Anxiety In Molly's Life

Molly is a 57-year-old African American female. She has lived the majority of her life in a low-income neighborhood raising her three children, all who are now adults. Her husband died in a car accident while her children were in grade school and she kept the family afloat working various minimum wage jobs. Molly had battled with depression since her husband’s passing and at times wondered how she was going to make it financially. She had isolated herself from social activities and only spoke to her family through short phone calls every 4-5 months. Molly just felt she did not need anyone anymore and spends her days supporting her home. Under tremendous stress, Molly was able to alleviate herself regularly with cigarettes. While on work breaks, after the children had gone to bed and whenever she felt ready to give up, she found comfort in the smooth tantalizing trace of menthol smoke. She viewed tobacco as a friend and she relied heavily on it during her toughest times. Providing for her family was always Molly’s number one priority. She worked very hard to make sure they had clothing, an apartment, and food. After long days of work, Molly found it extremely …show more content…
The need to provide for her family is her foremost concern and the thought of her not being able to is a constant source of anxiety. Anxiety has also been linked to CHD, but the combination of anxiety and depression increases the risk even more. Anxiety is thought to increase the risk of CHD due to the fact that it may reduce vagal control of heart rate. Along with anxiety and depression comes vital exhaustion, a mental state characterized by extreme fatigue, enhanced irritability, and feelings of being dejected or defeated (Taylor, 258). Vital exhaustion predicts the likelihood of a heart attack as well as the possibility of another heart attack after the