Case Study: Jack (69 yo)
*Names have been changed to protect the client’s identity.
Jack (69 years old) is a client who struggles with memory issues and a complex medical condition that has been challenging to diagnose and treat. My work with Jack focuses on providing emotional support, helping him navigate the healthcare system, and developing coping strategies for his daily life.
Jack’s spouse is his primary caretaker. They work as a social worker 3-days per week. I (Alicia) serve as an organized, professional voice for Jack to navigate personal and professional forums of alternative mental healthcare.
C-IAYTs see the need to help the public understand the health benefits of yoga therapy and the advantage of including it as a key part of complementary/integrative healthcare services. My support fills a need for holistic and empathetic support.
Jack’s primary concerns include:
Difficulty with short-term memory
Frustration with misdiagnosis and ineffective treatments
Emotional outbursts and anger management issues
Challenges in maintaining relationships, particularly with their spouse.
My approach to working with Jack involves:
Active listening and validation: I acknowledge Jack’s frustrations with the medical community and validate his experiences, helping him feel heard and understood.
Encouraging self-advocacy: I support Jack in seeking clearer communication from his doctors and understanding his medical condition better.
Exploring alternative diagnoses: I help Jack consider other possibilities for his condition, such as epilepsy or bipolar disorder, and their potential connections to stress.
Emotional processing: I guide Jack in processing his anger and exploring paths to forgiveness, both for himself and others.
Improving communication: I work with Jack on strategies to better communicate his experiences and needs to his spouse and healthcare providers.
Developing coping mechanisms: I introduce Jack to practices like journaling and meditation to help manage stress and improve his overall well-being.
Planning for the future: I assist Jack in focusing on memory improvement techniques and developing strategies for daily functioning.
Throughout our sessions, I emphasize the importance of self-care, boundary-setting, and seeking appropriate professional help. I also offer to be an advocate for Jack, helping him navigate the complex medical system and gather information to support his case.
My work with Jack demonstrates my ability to handle complex cases involving both physical and emotional challenges while providing compassionate support and practical strategies for improvement.
We’ve explored alternative diagnoses to help Jack better understand his condition and seek appropriate treatment.
Some examples:
Epilepsy: Jack has been taking an anti-epileptic drug that has been effective in stopping his seizures. This led us both to consider epilepsy as a possible diagnosis. The drug in question is lamotrigine, which is primarily used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder. I discussed how epilepsy could explain some of Jack’s symptoms, particularly his seizures and memory issues. I also noted that epilepsy can sometimes be triggered or exacerbated by stress, which aligns with Jack’s experiences.
Bipolar Disorder: I’ve explored the possibility of a stress-induced bipolar disorder with Jack. This consideration came from observing similarities between Jack’s symptoms and those of individuals with bipolar disorder. I shared an example of my cousin who struggles with anger outbursts and has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, drawing parallels to Jack’s experiences. The connection between these diagnoses: I found that the medication lamotrigine is used to treat both epilepsy and bipolar disorder, which led me to consider a potential link between these conditions in Jack’s case. I also discussed how this drug is used off-label to treat pain, migraines, and fibromyalgia, suggesting a complex interplay of neurological and psychological factors.
Stress as a contributing factor: In my discussions with Jack, I’ve emphasized the role of stress in potentially triggering or exacerbating his dementia & Alzheimers-like symptoms. I've explored how extreme stress could potentially lead to conditions like epilepsy or bipolar disorder, or at least contribute to their manifestation.
Psychogenic non-epileptic seizure disorder: While this was Jack’s initial diagnosis, I've helped him question its accuracy. I’ve discussed how this diagnosis suggests a psychological root to his health issues, which Jack feels doesn't fully explain his experiences, especially given the effectiveness of the epileptic medication.
My approach has been to encourage Jack to consider these alternative diagnoses while also emphasizing the importance of professional medical evaluation. I’ve supported him in seeking clearer communication from his doctors and in advocating for more comprehensive testing and explanations of his condition.
Jack and I have been meeting online since Father’s Day 2023. We continue to meet once a month (for 75-minutes) to provide mental health support as he lives with this mysterious condition.
