Name that Disorder
This disorder involves chronic low mood lasting at least 2 years, often described as "this is just who I am"
Persistent Depressive Disorder (formerly Dysthymia)
This disorder can look like GAD, but is distinguished by intrusive thoughts and compulsions
OCD
A mood stabilizer requiring blood level monitoring, used in bipolar treatment
Lithium
This neurotransmitter is most often associated with reward and is implicated in substance use disorders and psychosis
Dopamine
Asking "what happened to you" versus "what is wrong with you"
Trauma-informed approach
Sudden, intense episodes of fear, accompanied by fear of those intense episodes of fear
Panic Disorder
Decreased need for sleep, grandiosity, and increased goal-directed activity
Mania
First-line medication class for depression and many anxiety disorders
SSRIs
This brain structure is heavily involved in fear processing and is often hyperactive in trauma-related disorders
The Amygdala
Flip the Q&A: Define "reductionist lens"
Framing distress as only an individual problem without taking context such as community, family, and society into consideration
Periods of hypomania alternating with major depressive episodes
Bipolar II Disorder
Recurrent binge-eating followed by purging or compensatory behaviours
Bulimia nervosa
This therapy is considered one of the best for trauma and involves reprocessing distressing memories alongside bilateral stimulation
EMDR
Reduced activity in this brain region is associated with impaired emotional regulation and decision-making
A client's experience of mental health is shaped by factors such as ethnicity, class, and ability
Intersectionality
Disruptions in identity, memory, or consciousness, often linked to trauma history
Dissociative disorders
Intrusive memories, avoidance, negative mood, and hyperarousal
PTSD
This therapy integrates mindfulness, distress tolerance, and emotion regulation
DBT
Chronic stress and trauma can dysregulate this system, affecting cortisol and the body's stress response
The HPA-Axis
This historical practice involved confining individuals in facilities - often women - frequently without consent or appropriate treatment
Institutionalization / asylum-based care
A cluster B personality disorder marked by instability in relationships, self-image, and affect
Borderline Personality Disorder
Delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking lasting at least 6 months
Schizophrenia
Medications that block dopamine receptors to reduce psychosis
Antipsychotics
High rates of specific diagnoses in marginalized groups reflects this hypothesis
Social determinants of health / systemic oppression
This normal reaction to loss is often pathologized as depression
Grief