21st June 2023

A 59-year-old man comes into the GP. He has been particularly stressed and has been feeling low recently

A 59-year-old man comes into the GP. He has been particularly stressed and has been feeling low recently. He is worried he will be fired from his job because tasks which used to be almost automatic now require a lot more focus and are taking much longer to do.

He is the main provider for his family, so has financial concerns if he were to lose his job.

On further questioning, he mentions difficulty concentrating, palpitations, difficulty falling asleep, early morning waking and also that sometimes his left hand intermittently starts moving without control, and when this happens, his hand feels as though it is no longer a part of his body.

What is the most likely underlying diagnosis?