I interact with multiple individuals, including a few people that have psychological issues. Particularly, I know three people diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD), and one of them has a dual diagnosis of MDD and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Both concerns are associated with numerous misperceptions, including those stemming from misrepresentation in the media. For OCD, such misperceptions include reducing the condition to the constant desire to wash one’s hands and clean something. This attitude totally ignores the presence of much more severe obsessions, such as the fear of losing control over one’s body and hurting oneself. As for MDD, the main misperception is the tendency to equate depression to weakness and the unwillingness to focus on the bright side of life.
The problem that could be called the most widespread is a number of anxiety-related diagnoses. For instance, as per the American Psychiatric Association (2017), specific or simple phobias affect from 7% to 9% of the U.S. population every year, whereas social anxiety disorder is diagnosed in 7% of the population. Added to that are panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and separation anxiety disorder, each of which affects between 1% and 3% of the country’s population (APA, 2017). Thus, anxiety-related concerns are quite common in today’s society and diverse age cohorts.
From my perspective, mental health specialists’ role in treating psychological illnesses is multidimensional. Most importantly, it is reasonable to expect these professionals to demonstrate excellent case analysis skills and clinical expertise by writing comprehensive treatment plans that consider individual-level factors while also following all national standards. Aside from that, these specialists facilitate psychological improvement by offering emotional support and making clients feel safe and accepted with their concerns.
Finally, I am taking this course for two reasons, including personal knowledge improvement and further professional development. The course will definitely improve my understanding of pathological conditions and what contributes to their emergence. Next, as a part-time nanny, I will be able to implement new takeaways to spot children’s potential issues promptly. My own family is not an exception, and new knowledge will enable me to care for their psychological well-being and encourage them to have mental health assessments in case of concerns.
Reference
American Psychiatric Association. (2017). What are anxiety disorders? Web.