Patient resources

Topic

All 64 resources

Diagnosis overviews 11

One page on each diagnosis, in plain language, for clinicians to hand out. Pick a diagnosis in the Guide Builder and its overview opens the guide.

Depression What it is and what helps. A one-page overview: what the diagnosis means and what to start doing this week. Library Bipolar disorder What it is and what helps. A one-page overview of a mood condition that cycles, and why sleep and rhythm matter so much. Library Anxiety Generalized anxiety and worry. A one-page overview of why the alarm system goes off too easily and how to train it to settle. Library Panic attacks Panic disorder. A one-page overview: a panic attack is a false alarm, and panic disorder is the fear of the next one. Library Social anxiety What it is and what helps. A one-page overview of the fear of being judged and how to retrain it by going, staying and looking outward. Library OCD What it is and what helps. A one-page overview of why fighting the thought makes it stronger, and what to do instead. Library PTSD Trauma and what helps. A one-page overview of why a stuck fear system keeps the past in the present, and how treatment moves it along. Library ADHD What it is and what helps. A one-page overview of why a capable brain struggles with dull tasks, and the systems that make daily life easier. Library Insomnia Why you can't sleep and what works. A one-page overview: sleep is a drive you can build and an alarm you can quiet. Library Schizophrenia For patients and families. A one-page overview of what it is, what helps, and how families can stay allies. Library Borderline personality What it is and what helps. A one-page overview of a diagnosis that is not an identity, and one that many people recover from. Library

Skill sheets 37

One page each, with a picture, steps and phrases to try. Hand one over, or add it to a custom guide in the Patient Guide Builder.

Anxiety and worry 9

Riding out a panic attack Why a panic attack is a false alarm, two ways through one (ride the wave or calm your body), and when to get checked. Library Floating through panic A calm-body method for panic: stop fighting the surge, loosen your hold and let it pass, with a get-it-checked note. Library Scheduled worry time Worry on paper at one set time a day and park worries the rest of the day, with a day timeline and how to start. Library Breaking the health anxiety cycle The cycle, five habits that feed it with what to try instead, and a plan for the week. Library Catastrophizing How a worry snowballs, why it backfires, and three ways to replace it, with before-and-after examples. Library Four kinds of overthinking Worry, intrusive thoughts, overplanning and rumination on a timeline, each with its own skill. Library What is in my control? Sort a problem into what you control, what you influence and what is out of your hands, and put your energy in the right place. Library The fear ladder Build a ladder of small steps, rate each from 0 to 10 and climb with repetition: six steps and the rules that make it work. Library Resisting a compulsion A way to stand down compulsions and mental rituals in OCD without giving in, and when to bring in a therapist trained in ERP. Library

Thoughts and mood 10

Ten thinking traps Ten common thinking traps, what each sounds like and a more balanced thought, plus four steps to change a thought. Library Unhooking from thoughts Why fighting a thought makes it louder, a notice-acknowledge-return move, phrases to try, leaves on a stream and the bus driver. Library Act first, feel later The two loops of low mood, how to start with small planned actions, and what to do when you feel frozen. Library Small habits that feed low mood Twelve everyday reactions that can keep depression going, each with a tiny swap, plus daily anchors. Library Good enough is perfect Why dishes, laundry and showers are not tests of character, with good-enough shortcuts for each and a way to get unstuck. Library Stop the replay Spot rumination, label it, schedule time for real problems, step out of the me loop and switch to something that takes your attention. Library Radical acceptance: the short version Accepting the facts of a painful situation without approving it or giving up: what to accept, what not to, and six steps to practice. Library Shame vs. guilt A two-road picture, why shame is avoidance in disguise, and three steps to let go of it. Library Self-compassion Spot the double standard, three steps in the moment, and a letter-to-a-friend practice. Library Name it, allow it Two skills for hard feelings, a two-lane picture of clean and dirty pain, a word bank and a month-long practice. Library

Calming the body and the moment 6

Grounding Five-senses prompts, a one-minute reset, a posture trick, a safe place and a small sensory kit for anxiety, panic and numbness. Library Slow breathing Belly breathing, a longer out-breath and square breathing, plus what to do if breathing exercises make you more anxious. Library Muscle relaxation A ten-step body routine from feet to face, with a body map, that lowers stress and teaches you to spot tension early. Library Your window of tolerance A three-zone picture of stress, what helps when you are above or below your window, and what makes it wider. Library Calming a crisis: TIPP Temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing and muscle relaxation for when feelings are too big to think through, with safety notes. Library When feelings push you the wrong way Two DBT skills: act opposite to an urge that feeds the feeling, and stop, step back, observe and plan before you react. Library

Getting started, habits and urges 4

The wall of awful The invisible emotional wall in front of simple tasks, five ways people try to get past it, and how to climb it with doors and handholds. Library Body doubling Have someone quietly nearby, in person or online, to help you start and finish tasks, with a way to ask and a plan. Library Ride the wave Treat a craving or urge as a wave that rises, peaks and falls: six steps, a small food practice and an urge log. Library Break a habit you cannot stop Swap in a competing response for picking, pulling, biting, face touching and tics, with ideas for each and a habit plan. Library

Bipolar disorder 1

Know your early warning signs The early signs of mania, what to do when you see them, and a worksheet and sleep and mood log to fill in with your prescriber. Library

Sleep, trauma and grief 3

Retrain your brain to sleep The 15-minute rule, daytime and bedtime habits, and what to do when your mind will not shut off. Library Taming nightmares Imagery rehearsal step by step, when to work with a therapist, and other causes of nightmares to check. Library Working through grief A pendulum picture, signs grief is being pushed down, and three skills for facing it in small doses. Library

Relationships and families 4

Setting boundaries Kind and firm together, a demand versus a boundary, and a ladder from gentle to firm. Library Speaking up Passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive and assertive styles with a pizza-or-sushi example and phrases to try. Library Supporting someone who is struggling Six ways to stay connected without a big talk, how to be a safe person, and what to do if they talk about self-harm. Library When someone you love is depressed What to say and not say, how to offer help and check in, and what to do if they talk about suicide. Library

Reading guides 12

Longer plain-language pages on one problem each, with tools to try and a short video where noted.

Principles of Handling Anxiety What anxiety is, why it keeps coming back, how to face fears in small steps, and simple tools for worry, anxious thoughts, and a tense body. Guide Panic Attacks What a panic attack is, why it feels so scary, what to do while one is happening, and how to stop fearing the next one. Guide Social Anxiety Why the fear of being judged keeps coming back, and simple tools for getting out of your head around other people. Guide Health Anxiety How checking and searching keep health worries going, and a plan for cutting back while still getting good medical care. Guide Anxiety as a Habit Why worry feels like it helps, how it keeps anxiety going, and four steps for when you catch yourself worrying. Guide Sleep Control for Mood Disorders Using regular sleep and wake times, morning light, and dark evenings to keep mood steady, with the specific lamps, glasses, and dawn simulators we recommend. Guide Behavioral Activation How to get going when depression has flattened your motivation, by doing things first and letting mood catch up. In two parts. Guide Radical Acceptance A DBT skill for situations you can't change and can't stand, in four steps that take about ninety seconds. Guide Understanding Intrusive Thoughts in OCD Why OCD latches onto the thoughts you find most horrifying, and why arguing with them makes them stronger. Guide Insomnia Basics The gas-and-brake model of sleep, and the three CBT-I tools that outperform sleeping pills in head-to-head trials. Guide ADHD: The Top 10 Tools A psychiatrist's shortlist of ten practical tools, starting with one calendar and one task list. Includes a video walkthrough. Guide AVRT: The Addictive Voice Learn to recognize the thoughts that argue for using as the addictive voice, and stop debating them. Guide

Courses 2

Two full self-paced courses, free.

Understanding BPD Symptoms, course, treatment, and recovery in plain language. Self-paced. Course Mood Disorders with Dr. Jim Phelps Complex depression, mixed states, and the bipolar spectrum. Six modules, with video. Course

Screeners 2

Short checklists to fill out and bring to a visit.

HCL-32 Hypomania Checklist A one-page inventory of hypomanic symptoms to fill out and bring to your visit. Screener Modified Rapid Mood Screener Six questions that place a depression on the bipolar spectrum, scored as a probability, not a cutoff. Screener

Educational content only. These resources are for education. They are not medical advice and not a substitute for clinical judgment, current guidelines, or individualized patient care.