Evaluating Causes of Panic Attacks: A Case Study of Ella

Introduction

It can be challenging to evaluate the exact cause of a panic attack. However, as a medic, it is essential to focus on triggers. The tendency to have several panic attacks, as displayed by Ella, proves that there is a trigger. In the case study, Ella is showing an emotional response. Ella is displaying severe stress caused by the fear of losing a loved one. She lost one of her daughters through a road accident and would not like to lose another one through the same process. Her emotional display of fear happens in terms of transference. She transfers her fear of emotions to Jason at the expense of Sophia's date, the day Sophia died, and Savannah was in an accident. The concern is not only at Jason but also at Sophia's time at the prom night, in which they were involved in an accident (Bongaerts et al., 2017). It is medically logical to conclude that Elle's emotional response that causes the attack is fear of the event that happened in the past and the possibility that it could as well happen in the future. Ella's current perception of the crisis is that an accident is likely to occur in the future, and it could lead to the loss of life of Savannah. Since Jason is the one going to drive, she is not in fear of him but fear of her daughter. It is such a fearful perception that she has about the crisis which acts as a trigger.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Other Issues to Assess

Having known that the panic attack might be caused by fear of the previous event as displayed by Ella's perception, it is essential to evaluate her further for any underlying mental conditions. Underlying mental conditions are medical conditions that are not displayed directly unless something occurs. For the case of Ella, she should be assessed further for post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD). Ella should be evaluated following the stress that she went through as Savannah was in the hospital, and as she lost her daughter. The assessment can also be widened to generalized anxiety disorder, especially involving drivers and cars.

Environmental Manipulation Approach

The environmental manipulation approach will demand that Ella's physical and interpersonal situation is changed. Such an intervention involves asking her best friends to take her out the night that Savannah will be leaving for college. Environmental manipulation also demands to mobilize the patient's social system to provide social support. In the case of Elle, it is crucial to invite the husband to appear as if he is on her wife's side. The fact that she sympathizes with her in times of the attacks is reason enough to allow him to take sides with her. Especially in times of crisis, it important that a patient receives full social supports (Swan, & Hamilton, 2017). As a nurse, it is vital to appear as if to be on Elle's side. Being the patient, it is essential to appear to be on her side to evade the crisis. With warmth, acceptance, empathy, care, and reassurance from the social environment, which include the family members and the nurse, the crisis could quickly be intervened.

An individual approach to solving the crisis is an intervention that mostly focuses on the patient. The diagnosis and treatment are directly channeled to ways that can help the patient as an individual without involving other counters. As a nurse, after identifying that Elle might have PTSD. Elle should be put on cognitive behavior therapy, which will aim at facilitating her cognitive and emotional processing. Cognitive behavior therapy for any patients, including Elle, aims at helping the patient process the traumatic event. When the patient can process, they can easily cope with the traumatic event, which the individual approach that can help Elle.

References

Bongaerts, H., Van Minnen, A., & de Jongh, A. (2017). Intensive EMDR to treat patients with complex posttraumatic stress disorder: A case series. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 11(2), 84-95. https://repository.ubn.ru.nl/bitstream/handle/2066/179499/179499.pdf?sequence=1

Swan, J., & Hamilton, P. M. (2017). Mental health crises. https://wildirismedicaleducation.com/courses/560/Mental-Health-Crises-CE-Course-Wild-Iris-Medical-Education.pdf