Self Diagnostic Tests The following links are provided to help you understand yourself better. They are NOT intended to substitute for competent professional help, but may help you in your decision making about whether or not you might benefit from seeking a consultation with a Mental Health Professional.
Depression Checklist Depression is the “common cold” of Psychology.
Approximately 6% of women and 3% of men in the U.S. suffer from depression that is severe enough to require some form of therapeutic intervention. Depression CAN occur in children, and roughly 1 out of every 30 school age children, i.e, one child in each classroom in a typical N.Y.C. elementary school may suffer from a diagnosable depression. Adolescents can, and do, suffer from depression and by the time they reach middle teen years their rates of depression are close to those of adults.
Anxiety Checklist Anxiety Disorders come in a variety of formas including: Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic (with and with out Agoraphobia), Specific Phobias such as fear of flying or claustrophobia, Social Phobia/ Performance Anxiety (see below), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. While each anxiety disorder has specific and unique features they all have three components in common: visceral, cognitive, and behavioral.
The visceral component includes rapid heart beat, rapid shallow breathing, dry mouth, moist palms, increase in body sweat, muscle tension or tremor, and increased need to urinate.
The cognitive component includes pervasive sense of dread, or doom and a belief that something is at risk, or that they will be "undone" by the situation.. The individual further believes that he/she is incapable of coping with, or learning to cope with the risky situation.
Behaviorally the individual attempts to avoid, postpone or circumvent any opportunities to experience that risky situation.
What are some of the common symptoms of anxiety?Click Here!
To read Dr. Mitch's article on PTSD Trauma & Recovery at Gift From Within - Click Here!
Performance Anxiety/Social Anxiety Checklist According to the "Book of Lists" the number one fear in the U.S. is fear of public speaking , (fear of dying was #6). Approximately 20% of the general population experience some form of social phobia/performance anxiety, but only about 2% suffer from it to such an extent that they are immobilized by their anxiety or actively avoid those social/performance situations which they associate with their anxiety.
To find out the most common symptoms of Performance Anxiety/Social Anxiety Click Here.
