Mental status exam - Assignment Example

After carefully reading and going through the case of Linda, I can precisely draw up some cognitive solutions and come to the understanding that Linda has a very big and major problem that she must be helped in order to allow her have her life back. Linda is suffering from a total lack of self confidence and if not helped this will persist with her even in her later life. A good starting point is the fact that she has already accepted that she has a problem and is willing to overcome it by visiting the psychiatrist and seeking professional help.

The fact that she can at least talk to a single friend also helps a lot as she needs a real confidant with whom she can share and talk to about her life experiences and anything that she may be willing and feel comfortable talking about. Linda has acknowledged her problem which is lack of self esteem and confidence among her peers. These types of problems often begin at puberty. Most of the victims might have experienced some horrendous ides about themselves that eventually made them start looking down upon them themselves.

Due to the fact that they are not helped at this time, the problem persists into adulthood just as in Linda’s case. It is good that she has personally come to the reality that she needs to open up and decided to refer herself to the physiotherapist. Linda displays some weird behavior when engaging in eye contact with anyone. This is normal for people experiencing the same problem. Her physical appearance too is not in the best of shapes as over the years she has lost touch with reality and her receptive behavior towards colleagues and peers has not helped the situation any single bit.

On the first meeting with the social worker, it was very tough for the client to open up as she felt she could not be helped and that she was doomed to spend time in the abyss of life but after careful study of the patient’s situation, the social worker devised a plan and method that got her to begin opening up. These included engaging her in constant talk and making her take part in activities that need cooperation from both parties. Strengths and Vulnerabilities After a few sessions, the social worker notices that Linda is indeed a gifted person who can very much engage in conversations and also take part in other engaging activities like joining the clubs at her work place.

The fact that a co-worker tries to set her up for a date with Sam is a clear evidence that there are people who believe in her and actually see her in different opinion, and what way than to set up a date with a popular person of Sam’s caliber. It is also good to mention that despite Linda showing all these positive changes and strengths, she is still very vulnerable to going back to her old ways just incase someone comes along and destroys her ego. This will greatly affect the client but with more sessions under her belly, it will be tough to bring down her ego as she shows a potential of being a very tough person who can not easily be harassed.

This is evidenced by the fact that she has taken the personal step forward and contacted a physiotherapist. This is a clear indication that she wants to be like her colleagues and experience a different lifestyle with real friends around her. Readiness for Change As a way of improving her therapy, Linda has already enrolled for the service club, a thing that will help her engage other people and build her confidence further. She has also managed to create new productive friends a