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E.TARIFE
THERAPEUTICS, LLC
Ellery Tarife

ANXIETY

The presence of excessive anxiety and worry about a variety of topics, events, or activities. Worry occurs more often than not for at least six months and is clearly excessive. The worry is experienced as very challenging to control. The worry in both adults and children may easily shift from one topic to another. The anxiety and worry are accompanied by at least three of the following physical or cognitive symptoms (In children, only one of these symptoms is necessary for a diagnosis of GAD):
‣Edginess or restlessness
‣Tiring easily; more fatigued than usual
‣Impaired concentration or feeling as though the mind goes blank
‣Irritability
‣Increased muscle aches or soreness
‣Difficulty sleeping (due to trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, restlessness at night, or unsatisfying sleep)

DEPRESSION

Depression (major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. To be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must be present for at least two weeks.
‣Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day.
‣Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day.
‣Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day.
‣A slowing down of thought and a reduction of physical movement (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down).
‣Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
‣Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day.
‣Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day.
‣Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.

MOOD DISORDER

Bipolar I
Characterized by episodes of mania that last at least seven days and may require hospitalization. Depressive episodes that follow can last up to two weeks. If these symptoms happen simultaneously, it’s called a mixed episode.
Bipolar II
Defined by a pattern of depressive and hypomanic episodes. Hypomania is a mood elevation that increases energy, agitation, and pressured speech. The mania is not as intense as bipolar I, but the depressive episodes are severe and may last longer.

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE

Obsessions are repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images that cause anxiety in an individual. Some of the more common themes of obsessions include:
Obsessions are repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images that cause anxiety in an individual. Some of the more common themes of obsessions include:
‣Fear of germs
‣The need to have things in perfect, symmetrical order
‣Taboo thoughts or other unwanted thoughts are things such as sex, religion, or harm
‣Aggressive thoughts toward yourself or toward others
Some of the more common obsession signs and symptoms include:
‣Fear of being contaminated with germs or dirt by shaking hands with another person or touching objects that are not yours
‣Feeling intensely stressed out when certain belonging are not facing in the same direction (need for order and symmetry)
‣Avoiding situations that could cause obsessive thoughts (e.g., avoiding shaking another person’s hand for fear of getting germs or dirt on your own hands)
‣Constant doubt that you locked the door to your house/car and/or turned your stove off
‣Thoughts about horrifically hurting yourself or hurting others
‣Obsessive thoughts about shouting inappropriate things or obscenities
‣Feeling stressed out when you replay unwanted sexual images in your head repeatedly
‣Fear of being embarrassed
‣Excessive doubt and need for reassurance
Compulsions are the direct result of obsessions. When you suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder, your obsessive thoughts lead to repetitive behaviors (compulsions) you feel are necessary to perform. You perform these behaviors to reduce the anxiety produced from obsessive thoughts and to prevent something bad from happening. If you are coping with obsessive-compulsive disorder, you likely know that these compulsions only provide temporary relief and bring no pleasure.
Common themes surrounding compulsions include:
‣Counting
‣Checking
‣Washing/cleaning
‣Maintaining strict routines
‣Orderliness
‣Need for reassurance
Common compulsion signs and symptoms include:
‣Excessive hand washing, often causing your hands to become raw and sometimes bleed
‣Patterned counting behaviors
‣Repeated checking that the stove is turned off
‣Repeated checking of door locks
‣Refusing to shake hands or touch door knobs
‣Eating foods in a specific order and/or not allowing foods to touch
‣Collecting or hoarding items
‣Repeating a prayer or phrase to yourself
‣Ordering and arranging things in a precise, symmetrical way
If you are suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, your symptoms may come and go over time and also vary in intensity.

ADDICTION

Addiction is a biopsychosocial disorder characterized by repeated use of drugs, or repetitive engagement in a behavior such as gambling, despite harm to self and others. According to the "brain disease model of addiction," while a number of psychosocial factors contribute to the development and maintenance of addiction, a biological process that is induced by repeated exposure to an addictive stimulus is the core pathology that drives the development and maintenance of an addiction. Many scholars who study addiction argue that the brain disease model is incomplete and misleading.

PTSD

Symptoms of PTSD are often grouped into types. These types include: avoidance, intrusive memories, changes in emotional reactions, and negative changes in thinking and mood. The most common symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder include flashbacks, jumpiness (literally “jumping out of one’s skin”), emotional detachment. These symptoms can come and go and vary in intensity. We outline the four types below:
Avoidance Symptoms
‣Fear of germs
‣Avoiding talking about or thinking about the traumatic event
‣Avoiding places, activities, or people that remind you of the traumatic event
Intrusive Memories
‣Flashbacks – reliving the event as if it were happening all over again
‣Upsetting dreams/nightmares about the traumatic event
‣Recurrent memories of the traumatic event – even when you are trying not to think about them – as if they won’t “leave your mind”
‣Experiencing severe emotional distress or physical reactions to things that remind you of the traumatic event
Changes in Emotional Reactions
‣Overwhelming guilt or shame
‣Jumpiness – being easily startled or frightened – jumping out of your skin
‣Sleep disturbances
‣Difficulty concentrating
‣Always in “defense” mode – on guard for danger
‣Irritability
‣Angry outburst
‣Aggressive behavior
‣Self-destructive behavior (e.g., reckless driving, substance abuse)
Negative Changes in Thinking and Mood
‣Feeling negatively about yourself and others
‣Lack of interest in activities you once found enjoyment in
‣Difficulty maintaining relationships with others
‣Memory problems – not being able to remember parts of the traumatic event
‣Feelings of hopelessness for the future (e.g., marriage, career, living a normal life span)
‣Emotional numbness – feeling detached from others
‣Inability to experience positive emotions