SECONDARY CONDITIONS OF ANXIETY DISORDERS: CASE HISTORIES
Bill
Bill walked from his manager’s office. He knew the day would come-when he would be found out and today was that day. He had been caught drinking during working hours in the bar of the hotel, a few doors down from the office. He had been a regular visitor to the hotel, as he made his daily courier rounds to the head office, a few blocks away. Having a drink was the way he had found to help him cope with the panic attacks and perpetual anxiety. Bill had a regular routine. A drink before going to work, one during his morning round, two at lunch, one on the afternoon round and two before he drove home. He felt he had at least one thing in his favour. The manager didn’t know about his anxiety problem. Bill thought that having a drinking problem was much more socially acceptable than having an anxiety problem. What Bill didn’t know was that his manager also had the same anxiety disorder!
Patricia
The prescription lay on the table. Will she or won’t she have it filled? Years ago Patricia had been given a similar medication. She had never liked the thought of taking it, but the panic attacks and the anxiety finally convinced her she had to do something. It had helped for a while, but over time she found she had to keep increasing the dose for it to have any effect. Finally she decided enough was enough, and slowly withdrew from the medication. Patricia had learnt to cope with the panic attacks and the anxiety, but over the last two months they had become more and more intense. She didn’t want to take the medication, but as no one could suggest any other way of controlling the disorder she felt as if there were no alternative.
Robyn
Robyn looked at her mother in silence. It was no use, her mother was never going to understand that Robyn’s panic disorder was a legitimate condition and that Robyn was not just being ’stupid’. Her cousin also had panic disorder/ agoraphobia and had committed suicide a month before. No one had known until after his death exactly what had been wrong with him. He had never told anyone outside his immediate family. Yet Robyn’s mother still would not be convinced. She told Robyn that the family was not the type to have this sort of problem and that she had better ‘pull herself together’ and stop being so ridiculous.
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