Mental Health

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• What is it?– Everyone double checks things sometimes.

For example, you might double check to make sure the stove or iron is turned off before leaving the house. But people with OCD feel the need to check things repeatedly, or have certain thoughts or perform routines and rituals over and over. The thoughts and rituals associated with OCD cause distress and get in the way of daily life.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Signs and symptoms– Do the same rituals over and over such as

washing hands, locking/unlocking doors, counting, keeping unneeded items, repeating things over and over

– Cannot control the unwanted thoughts and behaviors

– Don’t get please when performing the rituals but get brief relief from the anxiety the thoughts cause

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• 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

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)• What is it like having it?

– "I couldn't do anything without rituals. They invaded every aspect of my life. Counting really bogged me down. I would wash my hair three times as opposed to once because three was a good luck number and one wasn't. It took me longer to read because I'd count the lines in a paragraph. When I set my alarm at night, I had to set it to a number that wouldn't add up to a 'bad' number.”

– "Getting dressed in the morning was tough, because I had a routine, and if I didn't follow the routine, I'd get anxious and would have to get dressed again. I always worried that if I didn't do something, my parents were going to die. I'd have these terrible thoughts of harming my parents. I knew that was completely irrational, but the thoughts triggered more anxiety and more senseless behavior. Because of the time I spent on rituals, I was unable to do a lot of things that were important to me.”

– "I knew the rituals didn't make sense, and I was deeply ashamed of them, but I couldn't seem to overcome them until I got treatment."

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSZNnz9SM4g

Panic Disorder

• What is it?– Sudden and repeated attacks of fear that last

for several minutes or longer– Panic attacks are characterized by a fear of

disaster or of losing control even when there is not real danger

Panic Disorder

• Signs and Symptoms– Sudden and repeated attacks of fear– Feeling of being out of control during a panic attack– Intense worry about when the next attack will

happen– Fear or avoidance of places where panic attacks

have occurred in the past– Physical symptoms: racing heart, sweating,

breathing problems, weakness, dizziness, feeling hot or cold, tingly or numb hands, chest pain, or stomach pain

Panic Disorder

• 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

Bipolar Disorder

• What is it?– Unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels,

and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks– Develops in a person’s late teens or early

adult years– Long term illness that must be carefully

managed

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder

• What illnesses often co-exist with this?– Substance abuse: alcohol or drugs– Anxiety disorders such as PTSD and social

phobia– Higher risk of thyroid disease, migraine

headaches, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other physical illness

Bipolar Disorder

• How is it diagnosed?– Talk to a doctor who will conduct a physical

examination, an interview, and lab tests– Get a complete history of symptoms– Talk with the person’s close relatives

• How is it treated?– Medication– Psychotherapy

Bipolar Disorder

• What can people expect from treatment?– HAS NO CURE, but can be treated over the

long-term– Treatment is more effective when people work

closely with a doctor and talk openly about their concerns

– Keeping track of mood changes and symptoms can help a doctor assess a person’s response to treatments

Schizophrenia

– May hear voices other people do not hear

– Believe other people are reading their minds, controlling their thought, or plotting to harm them

– May not make sense when they talk

Schizophrenia

• Only 1% of Americans live with this illness

• Treatment: antipsychotic medications to focus on eliminating symptoms

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9v4FsKXmj8