Anxiety Assessment Tools Series
Anxiety Assessment A-1
Anxiety Assessment Tool: Carol experiences moments of acute anxiety that began when she was nineteen and her parents died in a car accident. Recently, the memory of this trauma resurfaced when there was news coverage of a school shooting in another town. In response to the shooting and even though her children attend a different school, Carol took her children out of school. Carol feels she is protecting her children from harm and is only doing her job as a mother. She admits to trying to hide her anxiety that begins with uncontrollable shaking. She developed the method of humming to calm her anxiety. Carol attributes her recent retraction from social settings to her need to home school her children. She feels positive about this change despite the rift the changes created with her husband.
Anxiety Assessment A-2
Kim has always had difficulty making friends and feeling out of place. As a result she experiences anxiety in social situations. Her anxiety usually begins with uncomfortable feelings in her stomach and chest. She also describes moments of anxiety when she takes tests, when she drives, and when she is in social situations with strangers. Kim reports that her anxiety prohibits her from making new friends. Kim is currently seeking remedies for her anxiety.
Anxiety Assessment A-3
During the interview Lisa appears lucid and focused at times and at other times she stutters through her answers as her focus drifts in and out. She describes battling anxiety and also describes that daily she feels a loss of control. She answers in the affirmative to a majority of questions about physical symptoms of anxiety.
Anxiety Assessment A-4
Mrs. Bennett feels she does not suffer from any anxiety. She fidgets in her chair, however, as she discusses the recent death of her husband and the issues that arose surrounding his death. She also discusses problems in the relationships with her children. While discussing these issues, Mrs. Bennett appears to admit to moments of anxiety but then quickly dismisses the moments as insignificant or inconsequential.
Anxiety Assessment with Primary Diagnosis Obsessive Compulsive Disorders – Tic-Related
Lindsay displays symptoms of a tic-related OCD disorder: her left hand uncontrollably flicks up to her ear. Immediately Lindsay brushes her hand through her hair in a manner meant to hide the initial, uncontrollable movement. In addition to the tics, Lindsay describes racing and obsessive thoughts and moments of panic related to her daily routines. Lindsay has a fixation with unplugging electrical devices and that leads to emotional stress and a variety of physical symptoms.
Anxiety Assessment with Primary Diagnosis Opiate Use Disorder, Moderate
Joe describes an inability to relax unless he uses the medication Ambien. Lately, Joe has been experiencing panic attacks with symptoms of numbness and other physical symptoms. His anxiety appears to be related to his use of various prescription medications and whether or not he has access to those medications. Joe also admits to using a variety of drugs and alcohol to alleviate his panic symptoms.
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