mom would die because she was a smoker and that all the rest of us would die from secondhand smoke. Even after my mom quit, I still worried about getting cancer.
Check Your Notes
Anxious as child
- Always been a worrier → nicknamed “worrywart” by siblings
“Many people who worry a lot struggle with interpersonal relationships because they find themselves worrying about whether they can trust the people in their lives. Has this been your experience?”
Transcript
Priya: Come to think of it… I guess I do have some problems with trust. I just don’t know when it is safe to trust someone. About 4 years ago, I started dating someone I really felt close to. He was a pilot, so he “got” me – he understood my anxiety about flying and being in new cities. We had been going out for two years when the airline transferred me to Seattle. That made me very anxious because I’d never lived anywhere but Ohio before that. But my boyfriend said he would move with me, so I felt better about the transfer … excited even… We picked out an apartment together, and I flew out there and was setting it up when he called and told me he wasn’t coming. [sadly] He said he “wanted some time apart.” I had a severe panic attack – this is actually the last one I had, two years ago – and I spent my first night in Seattle in the E.R. What a way to start off in a new city, huh? I haven’t dated anyone seriously since. I now live in that apartment we picked out together, and I’m terrified of it being broken into. I have the same worries at home now that I have when I’m travelling. I even keep a pair of men’s sneakers and a large dog bowl outside my front door, even though I’m single and don’t have any pets.
Check Your Notes
Relationship difficulties
- Problems with trust
- Dated pilot for 2 years
- Hasn’t dated seriously since
“Priya, I sometimes like to end my interviews, especially with clients like yourself who are very anxious, by asking if you have any concerns or questions about therapy. Is there anything I can answer for you or any concerns you have?”
Transcript
Priya: Like I said at the beginning of the session…I’m not sure I made the right the decision. One of the reasons I’ve never tried therapy before is that although it’s really obvious that all this anxiety is interfering with my life, I [slightly embarrassed] … this is going to sound really weird… I kind of don’t want to give it up! I’m worried about not worrying, as silly as that sounds. Worrying about my safety and staying on my guard has kept me safe! People, in general, aren’t concerned enough about their personal safety and that is why they end up in dangerous situations. I also feel like if I worry, it prevents something bad from happening. You might dismiss this as superstition. But it really works! For example, I got my mom to quit smoking – she quit because she saw how worried and stressed I was about it. Because I kept worrying, she never started up again and she never got lung cancer. [sighs] But it’s exhausting. I can’t relax on my days off because I spend the entire time worrying about my next flight. I worry all the time about everything. I worry about things most other people see as silly – like whether I’ll be caught in the rain without an umbrella, if I can pay my bills on time, if the bus will break down on the way to work. I’ve been able to keep my anxiety under control for a long time, but now I just can’t anymore. So I’m hoping therapy can help me, but I’m worried that it won’t.
Check Your Notes
Feelings about treatment
- Ambivalent
- Anxiety is interfering with her life
- Doesn’t want to give anxiety up
- Worry is exhausting, she can’t relax
- Worries about small things
- Worried therapy won’t help
Which of the following symptoms is Priya currently experiencing? Check all that apply. Use your interview notes to help you remember!
bI0LPa9lfHQ+dYqk | Excessive anxiety |
wCfH0QtRgXJ8o+c+ | Fear only of a specific situation |
bI0LPa9lfHQ+dYqk | Ongoing worry |
wCfH0QtRgXJ8o+c+ | Fear of open spaces |
wCfH0QtRgXJ8o+c+ | Anxiety about social situations |
wCfH0QtRgXJ8o+c+ | Restlessness |
wCfH0QtRgXJ8o+c+ | Muscle tension |
bI0LPa9lfHQ+dYqk | Fatigue |
bI0LPa9lfHQ+dYqk | Sleep disturbance |
wCfH0QtRgXJ8o+c+ | Recent recurrent panic attacks |
bI0LPa9lfHQ+dYqk | Behavior affected by worry |
wCfH0QtRgXJ8o+c+ | Avoidance of feared situation |
bI0LPa9lfHQ+dYqk | Distress or impairment |
Hint
Review your notes from the interview or listen to the interview with Priya again to review her symptoms.
From the File. You remember a former patient who shared symptoms similar to Priya’s. You review this case to help you diagnose Priya.
Hint
Think about the fact that Priya worries about a lot of aspects of her life.
Hint
Review the checklist for GAD.
Hint
Think about the important people in Priya’s life.
Hint
In making your choice, think about which perspective focuses on problems that arise from trying to keep certain thoughts out of conscious awareness.
Hint
In making your choice, think about which type of therapy focuses on how individuals may be ruled by rumination, or experiencing the same thoughts over and over again.
Hint
Think about how each type of therapy matches with a model of abnormality.
EPILOGUE
As the therapist, your background is cognitive behavioral therapy. You assign Priya a thought record to document her irrational beliefs – worries – and encourage her to use these records to begin challenging these beliefs with more rational ways of thinking. You incorporate mindfulness techniques into Priya’s therapy to help her focus on the present moment instead of getting wrapped up in worrying about the future. At first, Priya struggles with challenging her irrational thoughts, but because she enjoys thinking about things in a rational, logical way, she finds that she looks forward to completing her “homework” and becomes quite good at it.
At first, she is resistant to mindfulness, finding it “weird,” but once you present it as an experiment to be tested, she finds it is helpful and relaxing and stops missing work. Even if Priya does sometimes worry at work, she recognizes that these are irrational thoughts and she can challenge them on the spot. She also uses her mindfulness techniques during takeoff and landing to help her avoid thinking the worst will happen. Although Priya has yet to find a serious boyfriend, she feels ready to start dating again and feels more open to trusting someone in the future.
Real World Application
Increasingly, psychologists are trying to harness the power and accessibility of technology to help their clients. Watch the following video about a smartphone app that has been developed to address anxiety and answer the following questions.
Think about recent changes in our society, such as building walls on our southern border, the ongoing and pervasive global war on terror, disease outbreaks, crime rates, and journalistic focus on crime reporting, economic uncertainty and volatility. Think about how these aspects of culture may relate to anxiety disorders, considering the following:
• anxiety disorders are the most common kind of disorder
• 15% of people will have some type of anxiety disorder in their lifetime
• the prevalence rates as diagnosed by physicians has doubled from 1990-2003