Fellows: 1

Taber T. Fellows
SW-1010
Prof: Gary Poulsen
Thursday, October 16, 2014
(PIE) Qualifier:
Depression W/ GAD / THC / Dept:
Depression W/ Generalized Anxiety Disorder W/ Marijuana Dept:

DSM-IV Code:
311.00: Depressive Disorder = Mood Disorder:
300.02: Generalized Anxiety Disorder: = Anxiety Disorder:
304.30: Cannabis Dependence: = Use/ Former-user:

Depression: What Is It?
Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad. But these feelings are usually short-lived and
pass within a couple of days. When you have depression, it interferes with daily life and causes
pain for both you and those who care about you. Depression is a common but serious illness.
Many people with a depressive illness never seek treatment. But the majority, even those
with the most severe depression, can get better with treatment. Medications, psychotherapies,
and other methods can effectively treat people with depression. There are several forms of
depressive disorders. Major depression,severe symptoms that interfere with your ability to
work, sleep, study, eat, and enjoy life. An episode can occur only once in a persons lifetime, but
more often, a person has several episodes.
So, whos At Risk?
A Major depressive disorder is one of the most common mental disorders in the United
States. Each year about 6.7% of U.S adults experience major depressive disorder. Women are 70
% more likely than men to experience depression during their lifetime. Non-Hispanic blacks are
40% less likely than non-Hispanic whites to experience depression during their lifetime. The
average age of onset is 32 years old. Additionally, 3.3% of 13 to 18 year olds have experienced a
seriously debilitating depressive disorder. How do women experience depression?
Fellows: 2

Depression is more common among women than among men.
Their biological life cycle, hormonal, and psychosocial factors that women experience
may be linked to some women experiencing a higher depression rate. Researchers have shown
that hormones directly affect the brain chemistry that controls emotions and mood. For example,
women are especially vulnerable to developing postpartum depression after giving birth, when
hormonal and physical changes and the new responsibility of caring for a newborn can be
overwhelming.
Some women may also have a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) called
premenstrual dysphonic disorder (PMDD). PMDD is associated with the hormonal changes that
typically occur around ovulation and before menstruation begins.
During the transition into menopause, some women experience an increased risk for
depression. In addition, osteoporosisbone thinning or lossmay be associated with
depression. Scientists are exploring all of these potential connections and how the cyclical rise
and fall of estrogen and other hormones may affect a woman's brain chemistry.
Finally, many women face the additional stresses of work and home responsibilities,
caring for children and aging parents, abuse, poverty, and relationship strains. It is still unclear,
though, why some women faced with enormous challenges develop depression, while others
with similar challenges do not.
How do men experience depression?
Men often experience depression differently than women. While women with depression
are more likely to have feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and excessive guilt, men are more
likely to be tired, irritable, lose interest in a once-pleasurable activity(s), and have difficulties
sleeping. Men may be more likely than women to turn to alcohol or drugs when they are
depressed. They also become frustrated, discouraged, irritable, angry, and sometimes abusive.
Some men throw themselves into their work to avoid talking about their depression with family
or friends, or behave recklessly. And although more women attempt suicide, more men die by
suicide in the United States.
Fellows: 3


Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Category: Anxiety Disorders:
Often anxiety gets generalized to other situations, and can then become overwhelming
or associated with life in general. Typically GAD develops over a period of time and may
not be noticed until it is significant enough to cause problems with functioning. Symptoms:
As its name implies, GAD is evidenced by general feelings of anxiety such as mild heart
palpitations, dizziness, and excessive worry. The symptoms are difficult to control for the
individual and are not related to a specific event (such as PTSD) and are not as severe as
those found with Panic Disorder. Treatment: Medication and/or psychotherapy have been
found to be helpful, especially therapy aimed at teaching the client how to gain control over
the symptoms. Prognosis: Prognosis is good for the more extreme symptoms, but those
associated with underlying fears are more difficult to treat (such as excessive worry).
Working through childhood issues can be helpful as these tend to get distorted as they
follow us into adulthood (e.g., over-controlling parental styles, sexual abuse, and childhood
phobias).
Anxiety Disorders categorize a large number of disorders where the primary feature is
abnormal or inappropriate anxiety. Everybody has experienced anxiety. Think about the last
time a loud noise frightened you and remember the feelings inside your body. Chances are
you experienced an increased heart rate, tensed muscles, and perhaps an acute sense of
focus as you tried to determine the source of the noise. These are all symptoms of anxiety.
They are also part of a normal process in our bodies called the 'flight or flight'
phenomenon. This means that your body is preparing itself to either fight or protect itself or
to flee a dangerous situation. These symptoms become a problem when they occur without
any recognizable stimulus or when the stimulus does not warrant such a reaction. In other
words, inappropriate anxiety is when a person's heart races, breathing increases, and
muscles tense without any reason for them to do so. Once a medical cause is ruled out, an
anxiety disorder may be the culprit. Psychiatric Disorders.
What is Anxiety?
Everyone worries to a certain degree. According to Calm Clinic, anxiety is actually a
Fellows: 4

good thing when it behaves the way its supposed to. In its article, What is Free Floating
Anxiety? Calm Clinic says, Anxiety itself is a healthy condition. While the term generally
refers to anxiety disorders, anxiety is actually a biological mechanism that helps you react
quickly to dangerous events. For example, if Im alone at night, walking to my car in the
parking garage, I get somewhat anxious. My brain tells me that something dangerous could
happen if Im not careful, and it keeps me looking around for strangers, compelling me to
walk quickly to my car. It would be stupidly dangerous if I dawdled through the dark
parking garage, texting on my phone with my headphones on. In its article, What is the
Stress Response? Simply Psychology defines stress as, a biological and psychological
response experienced on encountering a threat that we feel we do not have the resources to
deal with. So its normal (and healthy) for everyone to feel some levels of stress. When it
becomes overwhelming, however, is when we need to take another look?
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Defined:
WebMD says that about 4 million Americans have GAD, both children and adults. It cant
be diagnosed with a blood test like cancer, but is diagnosed through evaluations and
discourse with the proper health professionals. After referring to Mayo Clinic, the National
Institutes of Health, WebMD, and Psych Central, I came up with these top common
symptoms experienced by those with the disorder:


Fellows: 5

Other symptoms include:
Being easily tired, Irritability, Unprovoked fears, Hot flashes, Feeling breathless Muscles
aches, Zoning out Trembling, Nausea or an upset stomach. GAD is a neurological disorder
in which an individual lives in a constant or near constant state of anxiety. The anxiety can
be over specific events or thoughts. Most people worry about money, health, family, school,
or the state of the house. When you have GAD, however, your worries arent there all the
time. Theyre present constantly or nearly constantly. People with this disorder also often
struggle with what we called free floating anxiety.
Terms for specific mental disorders include those officially recognized by the
American Psychiatric Association as well as other more traditional terms. They are formally
classified in the APA DSM IV-TR: DSM-IV-TR Diagnoses by Category. Psych
Central defines GAD as, chronic and exaggerated worry and tension, even though nothing
seems to provoke it. People with this disorder worry. Theyre afraid all the time. They
often blow things way out of proportion even though they know the situation isnt really as
bad as it seems. The American Family Physician says that GAD is a harder disorder to
diagnose than some because the symptoms are so co morbid with other disorders.
Headaches, stomach problems, and muscle aches are symptoms for a myriad of other
problems; the symptoms of anxiety are generally found in nearly all other neurological
disorders, Tortes, OCD, ADHD, and other neurological disorders. In order to specify,
American Family Physician says diagnostic criteria focuses on three precise areas:


In other words, other disorders encompass parts of these, but GAD encompasses all
of them. Those of us with the disorder are in a constant mental state of alert, like a soldier
on watch (A Sentinel). Our brains tend to blow things way out of proportion. We dont see
Fellows: 6

the likelihood of our worries, or we might see them, but we still feel like the absolute worst
is going to happen, no matter what the odds. We struggle with not knowing how to handle
this thing, that constant tension on our own. While theres a general consensus that the
absolute causes of General Anxiety Disorder is not yet known, WebMD lists the three main
causes that seem to link the disorder:

This type of anxiety often seems to pass from one generation to the next. There are
other factors, however, such as an imbalance neurochemicals and traumatic events that can
seem to trigger it as well. (Its my personal belief that many of us are genetically inclined to
disorders like this, but sometimes it takes an outside event to trigger the genes somehow.
But thats just in my unprofessional opinion.)
How GAD Affects Everyday Life
People who live with GAD are touched in different areas of their lives. Some suffer
more in work or school because the worry keeps them from focusing. Others struggle with
getting things done at home. Many suffer from the physical symptoms I listed earlier, such
as sleep deprivation, muscle aches and tension, and upset stomachs.
Dealing with GAD
While GADs exact cause isnt known yet, there are ways to make GAD manageable
and life easier for people with the disorder: Regular exercise is one of the best ways to be
proactive with stress. A healthy diet will help your brain function at its best. Medications
are available, but according to the American Family Physician, should only be used in cases
where its most needed. (Many people who use medications relapse after going off of them.)
Fellows: 7

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy which the National
Institute of Mental Health says is often successful because it helps individuals change the
way they see their situations. Time spent with God is my greatest solice. Whether Im
praying, reading His Word, or singing His praises, I find myself with a peace I find nowhere
else
Conclusion:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is sometimes hard to diagnose, and its often co-morbid with
other disorders. Ill be the first one to admit that it can make life difficult, and it takes a lot
of work sometimes to get through the day or night. But when you focus on whats good in
life, take care of yourself physically and mentally, and surround yourself with a great group
of supporter into your positive network, (e.g.) Family, Friends, Loved-ones, Professionals,
and most of yourself, and your life can, and will be just as exciting as ever could imagine it
to be.
Addiction: = (Habit) = Cannabis Related Disorders: (Tetrahydrocannabinol)
Acronyms: THC; Chemical Class: aromatic terpenoid: Effect Class Appetite
stimulant-euphoria: Actions: Cannabinoid CBI Partial agonist: Schedule: 1-3
Precursors Tetrahydrocannabinol acid Medline plus: Source Marijuana.
Ch3, H, H, H3c, Hc3, O, CH3:

Fellows: 8

Marijuana:
I s a kind of: mental disorder, Mental disorder W / Substance Use, Disorder:
A disease process characterized by the continued use of a specific psychoactive
substance despite physical, psychological or social harm. Mental Disorder: Behavioral
health care professionals call disorders, illnesses or diseases that have prominent emotional,
behavioral, and psychological symptoms mental disorders. These include substance use
disorders and disorders associated with physical changes or illnesses, many of which
directly affect the brain. For most of these disorders, however, physical causes have not
been demonstrated or are poorly understood, even though biological treatments (e.g. drugs)
may be effective in treating them. They may be distinguished from and classified separately
from the personality disorders, or the term may be used in such a way as to include
personality disorders. Cannabis related disorders: Abuse, Anxiety disorders, Intoxication,
Dependence, Intoxication Delirium,
psychotic Disorder, Cannabis-related disorder NOS:

Fellows: 9


Work Cited:



DSM IV-TR
http://brittanyfichterwrites.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/GADsymptoms.jpg
http://behavenet.com/sites/behavenet.com/themes/Behavenet/images/BehaveNet-logo-with-
text.jpg
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/8933.php#what_causes_it
.
Fellows: 10