An Infant Case Study Sam

An Infant Case Study Sam

Analyzing case studies can teach one many things dependent on the information provided. One learns about the individual in the study: his or her age, race, gender, job, the family history. One learns about his or her stressors, some events in childhood, and relationships with others. These factors are important to identifying the individuals’ problems, disorders, and what could be a component of the disorder. When these processes are complete and diagnosis occurs the individual can begin consideration of treatment options. The hope with treatment is resolution of the problem, although in some case studies this may never occur.

Overview

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            The subject of this case study is a Caucasian male, 24-years-old, and married. The study calls him Sam. Sam has had sleepwalking episodes on and off for a portion of his life (Meyer, Chapman, & Weaver, 2009). He began to seek help because of his most recent sleepwalking episode in which he took out a shotgun and loaded it: he was ready to fire at burglars he believed to be in the house (Meyer, Chapman, & Weaver, 2009). His wife awoke to find the barrel of the gun in her face, when she screamed he woke up from his sleep. There was no indication of problems during childhood, however; during his first year in college he suffered anxiety before tests, at the time, Sam was studying for the bar examination. Sam took well to treatment (Meyer, Chapman, & Weaver, 2009).

Background

            As previously stated Sam is 24, Caucasian, and married: Sam had a normal childhood, experiencing nothing beyond normal childhood illnesses. His parents obviously loved him and took good care of him: he never showed any symptoms of maladjustment. Sam had a history of sleep walking from the age of 15 (Meyer, Chapman, & Weaver, 2009). Sam had never previously been aggressive or destructive during a sleepwalking episode. Sleepwalkers often experience increases in sleepwalking episodes with anxiety, such as Sam had in college before tests: and as he was experiencing when studying for the bar examination (Meyer, Chapman, & Weaver, 2009).

Sam’s Problem

            Sam’s primary problem was his lack of capability to relax and release some of his anxiety. The anxiety led to more sleep walking episodes. The episodes seemed to be increasing not only in frequency but also in potentiality for danger. Sam’s diagnosis was Sleepwalking disorder.

Sleepwalking Disorder

Characteristics of sleepwalking include impairing sleepwalking episodes: these episodes involve unresponsiveness of the individual sleepwalking and a relatively fast reorientation once awakened as well as amnesia of the sleepwalking event (Meyer, Chapman, & Weaver, 2009). As mentioned previously sleepwalking may occur more frequently when a person has increased stress, but sleepwalkers are rarely aggressive, destructive, or violent. Sleepwalking episodes can last briefly, such as two to three minutes, or for more extended periods, such as 30 to 40 minutes. The episodes generally occur during the nonrapid eye motion stage: the period in which delta activity occurs (Meyer, Chapman, & Weaver, 2009). Most often sleepwalker will sit up and make a few motions, after which they return to sleep: it is a rare occasion when sleepwalkers walk (Meyer, Chapman, & Weaver, 2009). When sleepwalkers walk, they have a blank stare, which to observers can be eerie or even frightening. Sleepwalkers are poorly coordinated during episodes and can see to maneuver around objects; upon waking they have no memory of the incident (Meyer, Chapman, & Weaver, 2009).