Question

Elle, 39, has come in for treatment for severe panic attacks. Her daughter, Savannah, is leaving for college for the first time and is planning on driving up with a friend who will attend the same college. Savannah does not want her mother to go along. Elle says, "I have nightmares about them crashing somewhere and nobody knowing where they are." She says she and Savannah have had arguments about this. Elle reports that the panic attacks began "about two weeks ago when Savannah and her dad both agreed that it was okay for her to drive up to the college with Jason." Elle says that her worries are "not about sex. Jason is her best friend, but they've never dated, and in fact, Jason has a girlfriend. I admit the college is not far away, so it won't be an overnight trip, but I don't want Savannah to drive up with Jason. A three-hour drive. I want to do it."

During assessment, you learn that 2 years ago, Savannah and her twin, Sophia, were in an after-prom car accident, in which teens in a car were driving to the next town over to go to the beach. Savannah's twin was killed. Savannah was in the hospital for months and needed physical therapy for 18 months. As she describes the accident, Elle points out that the driver, Sophia's date, escaped serious injury. "Funny, isn't it?" she says. "The drunk driver always escapes injury while he hurts everyone around him."

Savannah has pointed out that "Jason doesn't drink. You know this. You've known him all his life. You've always liked him, even when I get annoyed with him." Elle admits this, but still says, "I don't want that boy driving her up there. It's a long way." Savannah complains that every time the subject comes up, Elle has a panic attack. Elle tells you privately, and sincerely, "I don't mean to have these panic attacks. And I don't want them. This just isn't me."

Question:

1. Elle admits Jason doesn't drink; he isn't sexually involved with Savannah, and she has known him all his life, and that she's always liked him. Yet she refers to him now as "that boy." (1) Her fears aside, what emotional response to this new crisis for Elle is she displaying, particularly toward Jason? Do you think this emotion is directed just at Jason or at someone else as well? (2) What does this tell you about her current perception of this crisis?
2. Now that you have a clearer vision of Elle's perception of the crisis, what further aspects of Elle's current status should you assess?
3. You have not quite decided which level of crisis intervention to use just yet, but how could you apply strategies from the first three levels of crisis intervention—environmental manipulation, general support, and generic approach—in tackling Elle's current situation?
4. How could you apply strategies from the fourth level of crisis intervention—i.e., the individual approach—in tackling Elle's current situation?

Answer 1

1)Elle is having anxiety because her other daughter died during a car accident which is caused by a druck driver.She feels that savanna will have the same fate as her twin who does due to accuacci if she goes to a long car ride with er friend.

Even though Elle knows Jason doesn't drink she is treating him like a drunk driver.Her fears are making her to think irrationality even if she knew him and thought him as a good person.But she is taking her fear of drunk driver over jason.

Her current perspective is that due to the situation her memories of the tragic event of her daughter death is reappearing for elle and making her to think that savanna will also get into accident like her twin.