Mental Health Treatment

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are a group of mental health issues that cause people to feel intense fear, worry, and unease. These feelings can be so strong that they interfere with everyday activities. Symptoms vary depending on the type of anxiety disorder but can include:

• Physical symptoms such as sweating or trembling
• Negative thought patterns
• Avoidance behaviors
• Difficulty concentrating or sleeping
• Trouble controlling worrying

Anxiety disorder treatment involves talk therapy and sometimes medication to reduce the intensity of symptoms.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder that causes persistent, intrusive thoughts and fears (obsessions). They feel compelled to address these tics through specific behaviors known as compulsions. Obsessions are different from case to case, but some of the most common OCD tics include:

• Fear of contamination or germs
• Worries about harm coming to yourself or others
• Feeling the need for symmetry and orderliness in your environment
• Preoccupation with religious beliefs

While some people can acknowledge that their obsessive thoughts are irrational, it doesn’t stop them from engaging in compulsive behavior like counting or checking. The most common symptom of OCD is excessive washing or cleaning.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Someone with social anxiety disorder feels intense fear of judgement by others in social settings. They may experience physical symptoms such as:

• Sweating
• Trembling
• Difficulty speaking
• Blushing when they are around other people

They may also have thoughts that they will embarrass themselves in public situations. In severe cases, individuals can become so anxious that they avoid social interactions altogether.

Treatment for social anxiety includes psychotherapy and/or medication to help manage the symptoms of the disorder.

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by frequent and unexpected panic attacks. Panic attacks are sudden, intense episodes of fear or terror that leave you feeling overwhelmed, powerless, and unable to control your reactions.

Symptoms of a panic attack may include:

• Trembling
• Sweating
• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Palpitations
• Dizziness
• Sensations of unreality or detachment from oneself

During an attack, many experience feelings of dread or impending doom. Depending on the severity of the attack, these symptoms can last for several minutes or hours. If left untreated, panic disorder can seriously impact your day-to-day functioning and quality of life.

Trauma

Trauma is a psychological, emotional, and physical response to a distressing or disturbing event. It can come from a one-time event like an accident or abuse, or it can stem from prolonged exposure to stressful situations like war, childhood neglect, or domestic violence. Trauma can cause long-term changes in how someone views the world. It affects their ability to cope with everyday life.

If you’ve experienced a traumatic event, it’s important to seek professional help so you can find healthy ways of managing the effects of trauma on your life.

Some of the trauma-related conditions the mental health professionals at Footprints to Recovery treat include the following.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious illness that can develop after exposure to a traumatic event. In the United States PTSD affects about 8% of women and 4% of men at some point in their lives. Symptoms of PTSD include:

• Flashbacks
• Nightmares
• Intrusive memories
• Fear and anxiety
• Avoidance of situations or events related to the trauma
• Irritability or angry outbursts
• Difficulty focusing or concentrating on tasks
• Difficulties in social situations
• Trouble sleeping

Dissociative Disorders

Dissociative disorders cause people to have disruptions in:

• Memory
• Consciousness
• Identity
• Perceptions

They can cause people to feel disconnected from their own emotions or environment. This leads to feelings of depersonalization or detachment from reality.

The most common dissociative disorder is dissociative identity disorder. The original name for the condition was “multiple personality disorder.” This condition involves the presence of alternate personalities that are independent from one another. It’s a way of coping with trauma or stress. Other forms of dissociative disorder include depersonalization disorder, dissociative amnesia, and dissociative fugue.

Childhood Trauma

Any event or experience causing emotional, physical, or psychological damage to a child can lead to issues with trauma that last into adulthood. Common types of childhood trauma include:

• Abuse (physical, emotional, sexual)
• Neglect (emotional and physical)
• Various kinds of loss (the death of a loved one, parental divorce, etc.)
• Witnessing traumatic events experienced by others (family violence, war, etc.)

The impact of childhood trauma can be far-reaching. It can lead to difficulty regulating emotions, building relationships with others, and managing everyday stressors. These issues can persist into adulthood if not addressed.