A "Normal" Psychological Disorder: The Case of Martin B. Martin B was a wreck. Sitting in his doctor's office, disheveled, several days growth of stubble on his face, and fourteen pounds thinner than when he was last in, he looked the very picture of misery. Haltingly, and sobbing softly from time to time, he told his physician (and personal friend) that his wife of twelve years had taken their 14 year old son, along with most of the furniture, and left him ten days previously. For the first two days, he had slept almost all of the time, except when he was at work, where he had continued to function as if nothing had happened. But on the third day, he fell apart. He had been sleeping poorly since, often waking in the middle of the night with a pounding heart and feelings of impending doom. During the day, he couldn't sit still, couldn't concentrate, and couldn't eat. For the last three days, he hadn't even been able to go to work. He had begun to drink bourbon each evening to help him sleep, and then occasionally thought that he might be better off dead. His older brother, seeing Martin's despair, not only insisted that he come to the doctor's office, but accompanied him to ensure that he kept the appointment. Martin was a 39 year old engineer when his wife left. He made a good living, though working long hours to do so. His wife had worked as a dental assistant until their child was born, at which time she quit her job to stay home. He had been proud that he was able to support his family without his wife's financial help. His wife's leaving had come as a complete surprise to Martin. He felt that he had done everything a husband should do --- make a living, take care of the yard and auto maintenance, come home directly from work. He wasn't a heavy drinker or a womanizer. He didn't abuse his wife in any way; in fact, he loved her devotedly. Her complaints that they didn't communicate, didn't have common interests, didn't have any fun together, he had taken as the sort of things any wife might say. He had heard them so often that he had learned to tune his wife out when she brought them up. He had been a much more attentive husband and father than his own father had been, and his mother had endured marriage for 41 years. He felt betrayed and abandoned, humiliated, and enraged....he felt completely defeated. Martin's physician made three recommendations: first, that martin stop drinking for at least one month; second that he take anti-depressant medication to help him sleep and to improve his mood ; and third, that he get psychotherapy to help him manage the crisis more effectively. Despite following his doctor's orders, the next several months were rocky ones for Martin. He couldn't stop himself from contacting his wife, despite her repeated request that he do so only if he had some "business" to discuss with her. Her occasional unsolicited calls to him, in which she told him that she really loved him and was sorry about how things had turned out, only fueled the fire and strengthened his resolve to hang on to the hope that they might be reunited. Each time they spoke, he felt anguish as great as he had felt when he first discovered Reference: Adapted from: Bernheim, K. F. (2108). The Lanahan Cases in Abnormal Behavior (3rd. Ed.) Lanahan Pub.: Baltimore, MD. she'd gone. Seeing his son, which he did often, was a mixed blessing. He loved being with him, but it seemed to make the pain of his wife's absence even more intense. Gradually however Martin began to improve. The medication did help him sleep and his appetite improved as well. His lows, while still frequent, weren't as devastating as they had been. Weekly sessions with his therapist were painful but he often felt relieved when he left. In her office he was able to cry without shame. He also began to try to understand what had gone wrong in his marriage and to face the fact that his wife seemed determined to move forward with the divorce. Telling his extended family and his friends at work about the separation, and feeling their support and affection for him, also helped him feel better. His concentration returned, although his zest for his work (or indeed for anything) was still missing. At the end of four months, Martin was still sad, but not despairing. He was still taking the antidepressant although he was uncertain whether it, his therapy, or simply the passage of time, had served to improve his condition. His life consisted of working, visiting his son, and occasionally seeing his brothers and their families. It was satisfactory, but joyless. At that point, Martin's therapist suggested that he attend an orientation meeting at a support group for newly single people that existed in his community. For weeks he declined, saying that he was too busy, that he was satisfied with his life as it was, that his son was his first priority. Finally though he acquiesced to his therapist,s tenacity and to his own loneliness and attended a meeting. At the orientation, he chatted with a few other anxious newcomers and learned about the organization. Feeling more comfortable than he had expected, he signed up for a 6-week introductory "class" in which he and seven other newly separated or widowed people would meet and discuss practical and emotional issues related to being alone. Classes were led by members of the singles, organization who had been in the group a while, had gone through the orientation themselves, and had received some training and leadership skills. The members of his class quickly became a tight knit group, carrying on their meetings informally at the local coffee shop, after the class ended each evening. When the class terminated, they kept in touch, forming a sort of extended family for each other. From this time on, Martin's emotional recovery was fairly rapid. He began to date occasionally and attended social events held by his singles' group. His mood lifted enough so that he was able to discontinue both his medication and psychotherapy over the next six months. At a follow up session two years later, he was engaged to be remarried and had resumed living a full and happy life.

Answer the following questions: 1) Do you think Martin's problem is normal or abnormal? Why or why not? 2) List at least 4 questions you would like to ask Martin