Psychological Disorders, Therapies, and Treatments
Michelle Striewski
GS110 F14 Section 13
Instructor: Billie Gilliam
December 14, 2014

Psychological Disorders, Therapies, and Treatments
I have chosen these two topics for my paper because I have a child who suffers from a mental disorder. She has been diagnosed with bipolar depressive disorder (Also known as manic depressive disorder). She has been diagnosed wrongly for many years. We have been to many psychologists, psychiatrists, medical doctors, hospitals, and mental institutions. Every visit for the last few years she was diagnosed with a wide range of disorders. We tried all of the medications prescribed and very few have worked. Within the last two years she has spiraled out of control and turned to substance abuse to numb her mental pain. She recently sought treatment through the behavior health hospital in Wilmington, NC and has had great success. She went through the drug treatment program and then intense psychotherapy sessions. They believe that she has bipolar depressive disorder. She has been prescribed new medications and I have to say they are working wonders for her. She is clean and sober from all illegal substances and is currently enrolled in cosmetology school and looking forward to starting in January. I believe that if she had been diagnosed correctly years ago she may not have self- medicated herself so she would not have to deal with the dramatic mood swings, and the manic behavior. In the following pages of my paper, I have listed a few mental disorders and the different types of therapies and medications used to treat them. I have learned a lot from this project and I hope you will gain some insight into these topics I have chosen.

Anxiety disorders: People with anxiety disorders respond to certain objects or situations with fear and dread, as well as with physical signs of anxiety or panic, such as a rapid heartbeat and sweating. (Cherry, 2014) An anxiety disorder is diagnosed if the person's response is not appropriate for the situation, if the person cannot control the response, or if the anxiety interferes with normal functioning. (Cherry, 2014) Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias. (Cherry, 2014)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is mostly known for the exaggerated anxiety and worry about events within everyday life. (Goldberg MD, 2014) Sufferers have really no reasons for worry. People with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder always tend to expect the worst in every situation, always looking for a disaster and expecting it. (Goldberg MD, 2014) They also can't stop worrying about money, friends, family, school, or work. In most people with GAD, the worry is often unrealistic or out of proportion for the situation. (Cherry, 2014) Everyday life becomes a constant state of dread, worry, and fear. (Cherry, 2014) Eventually, the anxiety completely takes over the person's thinking and it interferes with daily functioning, including relationships, work, school, and social activities. (Goldberg MD, 2014)
Panic Disorder: A panic attack is a quick or sudden, intense fear or anxiety that can make your heart pound, cause shortness of breath or make you feel dizzy. (Goldberg MD, 2014) You also may feel out of control or manic. (Cherry, 2014) A lot of people think they are having a heart attack or are going to die. Most attacks last from 5 to 20 minutes however, some may last even longer, up to a few hours. (Goldberg MD, 2014) You have the most anxiety about 10 minutes after the attack starts. When these attacks occur often, they are termed, a panic disorder.(Goldberg MD, 2014) Panic attacks can be scary and so bad that they get in the way of your everyday life. Women seem to suffer from panic attacks more than men. (Goldberg MD, 2014) Experts aren't sure what causes panic attacks and panic disorder. The body has a