Session 1: Depression
Understanding, clarifying depressive symptoms Biological and psychological causes of depression Suicidal continuum, suicide prevention Depression Screening Assessment
Session 2: Anxiety
Understanding and clarifying anxiety symptoms Differentiating anxiety, panic, obsessive, and social anxiety Impact of daily stress on symptoms formation, maintenance Anxiety Screening Assessment
Session 3: Bipolar Illness
Understanding, differentiating typical vs. abnormal mood swings Use of mood stabilizers, understanding blood levels, lab results Bipolar Screening Assessment
Session 4: Determining/Understanding Your Diagnosis
Understanding mixed anxiety/depressive conditions or mood disorders Mid-program evaluation: patient integrates information about their specific symptoms, the objective assessments, and clarifies to enable better communication with primary care physician Summation of symptoms on one page graph for coordination of care Medication compliance: a patient plan to monitor medications
Session 5: Chemical Imbalance, Biological Causes
- The ever-changing brain, critical stages in development, and neurotransmission
- Chemical imbalances in the brain
- Biological causes of depression, anxiety and mood illnesses
Session 6: How medications work, Compliance
- Impact of alcohol, drugs on moods and mental illness
- How neurotransmission affects every day moods and illnesses
- How medication affects chemical imbalance
- How medication assists in depression, anxiety and mood illnesses
Session 7: Managing affective Illness: Release Prevention
- Benefits, limitations of psychotherapy
- Longer-term maintenance, medications, after therapy is finished
- Relapse prevention strategy