Diagnoses
This disorder is much like a combination of a major mood disorder (such as bipolar disorder) along with schizophrenia-like symptoms.
What is Schizoaffective Disorder?
Perceptions of any of the five sensory modalities-- seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling, or smelling something that "isn't there"
What are hallucinations?
This level of support involves talking someone through a task step by step as it is done.
(Hint: It's often used when an individual struggles with inattention or disorganized thinking)
What is coaching?
A mental health diagnosis defined by a combination of "positive" symptoms (such as hallucinations) and "negative" symptoms (such as catatonia).
What is Schizophrenia?
This symptom is when the person experiences little or no pleasure from activities-- it is often associated with episodes of depression.
What is Anhedonia?
This atypical antipsychotic medication is commonly used, and can be prescribed both routinely and as-needed (PRN) to assist with symptoms such as hallucinations.
What is Olanzapine?
This disorder causes dramatic moods—from overly "high" and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, often with periods of normal mood in between.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
The most common type of delusions; involve the theme of being followed, harassed, cheated, poisoned or drugged, conspired against, spied on, attacked, or obstructed in the pursuit of goals.
What are Persecutory Delusions?
This type of therapy is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, but focuses on supporting people who experience intense emotions.
It tends to use learning exercises, metaphors, and acronyms to help learn and un-learn behaviors.
What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
In order to be diagnosed with this disorder, the person has to have a number of symptoms within each of the following categories:
Arousal Responses, Cognitive Responses, Intrusive Responses, and Avoidance Responses.
What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
Delusions with content pertaining to bodily functioning, bodily sensations, or physical appearance-- usually, a belief is that the body is diseased, abnormal, or changed.
What are Somatic Delusions?
This type of un-guided coping technique helps a person to focus on something "else" when they are in a distressed state.
Examples might include: Watching a movie or listening to a particular type of music
What is distraction?
This diagnosis is defined by the person having persistent, upsetting thoughts and/or using rituals to control the anxiety these thoughts produce.
What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?
This category of responses is associated with PTSD and includes symptoms such as:
hypervigilance, exaggerated startle responses, racing thoughts, inability to focus/concentrate, Irritable/angry outbursts, reckless behavior, and sleep disturbance.
What are Arousal Response?
A type of listening that involves listening to understand what the speaker is saying, then paraphrasing back what was heard.
This can help an individual feel understood and supported, and is used in verbal de-escalation.