Misfits
Useful Information
Depression
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"Severe, prolonged, feelings of despondency and dejection"
Depression is a condition. It affects a person's thinking, behaviour, energy and feelings.
It can vary from mild to severe having varying impacts on the person's life.
There are many possible causes. It could be a traumatic event or the person could have an inherent tendancy towards depression.
Symptoms:
- Feeling sad, anxious or bored
- Low energy, feeling tired or fatigued
- Under- or over-sleeping, or waking frequently during the night
- Poor concentration, thinking slowed down
- Loss of interest in hobbies, family or social life
- Low self-esteem and feelings of guilt
- Aches and pains with no physical basis, e.g. chest/head/tummy pain associated with anxiety or stress
- Loss of interest in living, thinking about death, suicidal thoughts
Types of Depression
Mild/Moderate Depression Symptoms:
- Irritability
- Guilt
- Self criticism
- Varied sleep patterns
- Lack or energy
- Lack of interest
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Inability to concentrate
Severe Depression Symptoms:
- Not sleeping or over sleeping
- Chronic tiredness
- Lack of energy
- Weight gain/loss
- Suicidal feelings
- Inability to concentrate
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed
- Feelings of hopelessness
Bipolar Disorder Symptoms:
- Both depressive periods and periods of elation
- Feeling sad, anxious or bored
- Low energy, feeling tired or fatigued
- Under- or over-sleeping, or waking frequently during the night
- Poor concentration, thinking slowed down
- Loss of interest in hobbies, family or social life
- Low self-esteem and feelings of guilt
- Aches and pains with no physical basis, e.g. chest/head/tummy pain associated with anxiety or stress
- Loss of interest in living, thinking about death, suicidal thoughts
Stress
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"A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances"
Stress is a normal physical response to threatening or upsetting events.
Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. For many people, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life. Stress isn’t always bad. It can help people perform under pressure and motivate people to do their best. But when you’re constantly under stress, it can affect the mind and body.
Symptoms:
- Memory problems
- Inability to concentrate
- Poor judgment
- Seeing only the negative
- Anxious or racing thoughts
- Constant worrying
- Moodiness
- Irritability or short temper
- Agitation, inability to relax
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Sense of loneliness and isolation
- Depression or general unhappiness
- Aches and pains
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Nausea, dizziness
- Chest pain, rapid heartbeat
- Loss of sex drive
- Frequent colds
- Eating more or less
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Isolating yourself from others
- Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
- Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
- Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)
Causes of stress:
- Major life changes
- Work
- Relationship difficulties
- Financial problems
- Being too busy
- Children and family
- Inability to accept uncertainty
- Pessimism
- Negative self-talk
- Unrealistic expectations
- Perfectionism
- Lack of assertiveness
Anxiety
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"A feeling of nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome."
"A nervous disorder marked by excessive uneasiness and apprehension, typically with compulsive behaviour or panic attacks."
"Strong desire or concern to do something or for something to happen."
Everyone feels some anxiety at different times during their life. It becomes a problem if you feel so anxious that it interferes with your normal day-to-day activities.
Symptoms:
- Anxiety can affect both your physical health and your mental health.
- Irritability or constantly being in a bad mood.
- Worry or a constant feeling that something bad is about to happen.
- Requiring constant reassurance.
- Being very well-behaved, eg never get into trouble at school or with friends (though not necessarily at home)
- Getting upset when a mistake is made or if there is a change of routine.
- Being a loner.
- Being a perfectionist.
- Being argumentative (but not usually aggressive), especially when trying to avoid a feared situation.
- Being pessimistic and easily able to identify what may go wrong in any given situation.
- Not answering questions and rarely volunteering comments about personal events.
- Dry mouth and/or difficulty swallowing.
- Nightmares.
- Difficulty getting to and staying asleep
- Difficulty concentrating
- Muscle tension and headaches
- Rapid heart rate and breathing
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Diarrhea
- Flare-up of another health problem or illness.
- Sexual problems, such as not being having any sexual feelings or being interested in sex.
Social Anxiety
Social phobias often start in adolescence. They are centred around a fear of scrutiny by other people in comparatively small groups (as opposed to crowds) This can lead to avoidance of social situations. Social phobias are equally common in men and women.
Symptoms:
- Fear of eating in public
- Fear of public speaking
- Fear of encounters with people outside immediate family
- Avoiding eye to eye contact
- Fear of criticism
- Low self esteem
- Blushing
- Shaking
- Nausea
- Panic attacks
- Avoidance of social encounters resulting in complete isolation (in extreme cases)
Sexuality Top
"A person's sexual orientation or preference"
Coming out and realising your sexuality can be a difficult, isolating and confusing time.
The first stage is discovering your sexuality.
The second stage is accepting your own sexuality and feeling comfortable in your own mind about it.
The third stage is integration where you can integrate your sexuality into your social life, letting other people know about it, and having a relationship.
Realising your sexuality can happen at any age. Some people realise it in their teens but for some, they may have already had many heterosexual relationships or marriages.
Telling someone can often relieve people of the initial stress of their feelings.
The main types of Sexuality are:
- Gay
- Lesbian
- Bisexual
- Transgender
Homophobia is a fear or discrimination or gay, lesbian or bisexual people.
It can be a dislike or hatred for same sex relationships.
Bullying in this form is common for gay, lesbian and bisexual people. It can be very hurtful whether it is intentional or not.
Transphobia is similar to homophobia, but is directed at transgender people.
Racism
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"The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race ,
especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races."
In recent years immigration, and emigration have been come a lot more common.
Some people have difficulties adjusting to this change.
People have difficulty accepting people who are in any way different.
Because of this, newcomers to the country often experience some form of bullying or abuse.
It isn't unique to foreigners though, racial abuse is also frequently directed at
Irish minority ethnic groups such as the travelling community.
Bullying
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"Use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force them to do something"
Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can happen to people of any age in any environment.
It can be short or long term.
Although commonly associated with school children, it also occurs in college and the workplace.
Cyber bullying is also common where people are bullied via phones or online.
Bullying can have long term effects on people, sometimes leading to anxiety, isolation and depression.
Bullying often occurs when the bully is feeling insecure and are trying to be controlling.
Signs of Bullying:
- Fear of going to school
- Poor or deteriorating schoolwork, inability to concentrate
- Withdrawn behaviour
- Depression
- Loss of confidence
- Reluctance to go out
- Shortage of money
- Torn clothes, broken glasses, missing schoolbooks
- Repeated signs of bruising and injuries
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