In this one day 2 hour class, students will learn about the different types of anxiety disorders. how to recognize the differences, and potential causes. General anxiety that does not meet the criteria for a mental health diagnosis will be defined and coping strategies will be discussed for dealing with reduction of anxiety. This can include topics such as relaxation techniques, recognition of cognitive distortions and recognition of health strategies such as sleep, healthy eating and healthy relationships. A lot of information will be presented but it will be interactive so that the students can share if they would like to. 

Agenda:
Hour #1: Definition of anxiety; recognizing physiological and psychological symptoms of anxiety. The process of diagnosing using the DSM-V.

Common anxiety disorders that will be discussed include:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): a continuous, intense feeling of general anxiety that can often lead to developing pessimistic predictions about the future, despite a lack of evidence.
Social Anxiety Disorder: occurs when someone is fearful of being judged in social and professional situations. It often inhibits them from socializing, dating, and traveling.
Panic Disorder/Panic Attacks: if an individual suffers from intense and unpredictable panic attacks, this disorder refers to the anxiety they feel towards experiencing them in the future.
Specific Phobias: inhibits people from approaching certain places, situations, objects, and even types of people, like clowns, even when there is no danger. It doesn’t necessarily stem from past trauma.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): when an individual feels the urge to excessively repeat uncontrollable recurring thoughts and behaviors. Some report feeling disgust rather than anxiety.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): involves suffering from extreme stress and fight-or-flight responses triggered by some stimuli, despite there being no stressor.

Hour #2: Recognition of cognitive distortions that can contribute to the development and maintenance of anxiety in an individual. Individual identification of anxiety level and present sources of stress.
Coping strategies presented such as the importance of healthy behaviors such as sleep and nutrition, relaxation techniques and positive thinking. 

This will be a lecture format with a powerpoint presentation created by the teacher and hand-outs for the learners. 
Learners can expect to be able to recognize anxiety and have ways to help reduce that anxiety. They also will have a basic familiarity with the potential symptoms of the class of Anxiety Disorders.  

*This is not a counseling class. It is a 2 hour informational class to help learners to identify symptoms of anxiety and some tools to help to reduce it.