Antidepressants
SSRI antidepressant medications are commonly prescribed to treat depression and may also be used to treat ________ disorders.
What are Anxiety Disorders
Taking slow, controlled breaths when feeling anxious or overwhelmed is an example of this simple coping skill.
What is deep breathing?
This common mood disorder can cause persistent sadness, loss of interest in activities, low energy, and changes in sleep or appetite.
What is depression?
Hearing voices or seeing things that other people do not hear or see, without an external source, are examples of this symptom of psychosis.
What are hallucinations?
This amazing organ controls our thoughts, emotions, memory, movement, and almost everything our body does.
What is the brain?
Unlike medications that work immediately, most antidepressants take approximately this long before their full benefits are experienced.
What is 2–8 weeks? (Some improvement may occur sooner.)
Taking a walk, listening to music, journaling, or talking with a trusted friend are all examples of this type of coping skill.
What are healthy or positive coping skills?
This mood disorder involves episodes of depression and/or mania or hypomania, which may include unusually elevated or irritable moods and increased energy.
What is bipolar disorder?
This symptom of psychosis involves strongly held beliefs that are not supported by evidence and remain despite convincing information to the contrary, such as believing strangers are secretly monitoring you.
What is a delusion?
These special brain cells send and receive information using electrical and chemical signals, allowing different parts of the brain to communicate.
What are neurons (nerve cells)?
These are three common side effects a person might experience when first starting an antidepressant.
What are nausea, headache, sleep changes, dry mouth, or sexual side effects? (Accept any three.)
This grounding technique helps bring your attention back to the present moment by identifying five things you can see, four you can feel, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste.
What is the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique?
Name three common symptoms of depression other than feeling sad.
What are fatigue, changes in sleep, changes in appetite, difficulty concentrating, loss of interest in activities, or feelings of worthlessness? (Accept any three.)
These medications are commonly prescribed to help reduce symptoms of psychosis, including hallucinations and delusions.
What are antipsychotic medications?
This part of the brain, located behind your forehead, helps you make decisions, control impulses, solve problems, and think about consequences before acting.
What is the prefrontal cortex? (Accept frontal lobe.)
SSRIs, such as Prozac, Zoloft, and Lexapro, primarily work by affecting the activity of this neurotransmitter in the brain.
What is serotonin?
When you notice yourself thinking, 'I always fail at everything,' this coping strategy involves questioning that thought and replacing it with a more realistic, balanced perspective.
What is cognitive reframing or challenging negative thoughts?
A person suddenly begins sleeping only three hours a night but feels full of energy, talks much faster than usual, spends excessive amounts of money, and believes they can accomplish anything. These behaviors may be warning signs of this type of mood episode.
What is a manic episode (or possible mania)?
Name three possible early warning signs that someone may be experiencing a return or worsening of psychotic symptoms.
What are changes in sleep, increased suspiciousness or paranoia, social withdrawal, difficulty concentrating, neglecting personal hygiene, or beginning to hear voices again? (Accept any three.)
These chemical messengers help brain cells communicate and include dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, which are involved in mood, motivation, attention, and other functions.
What are neurotransmitters?
A person has been taking an antidepressant for six months and feels much better. They decide to stop taking it suddenly without talking to their doctor. Name two possible risks of abruptly stopping an antidepressant.
What are antidepressant discontinuation symptoms (such as dizziness, nausea, or electric-shock sensations) and a return of depression or anxiety symptoms?
You are feeling extremely anxious, your thoughts are racing, and you are becoming frustrated with people around you. Name three healthy coping strategies you could use to manage your emotions before the situation escalates.
What are stepping away to a quiet place, practicing slow breathing or grounding, identifying your feelings, using positive self-talk, or reaching out to a trusted support person? (Accept any three appropriate strategies.)
A person with bipolar disorder has been feeling stable for several months and decides they no longer need medication. Name three reasons why continuing treatment and monitoring mood changes may still be important.
What are reducing the risk of future mood episodes, recognizing early warning signs, maintaining healthy sleep and daily routines, and protecting long-term stability? (Accept any three.)
A person with schizophrenia has been stable on medication for a year but recently started sleeping poorly, isolating from friends, and feeling that people are watching them. Name three appropriate steps they could take to help prevent their symptoms from worsening.
What are contacting their mental health provider, discussing symptoms and medication concerns, maintaining prescribed treatment unless directed otherwise, getting support from trusted people, and working to restore healthy sleep routines? (Accept any three.)
This remarkable ability of the brain allows it to change, adapt, and form or strengthen connections throughout life as we learn new skills, develop healthy habits, and recover from challenges.
What is neuroplasticity?