Holistic Assessment

Words: 1652
Pages: 7

The 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DM-5) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013), states anxiety disorders present in several different forms. For the purpose of this assignment I will look at my own experience with an anxiety disorder which I have identified as panic disorder (PD). This essay will clarify and discuss my experience with PD and how this impacted on my life. It will also explain the impact my experience with PD had on my faith. I have compared and contrasted the experience for myself with that of my friends, employer and family. The essay ends with a short summary.

According to the DSM-5, the most notable diagnostic criterion for panic disorder is unexpected and reoccurring panic
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My faith in the medical profession was in tatters, from my initial experience with the doctor who diagnosed my first panic attack to the subsequent medical professionals I sought help from. In my eyes they had let me down by not helping me. No-one suggested seeking counselling and it was by my own investigation I had found my path to wellness through alternative medicine. My spirit was unfulfilled and felt stagnant. If I apply the holistic assessment model Te Whare Tapa Wha to my experience I can understand that my spiritual well-being (wairua) was broken-down due to the negative impact of PD on the other three dimensions. I was physically unwell (tinana) due to my emotional imbalance (hinengaro) and my family and social (whānau) connections were negatively impacted due to the isolation I felt during this experience (Durie, 2001). I understand now that during this period of my life I did not have a strong spiritual connection. I recognise that I was in survival mode during this time and I was barely functioning in my day to day life due to my emotional, mental and physical health issues. When my well-being became more balanced, I began to look at finding faith in something greater than humanity. This spirituality has become embedded in my daily