Nadine meets all of the diagnostic criteria to be diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder in accordance with the DSM V. She has marked fear or anxiety regarding potential scrutiny …show more content…
There was no mention of any substance use or medical conditions, but that does not mean they did not exist. Knowing whether or not Nadine had a medical condition or used any type of substances may not have changed our diagnosis, but it definitely would have helped us be more sure of our decision. It is important for us as social workers to be sure of the diagnoses we make, and if we do not have all of the information for a case, it may be unethical for us to preemptively make decisions in these situations. Another thing that would have been important to have more information about is Nadine’s suicidal ideations. Her preoccupation with suicide is especially alarming considering how often she seems to think about it. There is no mention of it, but it would be important to know whether or not Nadine is self harming in any way. If so, we could have added a Z-code to her diagnosis--Z91.5 Personal History of Self-Harm, which would have helped her receive specific treatment for this issue, if it exists. Another thing we would have liked to know more about is Nadine’s relationship with her parents. We were given very little information about this topic which makes it difficult to interpret in any particular way. There seems to be tension between Nadine and her mother, and her mother is described as being “a little frightening” and “aggressive.” The extent to which her mother is …show more content…
The therapy proven most successful in treating this disorder is cognitive-behavioral therapy. According to Smith and Jaffe-Gill (2015), there are three major aspects of cognitive-behavior therapy that help individuals who suffer from social anxiety disorder. First, this treatment would teach Nadine skills about how to control her physical symptoms. She would learn both relaxation techniques and breathing exercises. Second, this treatment would focus on challenging negative thoughts. Nadine would learn how to identify the thoughts that trigger her social anxiety and then replace them with positive and productive thoughts. Third, cognitive-behavior therapy would help Nadine face the social situations she fears in a gradual and systematic