“Adriana” had been preparing for maternity leave when a newspaper article triggered thoughts of her unborn child’s safety.
Fearing the child would be deformed because of her office environment, she had fears of the number 9 and seemed to see it “turning up everywhere”, took the stairs and counted the steps, and expressed anxiety about asbestos, paint fumes and formaldehyde.
An award-winning freelance journalist, she was avoiding the office more and more as a result.
At home, Adriana had taken to setting aside clothes worn at work because of uncertainty about their safety, and was driving her husband Gary to despair. After squaring up to her secret fear that he would have her committed to care, she was able to unpick her many apprehensions in the lead-up to her pregnancy and resolve them permanently.
A happy mum to a healthy baby girl, Adriana now works part-time and enjoys her newfound freedom. On his side, Gary is amazed at the changes, and said that his participation in her recovery process has strengthened their relationship and brought them closer together.