Definitions
Unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that create extreme anxiety that lead to behaviors that are repetitive and out of proportion to the situation.
What is OCD
Someone who is sad one moment and happy the next has Bipolar Disorder.
False
the ups and downs of bipolar last longer (weeks at a time) and are much more extreme than regular mood swings
What does ADHD stand for?
Attention-Deficit Hyperactiuvity Disorder
Stimulants are a common form of medication prescribed for this disorder due to increasing the levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, which helps improve focus, attention, and impulse control
ADHD
Leo is a 15-year-old who really tries to pay attention in class, but his brain has other plans. During math, he starts listening… but after a minute, his mind drifts to what he wants for lunch, then to a song stuck in his head, then to the bird outside the window. By the time he snaps back, he’s missed half the instructions. When he does remember what he’s supposed to do, he works for a few minutes, then suddenly feels the urge to tap his foot, adjust his pencil, check his phone, or look around the room. Sitting still feels like trying to hold in a sneeze. At home, Leo wants to finish his homework, but he keeps getting distracted—by notifications, by random thoughts, by literally anything. He starts three different assignments but forgets to finish two of them. He’s smart and capable—his brain just jumps between things faster than he can keep up.
What disorder is this displaying?
ADHD
Inability to maintain focus, difficulty following through on tasks, forgetting responsibilities, disorganized.
What is ADHD
Almost 1 in 10 kids and teens have ADHD
True
What is OCD?
Where distressing thoughts (obsessions) lead to repetitive behaviors (compulsions) that temporarily ease anxiety but make the problem worse overtime
Medications are shown to be unhelpful when treating this condition, but long-term therapy has proven to be beneficial
Dissociation Disorders
Riley is a 16-year-old who knows their locker is closed. They saw themselves shut it.
But as they walk toward class, a thought pops up:
“What if it’s not really locked?”
“What if someone gets in and steals my stuff?”
Riley tries to ignore it, but the thought keeps circling, getting louder and more uncomfortable. Their stomach feels tight, and their brain won’t settle until they check.
So they go back and twist the lock.
Then a few steps away, the doubt hits again.
“What if you didn’t twist it the right way?”
Riley knows it doesn’t make logical sense—they know they just locked it—but the anxiety doesn’t stop until they repeat the checking routine a few more times.
What Disorder is this displaying?
OCD
Extreme emotional highs (mania) and lows (depression) that take place over weeks at a time.
What is Bipolar Disorder
Fear of contamination & health, harm & violence, and relationships, as well as a need for perfection & symmetry, moral and religious purity, and checking/ control are classified as common OCD concerns
True
What is Bipolar Depression?
Extreme Lows. Persistent sadness, hopelessness, and a significant loss of energy. Symptoms include fatigue, difficulty concentrating, changes in appetite and sleep, and feelings of worthlessness.
Exposure Response Therapy, which involves gradually confronting feared situations (exposure) while resisting the urge to perform compulsive behaviors, is designed to treat which disorder?
OCD
Mia is a 16-year-old heading to class after lunch. Everything is normal… until suddenly it doesn’t feel normal. As she walks down the hallway, she feels like she’s watching herself from a distance, almost like she’s in a movie. The sounds around her—people talking, lockers slamming—seem muffled, like they’re happening in another room. She knows where she is, but the world feels kind of foggy and unreal, like she’s not fully “there.” A friend says her name, and it takes Mia a second to respond because it feels like her brain is a few steps behind. She isn’t panicking, but she feels disconnected—like she’s on autopilot and just going through the motions until the feeling passes.
What is this displaying?
Dissociation
Feeling detached from our body or reality. Is sometimes described as a fog/haze of the mind.
What is Dissociation?
Dissociative Identity Disorder, formally known as Multiple Personality Disorder, is where multiple different people with their own names, personalities, and backstory all live within the same body switching back and forth between one another in a sudden and dramatic way
False
it involves a sensation of different identities rather than a literal presence.
What is Bipolar Mania?
Extreme highs. Elevated or irritable mood, increased energy, and a reduced need for sleep, often leading to risky or poor judgment. It is a distinct phase that can involve racing thoughts, excessive talking, and grandiose beliefs, and it can sometimes include a "break from reality" known as psychosis.
Medications are a normal treatment option for this disorder, and are proven to be very effective. These medications are called Mood Stabilizers.
Bipolar Disorder
Jayden, a 16-year-old, suddenly has tons of energy even though they barely slept. At school, they talk really fast, jump between ideas, and feel super confident—like nothing can go wrong.
They start big projects at night, spend money they normally wouldn’t, and make lots of plans they can’t keep up with. Their friends notice Jayden seems extra hyped, restless, and is taking risks they wouldn’t usually take.
What disorder is this displaying?
Bipolar Disorder
A rare form of dissociation leading to a fragmentation of identity and a sensation that you are a completely different person from one moment to the next.
What is Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
Someone who is a "neat freak" or a "germaphobe" has OCD
False
constantly washing hands or need for organization are OCD tendencies but are not classifications for a diagnosis unless it is provides severe distress and impact activities of daily living
What is Dissociation?
a psychological phenomenon of disconnecting from thoughts, feelings, or identity, often triggered by trauma.
What is a form of therapy that is beneficial in treating OCD, ADHD, Dissociation disorders, and Bipolar disorder?
Cogitative Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Sam is a 17-year-old who has known for a while that their mind works as a team of different “parts,” each with their own way of thinking and feeling. After lunch, Sam suddenly feels a shift—like their thoughts fade into the background and someone else steps forward. A younger part named Alex comes forward. Alex is still Sam, but feels younger and sees the world differently. Sam’s handwriting gets a little rounder, and Alex chooses to draw superheroes instead of finishing the history notes Sam was working on. Later, Sam “comes back” and realizes some time has passed. They see the drawings in their notebook and recognize that Alex must’ve been out. Sam isn’t surprised—they’ve learned to communicate with their parts and work together.
What disorder is this displaying?
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)