Psychological Conditions

Adam works with a number of different conditions, including depression, anxiety and stress, anger management, behaviour management, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and ADHD.

Depression

While we all feel sad, moody or low from time to time, some people experience these feelings intensely, for long periods of time (weeks, months or even years) and sometimes without any apparent reason. Depression is more than just a low mood – it's a serious condition that affects your physical and mental health. (Beyond Blue)

Symptoms of Depression may include:

Behaviour: Not going out anymore, not getting things done at work/school, withdrawing from close family and friends, relying on alcohol and sedatives, not doing usually enjoyable activities, unable to concentrate
Feelings: overwhelmed, guilty, irritable, frustrated, lacking in confidence, unhappy, indecisive, disappointed, miserable, sad
Thoughts: 'I’m a failure.', 'It’s my fault.', 'Nothing good ever happens to me.', 'I’m worthless.', 'Life’s not worth living.', 'People would be better off without me.',
Physical: tired all the time, sick and run down, headaches and muscle pains, churning gut, sleep problems, loss or change of appetite, significant weight loss or gain

Anxiety & Stress

Anxiety is more than just feeling stressed or worried. Stress and anxiety in and of themselves are healthy (able it unpleasant) feelings that help us to manage difficult situations. Usually they will pass once the stressful situation has passed, or ‘stressor’ is removed. When anxious feelings don't go away, happen without any particular reason or make it hard to cope with daily life it may be the sign of an anxiety condition.

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. On average, one in four people – one in three women and one in ﬁve men – will experience anxiety at some stage in their life. In a 12-month period, over two million Australians experience anxiety. (Beyond Blue)

There are many ways to help manage anxiety and the sooner people with anxiety get support, the more likely they are to recover.

Symptoms of Anxiety may include:

Physical: panic attacks, hot and cold flushes, racing heart, tightening of the chest, quick breathing, restlessness, or feeling tense, wound up and edgy
Psychological: excessive fear, worry, catastrophizing, or obsessive thinking
Behavioural: avoidance of situations that make you feel anxious which can impact on study, work or social life

Trauma

Very frightening or distressing events may result in a psychological wound or injury. This trauma can result in difficulty in coping or functioning normally. Often these effects will resolve within a few weeks, however if they do not they can develop into Post Traumatic Stress disorder. Some people experience problems directly after the traumatic event or much later.

Symptoms may include:

Physical: excessive alertness (always on the look-out for signs of danger), being easily startled, fatigue/exhaustion, disturbed sleep and general aches and pains.
Cognitive (thinking): intrusive thoughts and memories of the event, visual images of the event, nightmares, poor concentration and memory, disorientation and confusion.
Behavioural: avoidance of places or activities that are reminders of the event, social withdrawal and isolation and loss of interest in normal activities.
Emotional: fear, numbness and detachment, depression, guilt, anger and irritability, anxiety and panic.

Grief

Grief is the anguish experienced after significant loss, usually the death of a beloved person. Not all bereavements result in a strong grief response, and not all grief is given public expression.

Grief often includes physiological distress, separation anxiety, confusion, yearning, obsessive dwelling on the past, and apprehension about the future. Intense grief can impact us physically through disruption of the immune system, self-neglect, and suicidal thoughts.

Anger

Like stress and anxiety, anger is a normal and healthy emotion. When used to enforce personal boundaries it can be a positive thing. However, anger is a very powerful emotion and can be difficult to control.

When anger leads us to behave in abusive, violent or negative ways it becomes destructive and dangerous. Rather than trying to suppress the anger, we need to learn how to manage it in a way that acknowledges the feeling while not harming anyone else.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism is a condition that affects how a person thinks, feels, interacts with others, and experiences their environment. It is a lifelong disability that starts when a person is born and stays with them into old age. Every Autistic person is different to every other. This is why autism is described as a ‘spectrum’.

The specific impacts of ASD on people are too varied to outline here. However, it can impact on how people perceives their environment cognitively, perceptually, sensorily, emotionally and behaviourally.

ADHD

A person with ADHD has differences in brain development and brain activity that affect attention, the ability to sit still, and self-control. ADHD can affect a people at school, at home, and in friendships.

People with ADHD can show signs in any or all these areas:

Inattentive: People who are inattentive (easily distracted) have trouble focusing their attention, concentrating, and staying on task. They may not listen well to directions, may miss important details, and may not finish what they start. They may daydream or dawdle too much. They may seem absent-minded or forgetful, and lose track of their things.
Hyperactive: People who are hyperactive are fidgety, restless, and easily bored. They may have trouble sitting still, or staying quiet when needed. They may rush through things and make careless mistakes. They may climb, jump, or roughhouse when they shouldn't. Without meaning to, they may act in ways that disrupt others.
Impulsive: People who are impulsive act too quickly before thinking. They often interrupt, might push or grab, and find it hard to wait. They may do things without asking for permission, take things that aren't theirs, or act in ways that are risky. They may have emotional reactions that seem too intense for the situation.