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Background material by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. for Year 3 Semester 1 PPSD session on Monday 27th October 2008
Background
Y was the only child of a professional couple. He was using to consistently being on top of his class from kindergarten to the end of high school. On entry into medical school he found that there were many clever students and he started worrying about topping the class. In the first examination he scored 85% but that was the lowest score in the class. His worries became worse. He started studying very hard, missing meals, and missing sleep. He started falling asleep in class and missing some of the lectures requiring him to study even more a night to catch up. He started losing his ability of concentration in prayer and developed obsessive disorders about maintaining his wudhu thinking that he passes flatus all the time. When he explained his difficulties to a waiter at the canteen who advised him to try stimulant drugs that would stop him from falling asleep at night. This soon developed into an addiction and his behavior deteriorated to the point that university authorities referred him to the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist prescribed anxiolytic drugs that were effective for 1 week and soon themselves became drugs of addiction for which Y craved. After 2 years of using the drugs, Y started developing symptoms of cognitive malfunction. Y’s father was informed about his son’s deteriorating situation. He applied for a 6-month medical leave for his son. Y was taken to a religious scholar who asked him to get off all chemical therapies. He started him on cognitive therapy. He had sessions with him to discuss the concepts of pre-determination, the role of human effort, the causes and appropriate reactions to success and failure. After 2 months of therapy Y had changed his overall world-view and lost all his anxiety. He expressed his desire to return to university and continue his studies.
Discussion:
1. Identify and explain manifestations of anxiety in this case.
2. Explain how faith can be used to treat cases of anxiety