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Depression & Trauma
Definition:
Depression is a loss of mood that lasts for at least two weeks.
Cause:
It is generally
the result of a body chemistry imbalance caused by trauma, illness,
hormonal
changes, substance abuse, lack of light and other causes.
Because of its chemical
nature, depression is almost impossible to overcome without intervention.
One simply cannot 'snap out of it.'
Depression is debilitating
and can be life threatening = 15% of suffers commit suicide.
Men tend to commit suicide early while women commit suicide late
during depression
10% of pop currently
suffer, and 20% will at some point suffer
Women suffer from depressive
disorders at twice the rate of men (1 in 4)
By the year 2010, depression
will be the 2nd most common health problem in the US (behind
heart disease)
Depression Symptoms
PHYSICAL
- Lack of energy / fatigue
- Significant changes in appetite or weight
- Sleep disturbances: insomnia or oversleeping
- Memory loss or inability to concentrate
- Headaches, body aches or pains
MENTAL
- Prolonged feelings of sadness or feeling down
- Irritability, anger, worry, agitation, anxiety (Bi-Polar)
- Feelings of worthlessness, pessimism or uncaring
- Inability to accomplish work or tasks
- Loss of interest in pleasurable activities / Social withdrawal
- Suicidal thoughts
Bi-Polar Disorder
- Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depression because
of extreme swings in mood, thought and behavior. Bipolar is different
than major depression in that it is marked by episodes of euphoria
or mania. These episodes commonly last from hours to days, but
can also last for months.
- Bipolar Disorder afflicts 2% of adults, and possibly
another 1% children. It usually starts in adolescence,
with males first experiencing a manic episode and females
experiencing a depressive one.
Panic disorder / Anxiety attack
About 2% of pop will experience one.
Anxiety is felt in separate recurrent bouts (panic attacks):
- Palpitations
- Dizziness
- Feel they are about to die during an attack.
- Depersonalisation and derealisation may accompany the attack.
- a series of panic attacks may precipitate agoraphobia.
Phobias
"an excessive and somewhat irrational fear of some object or
situation which is usually so disturbing that it leads to avoidance
of that object or situation (avoidance behaviour)"
8% of the general public has some kind of phobia.
90% of sufferers are women
Agoraphobia
- A fear of the market place, of crowds, of traveling on public
transport, and an avoidance of social situations and a marked
tendency to stay at home, rarely, if ever, venturing outside. 75%
of sufferers are women.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Obsessive part:
- Intrusive thoughts that come repeatedly into a person's mind
have some undesirable quality as far as that person is concerned.
(usual the fear that one will do it, not that it will actually
happen e.g.: Nonsensical / Violent / Obscene)
- Intrusive thoughts as being like a conversation in their head.
≠ hallucinatory as they are recognised as a product of
the sufferer's own mind.
≠ delusional as sufferer knows they are nonsensical
Compulsive part:
- Compulsive acts / rituals may be performed to reduce the
anxiety associated with obsessional thoughts or to ward
off an attack. Eg:
* Person who
continually fears contamination may wash and re-wash their hands
many times a day, even to the point of breaking the skin down.
* Compulsive
acts and rituals are sometimes some undesirable event.
* Performance
of these rituals may interfere with everyday life.
Obsessional personalities are essentially meticulous and perfectionist workers
who, if given a deadline will work to it, but who may expend
great effort in getting things just right. Their attention to
detail may infuriate those around them.
Schizophrenia
the most serious of all mental disorders, affecting about 1%
of the population in the U.S.
Psychotic symptoms:
* loss of contact
with reality
* develops an
elaborate inner world which is illogical and fantastic
* unraveling
of thinking processes
Why called split personality: split from reality, doesn't
react right; also, the self is split into fragments
Trauma (questions)
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How can you help someone who has suffered
if you are not a professional counselor?
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When should we seek professional counseling
help? |
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Can trauma be mental and physical? |
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Do you think disasters can help build a community? |
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What is the biggest disaster that has ever
struck your country? |
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Do you know anyone who's ever been in a disaster? |
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What is Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome?
o What causes it?
o What are the symptoms?
o What are some situations that cause PTSD?
o What are some ways of dealing with it? |
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What are some ways of helping people who
are suffering from PTSD?
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What is the most stressful or traumatizing
situation you've ever been in? |
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What is the most horrible accident you have
ever had? |
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Have you ever been in a traumatic situation?
o How can you avoid it?
o Why is it difficult to deal with?
o Why is it important to deal with it?
o How does it affect your lifestyle?
o How does it affect the lifestyle of those around you?
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