depression
According to clinical guidelines, depressive symptoms must persist for at least this long to be considered for a diagnosis.
What is two weeks?
This rapid-fire breathing pattern is a common physiological response to a panic attack or intense anxiety.
What is hyperventilation?
: True or False: Self-care is a luxury and a selfish act.
What is False? (Self-care is a necessity!)
This primary stress hormone instructs the body to increase blood sugar and suppress non-essential functions.
What is cortisol?
Instead of trying to "fix" a peer’s problem, peer supporters use this foundational technique to show they are truly hearing the speaker’s feelings and content.
What is active listening?
These two conditions are the hallmark requirements for diagnosing Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).
What are persistent depressed mood and loss of interest/pleasure (anhedonia)?
This "F" word describes the physiological response when your brain prepares to confront a perceived threat or flee from it.
What is the fight-or-flight response?
Being honest with yourself about your negative emotions is the first step in this process.
What is healing or coping?
Cumulative biological wear and tear on the body resulting from chronic exposure to stress is known as this.
What is the allostatic load?
When a peer supporter reflects back the emotional tone of what a peer just said to ensure they understood correctly.
What is a feeling reflection (or perception check)?
This category of chemical messengers in the brain—which includes serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine—is typically out of balance in a depressed state.
What are neurotransmitters?
Piglet from Winnie the Pooh is famous for his chronic, excessive worry and being easily startled, which mirror this specific anxiety disorder.
What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?
: Aerobic exercise is an excellent coping skill because it causes the brain to release these "feel-good" hormones.
What are endorphins?
Controlled, deep breathing helps activate this specific cranial nerve to immediately calm the central nervous system.
What is the vagus nerve?
A peer support relationship is built on this core concept, which means moving away from the "expert/patient" dynamic to one of shared experience and learning together.
What is mutuality? [1]
Brain scans have shown that these specific areas, responsible for memory and higher-level executive functions, can physically decrease in volume during periods of depression.
What are the hippocampus and the frontal lobe?
what are the symptoms of a panic attack?
This vitamin, which we can absorb from the sun, helps improve overall mood, mental health, and general well-being.
What is Vitamin D?
Relying on things like substance abuse or isolation to escape stress are examples of this.
What are negative coping mechanisms?
This 5-4-3-2-1 technique is a highly effective crisis and grounding skill that you can walk a peer through to help them manage intense anxiety or flashbacks.
What is the 5-4-3-2-1 sensory grounding method? (e.g., 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, etc.) [1]
A common psychotherapeutic intervention used for depression involves identifying and challenging these types of thought patterns.
What are negative thought patterns (often associated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT)?
True or False: Avoiding the situations that make you anxious is the best way to overcome your fears.
What is False? (Avoidance often reinforces or worsens anxiety over time).
Staying hydrated is essential for self-care. It helps the body regulate its temperature and supports these bodily functions.
What are boosting energy, flushing toxins, or maintaining organ function?
True or False: Stress can only be triggered by negative, adverse events in your life.
What is False?
This evidence-based crisis intervention and universal resource is the standard 3-digit number a peer supporter can share with someone experiencing a suicide or mental health crisis.
What is 988?