Download Mental Illnesses

Mental
Illnesses
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
 What is it?
 Extremely worried about things like health, money,
family/friend problems even when there is little or
no reason to worry about them
 Anxious about getting through the day
 Think things will always go badly
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
(GAD)
 Signs and Symptoms
 Worry very much about everyday things
 Have trouble controlling their constant worries
 Know that they worry much more than they should
 Not able to relax
 Have a hard time concentrating
 Have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
 Have headaches, muscle aches, stomach aches
 Be irritable, sweat a lot, and feel light headed
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
 What causes it?
 Sometimes runs in the family
 Several parts of the brain are involved in fear and
anxiety
 Stress and environmental factors may play a role
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
 How is it treated?
 Psychotherapy or cognitive behavior therapy
 Teaches a person different ways of thinking, behaving, and
reacting to situations that help him or her feel less anxious and
worried
 Medication
 Anti-anxiety medications
 Are powerful and many types begin working right away –
but they should not be taken for long periods
 Antidepressants
 May take several weeks to start working
 Side effects  headache, nausea, or difficulty sleeping
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
 What is it like to have GAD?
 "I was worried all the time about everything. It didn't
matter that there were no signs of problems, I just got
upset. I was having trouble falling asleep at night, and
I couldn't keep my mind focused at work. I felt angry
at my family all the time.”
 "I saw my doctor and explained my constant worries.
My doctor sent me to someone who knows about
GAD. Now I am taking medicine and working with a
counselor to cope better with my worries. I had to
work hard, but I feel better. I'm glad I made that first
call to my doctor.”
 Royce White:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRUS6QBiViQ
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe21L3EnDdE
•
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD)
What is it?
– Anxiety disorder that some people get after seeing or living
through a dangerous event
– May feel stressed or frightened even when they’re no
longer in danger
•
Who gets it?
– Anyone at any age
– War veterans, survivors of physical and sexual assault,
abuse, accidents, disasters, and many other serious events
– Unexpected death of a loved one
•
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD)
Re-experiencing symptoms
– Flashbacks, bad dreams, frightening thoughts
•
Avoidance symptoms
– Staying away from places that are reminders of the
experience, feeling emotionally numb, feeling strong guilt,
depression, or worry, losing interest in activities that were
enjoyable
•
Hyperarousal symptoms
– Being easily startled, feeling tense or “on edge,” having
difficulty sleeping and/or having angry outbursts
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD)
 Do children react differently than adults?
 Children:
 Bedwetting when they do not do so normally, acting
out the scary event during playtime, being unusually
clingy with a parent or adult
 Older children, teens, and adults
 Disruptive, disrespectful, or destructive behavior
 Feelings of guilt and thoughts of revenge
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD)
 How is it detected?
 Diagnosed by a doctor such as a psychiatrist or
psychologist
 To be diagnosed, a person must have all of the
following for at least one month
 At least 1 re-experiencing symptom
 At least 3 avoidance symptoms
 At least 2 hyperarousal symptoms
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD)
 Risk Factors for PTSD
 Living through dangerous
events
 Getting hurt
 Seeing people hurt/killed
 Having little or no social
support after the event
 Dealing with extra stress
after the event
 Resilience factors may
reduce the risk of PTSD
 Seeking out support from
friends and family
 Finding a support group
after the traumatic event
 Having a coping strategy
 Being able to act and
respond effectively
despite feeling fear
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD)
 How is it treated?
 Psychotherapy (“talk” therapy)
 Medications
 Combination of both?
http://www.medicinenet.com/posttraumatic_stress_d
isorder_quiz/quiz.htm
Social Anxiety
•
What is it?
– People with social phobia are afraid of doing
common things in front of other people. For example,
they might be afraid to sign a check in front of a
cashier at the grocery store, or they might be afraid
to eat or drink in front of other people, or use a public
restroom. Most people who have social phobia know
that they shouldn't be as afraid as they are, but they
can't control their fear. Sometimes, they end up
staying away from places or events where they think
they might have to do something that will embarrass
them. For some people, social phobia is a problem
only in certain situations, while others have symptoms
in almost any social situation.
Social Anxiety
•
Signs and symptoms
– Anxious about being with other people and have a hard time
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talking to them, even though they wish they could
Self-conscious in front of other people and feel embarrassed
Be very afraid that other people will judge them
Worry for days or weeks before an event where other people
will be
Stay away from places where there are other people
Have a hard time making friends and keeping friends
Social Anxiety
•
What causes it?
– Sometimes runs in families
– Several parts of the brain are involved in fear or
anxiety
•
How is it treated?
– Psychotherapy: different ways of thinking
– Medication: anti-anxiety and antidepressants
•
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7EAsMNZ6uA