Anxiety Disorders

While it’s normal for individuals to experience anxiety or nervousness, anxiety disorders may cause physical and emotional distress that interfere with a person’s ability to lead a normal life. Anxiety disorders are not personal weaknesses, character flaws or the result of poor upbringing, but are real illnesses with real causes.

An individual with anxiety disorder symptoms can be evaluated by a doctor, which would include questions about medical history and a physical exam. There are no lab tests that diagnose anxiety disorders, but a doctor may use various tests to look for physical illnesses that may be causing the symptoms. If there’s no physical illness, an individual may be referred to a mental health professional to treat the disorder.

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are a group of related conditions, such as panic disorders, phobias, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or social anxiety disorder, and each has its own set of symptoms. All anxiety disorders do have common symptoms that include:

• Feelings of apprehension or dread
• Feeling tense and jumpy
• Restlessness or irritability
• Expecting the worst and being watchful for signs of danger
• Pounding or racing heart and shortness of breath
• Upset stomach.
• Sweating, tremors, and twitches
• Headaches, fatigue, and insomnia

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder results in mood and energy changes, including episodes of mania and depression. During manic episodes, individuals with the disorder have an unrealistic high state of mind and can lose touch with reality. At the other extreme, they may think they have superpowers, or a little less extreme, impulsively shop for items they do not need and usually cannot afford.

Doctors can’t point to a single cause of bipolar disorder, however, an underlying defect in brain circuitry, involving areas that control mood, thinking and behavior is one theory for the cause. Stress may also play a role in the development, and, in women, hormonal fluctuations may worsen symptoms. Although there’s a theory that bipolar disorder is genetic, no series of genes have been found that increase the risk for development of the disorder.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorders:

Commonly referred to as the “lows,” depressive symptoms include at least five of the following, lasting for at least two weeks:

• Having trouble concentrating
• Forgetting things a lot
• Thinking about death or suicide
• Having trouble sleeping
• Feeling like you can’t enjoy anything
• Feeling very down or sad
• Feeling worried and empty
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Changes in appetite or weight
• Having little to no interest or pleasure in your hobbies

Depression

Depression is a serious mental health disorder that includes intense sadness with feelings of helplessness, worthlessness, and hopelessness that can last for days to weeks at a time and keeps an individual from functioning normally. If left untreated, depression can have a devastating effect.

A combination of factors likely causes depression, including genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological. Some depression runs in families; however, depression can occur in individuals without a family history of depression. Triggers such as trauma, loss of a loved one, a difficult relationship, or other stressful situations can also cause a depressive disorder. There are no lab tests that effectively diagnose depression, so a clinician must talk with a patient about their specific symptoms to diagnose it. However, clinical depression can be hard to diagnose as it can manifest in many ways.

Symptoms of Depression:

Symptoms of depression can be different for everyone, but for many, a depressive disorder changes their daily functioning, typically lasts for more than two weeks, and includes:

• Changes in sleep and appetite
• Lack of concentration
• Loss of energy
• Lack of interest in activities
• Hopelessness or guilty thoughts
• Changes in movement (less activity or agitation)
• Physical aches and pains
• Suicidal thoughts

Personality Disorders

Individuals with personality disorders, including borderline personality disorder (BPD), experience strong emotions that flare up and diminish rapidly, often within hours. With few understanding the source of their feelings, people living with personality disorders get little or no sympathy from those around them.

Personality disorders are characterized by mood swings, relationship instability, difficulties with long-term planning and impulse control, and problems with self-identity. One of the key symptoms is an obsessive fear of abandonment—desperately wanting close relationships while simultaneously pushing people away with impulsive, irrational behavior. Individuals diagnosed with personality disorders often have an elevated incidence of self-harm and suicidal gestures.

Symptoms of Personal Disorders:

• strange or unpredictable behavior.
• suspicion and distrust (not trusting others)
• taking risks.
• extreme mood swings or emotional outbursts.
• difficulty with relationships.
• problems at school or work.
• need for instant gratification (immediate pleasure or reward)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Trauma

The effects of trauma can last for years despite whether they begin and end in an instant or happen over time. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by anxiety from previous traumatic events and can affect anyone who is predisposed at any stage in their lives. The types of PTSD include:

• Acute Stress Disorder:Symptoms appear within the first month of the trauma and last between two days and four weeks.
• Acute PTSD: Symptoms last for more than four weeks after the trauma.
• Delay Onset PTSD:Signs and symptoms develop years after the traumatic event.
• Chronic PTSD: Symptoms last for more than three months, disappear for a few days, and then reappear.

The degree of PTSD varies among individuals. While some individuals may experience mild symptoms—such as irritability—others may be debilitated by the co-occurring disorders that often accompany PTSD, including substance abuse, depressive disorders, and anxiety disorders.

Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Trauma

For those reasons, it’s extremely important to be able to recognize the symptoms of PTSD, even the less common or more subtle ones. We’ve outlined some of these below. Keep in mind that people experiencing PTSD may not exhibit all of these behaviors, and as such, PTSD will look different for different individuals. PTSD symptoms include:

• Flashbacks, repeated (and unwanted) memories, intrusive thoughts, and nightmares about the traumatic event.
• Avoiding anything that reminds you of the traumatic event.
• Experiencing emotional or physical distress when reminded of the event.
• Hypervigilance (being easily startled)
• Dwelling on negative emotions and/or thoughts, and having difficulty feeling positive
• Insomnia or sleep disruptions
• Difficulty focusing
• Social isolation and/or having a difficult time maintaining relationships.
• Changes in behavior, including lack of interest in activities you usually enjoy.
• Memory issues
• Feeling irritable or angry
• Having aggressive or angry outbursts 
• Risky or self-destructive behaviors, including substance abuse, unsafe sex, reckless driving, and more

Occupational Therapy

The motto of occupational therapy is “Living life to its fullest.” In order to help their clients do that, occupational therapists (OTs) are dedicated to helping people do the things they want and need to do in their daily lives and across their entire lifespan. 

Whether the client is unable to participate in their favorite activities because of a physical or mental illness, OTs use a holistic approach to adapt the environment or task to fit that person’s abilities. A client-centered approach is an integral part of the occupational therapy process—and that often includes gaining insight into a client’s mental health as well.

Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

Schizoaffective and schizophrenia disorders are both psychotic disorders with symptoms that revolve around a person’s ability to perceive reality as it is and/or a person’s mind creating visual sights or auditory sounds that aren’t there. Schizophrenia interferes with how a person behaves, thinks, and feels, often resulting in the individual being prone to false, delusional beliefs about themselves or others. Schizophrenia may also make it difficult for an individual to concentrate, manage emotions, make decisions, or develop normal motivations, causing them to become unusually anxious, unresponsive, or withdrawn in social situations.

Symptoms of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders:

Symptoms will vary in each individual, but common symptoms include:

• Hallucinations
• Delusions
• Disorganized thinking – a person switches very quickly from one topic to another
• Feelings of sadness/emptiness, feelings of worthlessness, or other symptoms of depression
• Manic behavior, including feelings of euphoria, racing thoughts, and increased risky behavior