Diagnoses
A mental health diagnosis defined by a combination of "positive" symptoms (such as hallucinations) and "negative" symptoms (such as catatonia).
What is Schizophrenia?
Perceptions of any of the five sensory modalities-- seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling, or smelling something that "isn't there"
What are hallucinations?
This technique is used to intentionally refocus on a subject of high benefit, while avoiding undermining the importance of the current subject.
What is Redirection?
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?
This symptom is when it is difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. It can result in daytime sleepiness, affect mood, and result in difficulty concentrating.
What is insomnia?
A group of techniques that help to manage anxiety by reorienting the person to the present moment.
Some examples include focusing on bodily sensations (seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, tasting), using guided meditations, mantras, or focusing on body sensations during purposeful exercise.
What are Grounding Techniques?
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 un-guided coping technique helps a person to focus on something "else" when they are in a distressed state.
Examples include activities the person finds pleasurable such as: Listening to music, going on a drive, or playing a game.
What is Distraction?
In order to be diagnosed with this, the person has to have experienced multiple symptoms in at least one of two categories across multiple different scenarios, and since before the age of 12.
Examples include symptoms of restlessness, fidgeting, forgetfulness, disorganization, and distraction.
What is Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
A disturbance in thinking which results in inconsistent behavior or speech.
We might notice this when a person talks or behaves in a manner that is difficult to follow, such as by jumping from one topic/step to another, stopping in the middle of a sentence or task, or by making up new words.
What is Disorganized Thinking?
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?
"Episodes" of this severe experience come with persistent high energy, irritability, and -in this version- can last longer than one week and come with psychotic features.
What is Mania?
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.
What is Reflective Listening?