Mental health diagnoses
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders
What percentage of Americans sought therapy in 2023?
23.9%
This modality is rooted in the belief that increasing mindfulness can help reduce stress.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)
This coping skill challenges the client to evaluate the validity of their negative core beliefs by thinking about the "evidence" they have in their day-to-day lives that affirms or denies those beliefs
"Examining the Evidence" or "Putting Thoughts on Trial"
Name at least one hotline or crisis support organization you can contact if you need immediate help. (Bonus 100 points if you can name more than 3)
988, 911, Crisis Text Line, Domestic Violence Resource Center, RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline, The Trevor Project, NAMI Warmline, etc...
True or false: you have the right to challenge/question your mental health practitioners about the diagnoses you may have received.
True! In some cases, you can even have a mental health diagnosis removed from your medical record.
True or false: it is not uncommon to "shop around" for a therapist; most people don't connect with the first therapist they seek for care.
True! You want to make sure that the therapist you choose is a good fit for you.
This modality focuses on identifying the negative beliefs we develop about ourselves or the world, and how those beliefs influence the ways we interpret events, affecting our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors as a result.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
This coping skill helps us recognize when we are in denial about our current situation and identify what can and cannot be changed about it
Radical acceptance
What are the two categories/types of triggers for a crisis situation?
External (people, places, situations) and internal (thoughts, feelings)
Name at least three categories of mental disorders that can be found in the DSM.
Neurodevelopmental, schizophrenia symptom and other psychotic, bipolar and related, depressive, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and related, trauma- and stressor-related, dissociative, somatic symptom and related, feeding and eating, sexual, substance-related and addictive, personality, etc...
What's one difference between a therapist/psychologist and a psychiatrist?
Therapist/psychologist: provides therapy and teaches coping skills, typically master's or PhD/PsyD, does not prescribe meds, schedules appointments more frequently
Psychiatrist: provides medication management and discusses symptoms/side effects, always MD, schedules appointments less frequently
This modality stresses the importance of balancing acceptance and change, achieved through building mindfulness, coping with distress, managing emotions effectively, and developing interpersonal skills.
Dialectical-behavioral therapy (DBT)
This coping skill teaches us that two things can be true at the same time, even if they might sound like they are opposed to one another.
Practicing dialectics
Name at least two things you need in a safety plan.
Signs of a crisis, methods of distraction, people available for support, clinicians to reach out to, crisis lines/local urgent care, ways to make the environment safer, etc...
About what percentage of people with one mental health diagnosis ALSO meet criteria for at least one other diagnosis?
50%
Name at least three barriers to seeking mental health treatment.
Insurance/financial concerns, shame or fear of stigma, distance/time constraints, lack of representation, discomfort with vulnerability, misunderstanding about what therapy "is," etc...
This modality is trauma-focused, utilizing bilateral stimulation to help the body move through a past trauma and attach a positive cognition to the trauma, reducing or eliminating the physical response to trauma triggers.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
This coping skill helps improve communication with others by providing a guide to expressing our needs clearly, respectfully, and effectively (Hint: it's an acronym)
DEAR MAN
Name at least three warning signs that someone might be planning to attempt suicide.
Isolating/withdrawing from social activities, talking about wanting to die or having "no reason to live," expressing thoughts of being a "burden" to others, giving away cherished belongings, sudden and unexplained uptick in mood, etc...
What category of disorders is characterized by pervasive, inflexible behaviors that are stable over time and present in a variety of contexts? (Hint: they are grouped into three "clusters")
Personality disorders
What does it mean for a mental disorder to enter into "remission"?
The client no longer meets the minimum criteria for the diagnosis, typically after treatment has effectively reduced the severity/frequency of symptoms
This modality functions by "interviewing" the client, asking questions that indicate their level of readiness for change and the barriers that need to be addressed in order to facilitate progress towards goals.
Motivational interviewing/stages of change
This coping skill taps into our basic survival instincts, redirecting energy that would feed into our anxiety towards our biological responses instead
TIPP skills
What is the process of intentionally engaging with uncomfortable situations in order to strengthen resilience for future stressors/triggers called?
Building distress tolerance, or widening your Window of Tolerance