Medication Management
Unwanted physical, cognitive (mental), or emotional impact of medications, often experienced when introducing a new medication. They can be resolved with time or adjustments supervised by a physician.
What are side effects?
Severe feelings of worthlessness, sadness and emptiness that last for several weeks and begin to interfere with a person's work and social life.
What are symptoms of depression?
Limiting this chemical may improve sleep and symptoms of mental health issues.
What is caffeine or sugar?
(i.e. Red Bull, Monster, RockStar)
GAD vs Panic Disorder
GAD - generalized, ruminative worry, doesn't always have a specific trigger, general feeling of restlessness
Panic Disorder - more likely to have a specific trigger, significant increase in physical response including increased heart rate, difficulty breathing. Frequently thought to be a medical emergency by individuals who have never learned about panic disorder.
"We admitted we were powerless over alcohol/addiction/food/gambling-- that our lives had become unmanageable."
What is the first step of any 12-step program.
True or False:
If you think you no longer need to take your medications or feel they aren’t working properly, just stop taking them.
What is false?
(HINT: Several medications for mental health conditions can have unpleasant and dramatic side effects if stopped too suddenly. The dosage of many medications will need to be slowly decreased while under the supervision of your prescriber before you can stop taking them. NEVER go “cold turkey” and just stop taking your medications.)
Needing less sleep, impulsivity, grandiose or bizarre thoughts, and elevated mood are some characteristics of this.
Mania/Manic episode
(or Bipolar disorder)
The most commonly co-occurring substance used by those with mental health concerns.
Nicotine
Antisocial Personality Disorder and Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
APD - does not follow conventional or societal norms, lack of regard for personal or safety of others, impulsivity, often involved with legal systems
NPD - excessive need for admiration, may include lack of regard for others, inflated sense of self and self-importance, feelings of entitlement, generally follows conventional or societal norms
Mood stabilizers are used to primarily treat this diagnosis.
Bipolar disorder I or II
Mood swings, anhedonia, foggy thinking, insomnia, sensitivity to stress, dreams/nightmares, intermittent cravings
What are symptoms of Post-Acute Withdrawal (PAWS)
These substances are the most likely to make withdrawal deadly if you attempt to stop on your own.
Alcohol and Benzos
Major Depressive Disorder vs Dysthymic Disorder
MDD - episodic and not constant, significant feelings of worthlessness/emptiness, significant disruption of daily living
Dysthymic - long-term and constant, similar symptoms as MDD but less intense, chronic "low" mood
Psychiatric medications work by altering the way the brain produces, stores and releases these chemical messengers in the brain.
What are neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, GABA?
A recurring anxiety disorder resulting from an unexpected, shattering event. People with this diagnosis often experience nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance, and isolation.
What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
This happens after repeated use of an addictive substance.
Tolerance
Schizoaffective Disorder vs Schizophrenia
Schizoaffective - possible psychotic symptoms but must be with mood disturbances such as mania/depression. Mood concerns must exist when without psychotic symptoms.
Schizophrenia - psychotic symptoms and perceptual disturbances including hallucinations, delusions. No concurrent mood disorder.
SSRI stands for this.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor
Pattern of unstable relationships, frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment, frequent and significant mood shifts, and chronic feelings of emptiness are characteristics of this.
Borderline Personality Disorder
The primary neurotransmitter released when using addictive substances.
Dopamine
Bipolar I vs Bipolar II
Bipolar I - classic manifestation of a manic episode that is significantly impairing. May include psychosis or perceptual disturbances. Mania may also be followed by severe depression.
Bipolar II - lack of "true" mania, hypomanic episodes followed by severe depressive episodes