Unit 4 Assignment Learning and Behavior

A Case Study on Agoraphobia Your name Subject and Section Professor’s name Date Case Scenario Rebecca, a 10-year-old girl, has been sleeping in her parents’ room every night and requires a companion inside the bathroom, whether in her house or a public bathroom or restroom, for more than seven months. She also does not like to stay in an elevator or fit some clothes in the dressing room alone. Being alone in these situations incidentally results in palpitations, difficulty of breathing, or sometimes, loss of consciousness. This started when she was locked inside a secret room in the basement of her friend's house for four hours while playing hide-and-seek with them. According to the patient, she shouted and cried for help, but no one heard her immediately. She was eventually found while she was crying on the floor and unable to breathe correctly. Since then, Rebecca's fear includes getting trapped in such situations or even being unable to find help in case she becomes paralyzed by her anxiety or if a panic attack occurs. Aside from these, Rebecca has not been diagnosed with other psychiatric or physical illnesses. Moreover, Rebecca is not taking any medications. Sociocultural factors Sociocultural factors such as cultural stigmatization of mental health issues, expectations for women, and levels of independence shape how Rebecca copes with the trauma and how her family responds. First, if Rebecca’s community provides a negative image about people with mental problems, this will not allow her to seek help in time, thus worsening her fears. Another possible influence is the culture of child independence whereby her behaviors, such as needing constant company, can be seen as problematic and attracting scorn or rejection. On the other hand, in cultures that prioritize the importance of family collectivism, there is a possibility that such actions would be tolerated, though it would take time to focus on the healing process of the trauma directly. Moreover, the depth of mental health literacy in her community is crucial to defining how her symptoms are recognized as attributable to psychological trauma and what her treatment and recovery process would look like. DSM-5-TR Criteria in Diagnosing Agoraphobia Rebecca’s case satisfies the criteria of agoraphobia from the DSM-5-TR. The following symptoms are evident in this case: 1) Rebecca displays significant levels of fear or anxiety in areas where it may be hard to escape or get help. For instance, she cannot be alone in an elevator or a dressing room, and she even requires company even when going to the bathroom; 2) Rebecca fears not being able to get out or get help in the middle of a panic attack, rooted in the traumatic event of being locked in a basement. These specific situations are either being avoided by Rebecca or if they are attended to, they will be with extreme fear and cut across her functionality (Barnhill, 2023). As discussed, Rebecca’s fears are irrational, which causes her significant distress and inability to participate in the community. Furthermore, the symptoms have been present for more than six consecutive months and cannot be attributed to another mental or physical illness or because of taking specific medications. These are following DSM-5-TR criteria (Barnhill, 2023). Reciprocal Inhibition as Treatment for Anxiety Reciprocal inhibition is a therapeutic concept used to treat anxiety by preventing it from occurring since two related and dissimilar states cannot exist simultaneously. This technique was widely used in systematic desensitization, whereby a patient is progressively exposed to the actual object of fear, and relaxation ...