“Monos Libros”

Lonely Book

“Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate” - Mark 10:9

ABSTRACT

The 21st century is threatened by an impending crisis brought about by

broken homes and warring families. In fact, the Church’s chokehold on the
Philippine government cannot keep its citizen from embracing radical concepts
such as divorce and marital separation as a solution to domestic abuse.
The objective of this family case report is to discuss the case of FB a 60-
year-old male who was diagnosed with gouty arthritis, as well as to present the
family dynamics of the family. The present condition started 1 year prior to
consultation when patient had onset of joint pains. Patient tolerated condition until
2 weeks prior to admission, persistence of condition noted now associated with
intermittent fever, loss of appetite, and body weakness thus was admitted in our
institution and was treated, improved, then discharged.
Our index patient, FB, was presently living alone due to his violent
tendencies especially when intoxicated with alcohol, physically abusing his wife.
He had a restraining order and was warned to stay 20 meters away from his wife
for 10 years. No man is an island, and our index case has been alone for too long.
Loneliness can damage a person in ways we cannot see, and the scars run wide
and deep. But such entities do not hide in the shadows for long and they expose
themselves so severely, that a man, who once was so big and strong, becomes
humble, weak and small.
The family is a nuclear type, belonging to a low socioeconomic status. The
family was also analyzed using the Smilkstein’s Cycle of Family Function which
showed that they are in disequilibrium, which was manifested by Federico’s
isolation and refusal of treatment and Lucia’s choice of having a separate house.
Based on the APGAR assessment, the family is classified as moderately
dysfunctional. SCREEM assessment on the other hand, the family is classified as
having moderately inadequate resources.