SOCW608

Sandra
Sandra, 28 year-old African American female
reluctantly appeared for mandated therapy after her
two children were removed from her care by
protective services. She had tested positive on
several occasions for marijuana and
methamphetamines, had been arrested repeatedly
for prostitution and shoplifting. In addition, her 10
month-old daughter and 2 year old son had been
found home alone by a family member, who called
protective services. Shortly after the children were
removed from her custody, Sandra impulsively
swallowed a glass of bleach and was hospitalized on
the mental health unit of a community hospital.At the
first therapy session, Sandra appeared quite agitated
and said that she just wanted to do what she had to
do to get her children back. According to her, they
were all that she had left in the world---she was
estranged from her family and her former non-user
friends had abandoned her. Her boyfriend, her
childrens father, was in prison for drug-dealing. She
stated I tried to kill myself because I have no one---and I have lost everything...up until I started using
drugs a few years ago, I was working full time and
was 2 semesters away from earning my Bachelors
degree in early childhood education.----I dont know
why everyone is leaving me, and now they took my
children for no good reason-----I was out for just a
little while so I could feed them. People are always
doing things to bring me down.Sandra readily
admitted that she became easily agitated and often
acted impulsively when she was not able to have

what she wanted when she wanted it, and would

blame others for negative events in her life.(In
listening to Sandra relate events that occurred in her
life, it appeared that each of her experiences had the
same intensity of importance, and it was difficult at
times to determine chronology of events that had
occurred in her life).Sandra reported that she has
had little opportunity or encouragement from others
in her life, to learn to create her effective ways of
dealing with life situations. Not a newcomer to the
mental health system( she has had past diagnoses of
bipolar d/o; schizophrenia; conduct d/o; borderline
personality d/o) ----she reports that she had been in
counseling at age 14 after being removed from her
mothers custody after mother had severely beaten
her), she stated that first her mother and then
mental health workers were telling what to do and
how to do it for most of her life.At time of intake,
Sandra was unable to view from the perspective
others and stated that she often became enraged
and impulsive when events did not occur as planned
or if unforeseen situations would occur.