Symptoms
What is a persistent symptom?
A symptom that does not go away, or comes back repeatedly
Name 2 types/categories of disorders
Anxiety, eating, mood, trauma/stress-related, personality, psychotic, sleep/wake, etc
What is the difference between Mental Health and Mental Illness?
Everyone has Mental Health (good or bad), but not everyone has Mental Illness.
What might an Antidepressant help with?
Depression
True or False: Mental illness can be inherited from your parents.
True - some disorders can be genetic, and there's a chance that it can be passed down through generations.
It can be helpful to map out your family tree if you know enough about them--you might find a pattern of mental health problem!
Name 3 symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
Sadness, lack of interest, lack of motivation, suicidality, hopelessness, more or less sleep, more or less hunger, withdrawal, agitation, despite situation, persistent, apathy, etc
John has been on edge ever since his car accident 3 months ago. He has nightmares about it, and he is too afraid to drive. Sometimes when he hears a car horn he feels out of touch with reality, as if he were back in the moment of the accident. What is John's diagnosis?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
What is a possible cause of mental illness?
Genetics, physical and social environment, trauma, substance use, medical problems
What are 3 reasons that someone may not want to take medication?
Side effects, disagreeing with diagnosis, wanting to manage it on their own, using holistic approaches, distrust of the doctor, religious beliefs, lack of understanding, social stigma, starting to feel better, self-medicating/substance use, can't afford it, etc
True or False?
If someone can master good coping skills, they can manage even the most severe symptoms without needing anything else.
False!
More severe symptoms often require medication to control, such as a psychotic episode. Depending on the severity, therapy, medication, and hospitalization may be necessary.
Other factors such as support systems and crisis planning can be helpful as well.
What is a Negative Symptom?
When something is taken away, such as interest, pleasure, socialization, or expressiveness
Amanda has been depressed for a few months now, but recently she has told her family that she's feeling "much better". Her sister saw her staying up all night online shopping, she has been talking about starting a new career as a model, and spent most of her savings on clothes and booking a photo shoot.
When her sister asked her about this change, Amanda spoke very fast about how she would be a great model, and her sister could not get a word in. What might Amanda's diagnosis be?
Bipolar Disorder
Why might someone's diagnosis change?
New or different symptoms appear, or they persist longer than expected.
Ex: Acute Stress Disorder is changed to PTSD if the symptoms do not go away
Ex. MDD is changed to Bipolar Disorder if a person experiences a Manic episode
Sometimes different doctors have different opinions, and your diagnosis might change when you see a new doctor as well.
What are the 2 main benefits of taking medication?
1. Reducing and managing symptoms
2. Preventing relapse/episodes
True or False?
Drug use can mimic the symptoms of mental illness, but when they wear off, the symptoms will go away.
False!
In many cases, the effects of substances will go away, but they can have lasting effects on the brain leading to real long-term mental health problems!
Substance-induce psychosis and substance-induced mood disorder are a few real diagnoses used for when this happens--it's pretty common!
What is the difference between hallucinations and delusions?
Beliefs (delusions) and perceptions (hallucinations) of things that are not real.
Long-term, maladaptive patterns of thoughts and behavior that make it difficult to maintain relationships and deal with everyday stress describes what type of disorder?
Personality Disorders
Is Drug/Alcohol Use a diagnosable mental illness or a symptom?
Both - A person's main problem could be substance use (Substance Use Disorder), but it is common for people with mental illness to engage in substance use as a symptom of their illness (ex: drinking heavily due to depression)
When do we consider hospitalization as a treatment option?
When the person in a risk to themself or others
True or False?
A traumatic event doesn't have to happen directly to you for you to become traumatized, it can happen to someone around you or you can witness it.
True!
You don't have to directly be involved in the event for it to be traumatic. Witnessing death in war, watching a medical emergency at a restaurant, or finding out that your spouse was in a bad car accident can all be traumatic.
What is a type of disorder that might be hard to treat because the person may not realize/believe that they have a problem?
Personality and Psychotic Disorders
The symptoms feel normal and/or real, so the person may be resistant to seeking help or accepting treatment.
Kyle has been seeing a therapist for a few weeks for his anxiety. This week, he opened up about some of his concerns. Kyle explained that he's fearful about losing his job, as his boss wire-tapped his house while he was sleeping. He also explained that he no longer watches TV because the people on the TV can see what he is doing, and that they are reporting it to Kyle's boss. Kyle admits that he's missed a few days of work int he past week because of his concerns and is thinking of quitting.
What might Kyle's diagnosis be?
He has hallucinations, delusions, unusual behavior, and withdrawal.
What are 3 strategies to help you remember to take your medication properly?
Write down what you take and how much, simplify the routine, take them at the same time each day, schedule it into your routine, remember why you take them, ask for others to help you, keep meds where you can see them, ask your pharmacist for reminders when you need to renew, use a pill box, ask your doctor or pharmacist when you have any questions
What are the two main forms of treatment AND why are both necessary?
Medication and Therapy
Because medication helps manage symptoms (ex: lower anxiety) and therapy helps treat the root problem (ex: trauma)
True or False?
If you have a side effect to a medication, it is best to stop taking it immediately.
False!
It is best to contact your doctor right away to ask what to do.
Some medications can do harm if you stop them abruptly, and your symptoms could return causing a relapse.
There are other options, such as lowering the dose, adding another medication, or switching to a different medication.
Also, some side effects are not concerning, and might go away.