PSY3442 Case Conceptualization
Mr. Bandinner is a 67-year-old, Native American man who grew up on an Indian reservation. He described his father as an angry man and a strict disciplinarian who tended to physically abuse Mr. Bandinner and his siblings. He left the reservation at age 17 and enlisted in the U.S. Army when he was 18. The U.S. was involved in the Vietnam War at the time. He was exposed to many casualties and significant combat-related trauma during his time in Vietnam. After the war, he traveled from state to state in the U.S. looking for work. He abused alcohol and a variety of other substances, and was frequently arrested for fighting. He married a woman when he was in his mid-thirties and settled into a job with the postal service. He has four children with his wife, who eventually left him due to his continuing abuse of alcohol as well as almost choking her in her sleep when he was likely having a nightmare. He also did not like to go to crowded events with the family, unless he drank alcohol, and would often act out aggressively in anger toward his wife and their children. He managed to keep his job with the post office, where he frequently worked 70 hours or more a week, until he retired two years ago. He stopped drinking and using any other drugs entirely when he turned 60 and married a different woman. Since retiring, he reports thinking about Vietnam all the time. While he states he has some fond memories of Vietnam, he indicates he feels deep shame about some of the actions he had to take against the enemy and is bothered by the loss of comrades. He wants to be able to sleep better (without nightmares), forget the traumas he experienced, manage his anger, improve his relationships with his children, and be able to enjoy outings with his wife without feeling like he always needs to look over his shoulder and constantly scan the environment.
