Case Study: Molly
Molly is a 48-year-old divorced mother. Her youngest daughter is a junior in college. She works full time at an ad agency. She has worked there for over 20 years and
is beginning to feel a bit burned out. So many of her friends are gone, replaced with new, young, fresh college graduates. She wonders if she will be able to keep up
with them. She feels old and finds it difficult to drag herself out of bed each morning. Molly does not sleep well, she falls asleep okay, but wakes up around 2 a.m. and
spends the rest of the night tossing and turning. She sees each hour pass as she stares at the clock, knowing she will be tired in the morning if she does not get back to
sleep. Her mind runs through the problems from the day before and the work she needs to get done in the morning.
Molly has gained weight over the years, five pounds here, ten pounds there. She is embarrassed to admit just how much weight she has gained. Molly spends most of
her time sitting, at her desk at work, on the couch at home, reading novels on weekends. She bought a treadmill a couple of years ago, right after she was diagnosed
with high blood pressure. She planned to get in shape, exercise, and eat right. Molly tells herself every weekend that she will start her diet next week, but next week
never comes.
Molly's parents both died of heart disease when Molly was in her thirties. She misses them. She always thought once her kids were out of the house, that life would be
easier. She would have the time and money to travel, to join a gym, and to cook healthy meals, she thought she would have the energy to take better care of herself.
Her children rarely come home, they have friends, jobs, and lives of their own. She is happy that they are happy.
• Diagnose Molly - what disorders does she have?