Lesson video

Hello, my name is Miss Willow, and I'm going to be your teacher for today's lesson.

Today's lesson is called "Anxiety and OCD," and it fits into the unit: "What Are Common Types of Mental Health Conditions?" During this lesson, we are going to be talking about mental health issues, so for this lesson, we require you to have an adult with you.

If at any point you do feel worried or uncomfortable, it's important to stop the lesson and to speak to an adult that you trust.

Okay, let's make a start.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to describe what anxiety and OCD are, their common symptoms, and explain how to support someone and seek help.

Before we get started with today's lesson, we need to go over some ground rules.

These help to make sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable throughout today's lesson.

First of all, we have Laura.

Laura says that we need to listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should always listen properly before we make any assumptions or before we decide how to respond.

When we disagree with someone else, it's important to challenge the statement and not the person.

Next, we have Andeep.

Andeep says that we need to respect each other's privacy.

We can discuss examples, but we shouldn't use any names or any descriptions that could identify anyone, including ourselves.

If we want to share a story or an experience, we could choose to call someone "my friend." This means that we're not going to share any identifiable information.

Next, Izzy says that we should choose our level of participation.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in with discussion, but we should never put anyone on the spot.

And finally, Jacob says we need to not have any judgement.

We can explore any beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without fear of being judged.

We're now going to have a look at today's keywords.

First of all, we have "anxiety." This is a state of unease, worry, or nervousness about uncertain outcomes, often accompanied by physical sensations.

"Symptom." This is a physical or mental feature that indicates a condition or disease.

Next, we have "panic attack." This is a sudden and debilitating episode of fear and anxiety, often accompanied by physical symptoms, such as increased sweating and hyperventilating.

Next, we have "self-care." This is the practise of taking action to preserve or improve a person's own health.

And finally, we have "OCD." This stands for obsessive-compulsive disorder, a mental health condition that features obsessive thoughts and compulsions.

Today's lesson is split into two learning cycles.

Our first learning cycle is called: What do I need to know about anxiety? And our second learning cycle is called: What do I need to know about OCD? Let's make a start on our first learning cycle: What do I need to know about anxiety? What is anxiety? Dr.

Elsie says that most people experience anxiety in challenging situations.

It's a natural response to stress.

For example, an upcoming test might feel stressful, and in the days before the test, someone might experience anxiety.

However, for some people, these feelings can be persistent.

So this means that they continue, or they could be excessive, which means that they might not be in proportion, and this is when it might become more disruptive to everyday life.

Generalised anxiety disorder, often abbreviated to GAD, is when: someone experiences excessive worry about various aspects of their life.

This could be school, health, finance, friendships, or family.

The worry is difficult to control and feels overwhelming.

You felt considerable anxiety for six months or more.

Dr.

Elsie says that GAD is different from just feelings of stress.

It's a condition that can significantly impact daily life and needs professional support, for example, from a doctor or another healthcare professional.

People who experience GAD may benefit from therapy, counselling, or, in some cases, medication.

What happens to our bodies when we're anxious? Dr.

Elsie says that anxiety can cause lots of physical symptoms. These can include a racing heartbeat, nausea or being sick, sweating, feeling dizzy, or being restless.

Sometimes people may experience panic attacks, which are sudden, intense episodes of anxiety.

Symptoms for a panic attack include sudden onset of: a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling, feelings of losing control.

Dr.

Elsie says that if someone is experiencing this, they should make sure to tell someone so that they can support them in calming down and seeking help.

Doing some deep breathing exercises to lower the heart rate should also start to relieve these feelings, and getting fresh air can also help to calm breathing.

Grounding techniques can also help when someone is highly anxious or experiencing a panic attack by shifting their focus away from overwhelming feelings of anxiety.

Dr.

Elsie says try stamping your feet on the ground or use the five, four, three, two, one strategy.

This is when someone concentrates on finding five things that they can see, four things that they can touch, three things that they can hear, two things that they can smell, and one thing that they can taste.

How does anxiety affect someone's behaviour? Dr.

Elsie says that excessive anxiety can mean that someone might avoid situations that worry them, but this avoidance can make the anxiety worse over time.

It can also cause social anxiety, which is an intense fear of social situations, and this can significantly impact daily life and routines.

When anxiety becomes excessive, some people experience what we call catastrophic thinking.

This means focusing on the worst possible outcome, even when it's unlikely to happen.

This can make fear and anxiety even worse.

Dr.

Elsie says that if you start to experience catastrophic thinking, it's important to challenge these negative thoughts.

Ask yourself if they're realistic or helpful.

Try to replace them with more balanced or just more realistic thoughts, focusing on the potential positive outcomes and not just the potential negative ones.

Sharing worries with friends and trusted adults can also be helpful.

They can be supportive, and they can help you to put your concerns into perspective, which means that you are looking at these thoughts in a different way, and even the scenario too.

Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're doing.

Which of the following is not a common symptom of anxiety? Is it: A, a rapid heartbeat.

B, excessive sweating.

C, a sense of calm.

D, difficulty concentrating.

Pause the video.

Talk to the people around you or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that C is correct, a sense of calm is not a common symptom of anxiety.

Dr.

Elsie says that recognising symptoms in ourselves and in others is the first step to helping to manage and reduce these feelings.

Well done if you said the same thing.

Ms. Walsh says that if you're experiencing feelings of anxiety, the most important thing to do is to speak to someone about this.

This could be a parent or carer, a member of staff at your school, like a teacher or someone on the pastoral team, or a GP or a nurse.

Healthcare professionals will be able to recommend some strategies to help reduce feelings of anxiety or refer someone for additional support if needed, for example, counselling or therapy.

There are lots of coping strategies and self-care techniques that can help manage and reduce feelings of anxiety.

Learning to control breathing in moments of worry can help to regulate our heart rate and make us feel calmer.

Dr.

Elsie says that one technique is called the four-seven-eight method.

This is when you inhale for four seconds, so this means breathe in, hold your breath for seven seconds, and exhale, or breathe out, for eight seconds.

This helps to control and regulate our breathing and can help us to feel calm.

Other self-care strategies include taking part in fun physical activity that we enjoy.

This can release endorphins that improve our mood, reduce stress hormones, and improve our sleep and our social well-being.

All of these things can help us to look after ourselves and look after our mental well-being.

We can also use a mindfulness app.

So this can help to calm worries by learning to regulate thought patterns, and it can help us to be present in the moment, too.

Limiting caffeine and screen time, both of these can increase feelings of anxiety, as caffeine, that's in things like coffee, tea, and energy drinks, can increase our heart rate, and the blue light emitted from screens can disrupt our sleep pattern, leading to poorer mental health.

Establishing good sleep hygiene routine, such as reading before bed, not using a screen, or taking a warm shower, this can all help to relax our mind and improve our mental health.

Dr.

Elsie says that taking part in enjoyable or rewarding activities can help to reduce feelings of anxiety.

Gradually facing situations that make someone anxious, even though they feel challenging, can also help to reduce anxiety over time.

Taking part in activities that are physical, creative, or social can all help to decrease levels of anxiety.

Engaging with positive and enjoyable experiences is a good way of coping with these feelings.

Dr.

Elsie says that being involved with charities or volunteering is also great, as it can be fulfilling to help others and to help us to make connections with other people.

All of these can boost our mental health.

Let's do a check for understanding.

I'd like you to decide if this sentence is true or false: "Everyone experiences anxiety.

There's nothing you can do to help this." What do you think? Is this true or false? Pause the video.

Talk to the people around you or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is false.

But why? You might have said something like, most people will experience some anxiety in their lives, but we can cope by using a range of self-care strategies.

However, for some people, anxiety may be more significant, and if this is the case, therapy and medication can help to improve these symptoms, and they should definitely seek support.

Well done if you said this or something similar.

We're now moving on to our first practise task.

Jacob has been feeling nervous about his upcoming exams. His heart races, his palms sweat, and he sometimes feels like he can't breathe.

Last week, he had to leave class because he just felt so overwhelmed.

I'd like you to decide what might Jacob be experiencing? What could he do in the moment, and who could he speak to? Pause the video, and we'll go through some potential answers in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

You might have said that Jacob is experiencing symptoms of anxiety or possibly a panic attack.

In the moment, Jacob could let someone know so that they can get some help, and he could focus on his breathing by using the five, four, three, two, one strategy.

He could also leave the room briefly to get fresh air or to take a break.

Jacob could speak to a teacher or a member of the pastoral team at school.

He could also seek support from parents or carers, or ask for support from a doctor or another mental health professional if his symptoms continue.

Well done if your answers were anything like this.

We're now moving on to our second learning cycle, and well done for your hard work so far.

The next learning cycle is called: "What do I need to know about OCD?" Obsessive-compulsive disorder, often called OCD, is a mental health condition.

People with OCD will experience repetitive, intrusive thoughts, which are called obsessions, and they feel the need to perform rituals or certain actions, which are called compulsions, to reduce the anxiety that's caused by these obsessive thoughts.

Dr.

Elsie says that some people might like things a certain way.

However, this isn't the same as OCD.

A person with OCD has no control over the negative, intrusive, or distressing thoughts that lead them to compulsive behaviours.

These unwanted thoughts or images pop into the person's mind involuntarily.

Can anyone develop OCD? Most people will experience intrusive thoughts at a certain time.

However, OCD is a relatively common mental health condition where these thoughts persist and impact someone's daily life, and it can affect anyone of any age.

The term "being a bit OCD" is sometimes used incorrectly to describe someone who's tidy or who likes things to be a certain way, but it's important to remember that OCD is more significant than this.

It can compel people to behave in certain ways, even though that they themselves may be able to recognise that their actions are irrational.

They may feel unable to stop these behaviours without support.

OCD can operate in a cycle.

So, someone may experience an intrusive thought or an obsession, and they could attach meaning to it.

This can cause distress, guilt, or anxiety.

These feelings can create a compulsion.

So, this is a need to say or do something to feel better.

Although this provides a temporary relief, it reinforces the behaviour, and it can become repetitive, and this starts the cycle all over again.

People who experience OCD may have different fears and obsessions.

These can present in lots of different ways, but they can often have the same impact, such as being time-consuming, emotionally exhausting and draining, socially isolating, disruptive to daily life, such as work or school, and it can put a strain on relationships with friends and family.

Some of the most common obsessions and compulsions can include the obsession of fear of germs or contamination.

A compulsion from this could be excessive handwashing or cleaning.

For the obsession that someone's worried that something bad is gonna happen, that could have a compulsion to repeatedly check something, for example, that locks are locked, switches are off, and the ovens are off.

They can want things to be just right or in a particular order or arrangement, and the compulsion for this could be arranging, tapping, or repeating actions until they just feel right.

An obsession could also be doubts about whether a task was done correctly, for example, homework, and a compulsion from this could be repeating the task multiple times, even if it was already done.

Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're doing.

Which of these statements is correct? A, people with OCD are just really tidy.

B, OCD can involve unwanted, intrusive thoughts.

C, OCD is a rare mental health condition.

Or D, everyone with OCD washes their hands a lot.

Which of these statements is correct? Pause the video, talk to the people near you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that B is correct, it is correct that OCD can involve unwanted intrusive thoughts.

Dr.

Elsie says that if you experience thoughts and compulsions that sound like OCD, or you're just not sure, it's important to speak to your GP, as they can help to create a support plan for you.

There are a range of self-care strategies that people can use to manage these symptoms. These include: to learn about OCD to better understand their own thoughts and behaviours better; to practise mindfulness and relaxation techniques like deep breathing to reduce anxiety; to talking to someone that they trust, like a friend, family member, or someone at school, about how they feel; and it's important as well to set small and achievable goals to face fears step by step.

It's also important to establish a healthy routine that includes a balanced diet, regular exercise, and consistent sleep patterns.

All of these can help to improve our mental health overall.

Some people like to keep a journal to track their obsessions and compulsions, to help notice any patterns or any triggers.

These are things that may cause the thought pattern to begin in the first place.

Dr.

Elsie says that OCD is a treatable condition with the correct support.

It's important to seek professional, expert advice to make sure that you're getting the right help and treatment.

Therapy can help to change someone's thought patterns.

You can either self-refer or you can be referred by your GP for specialist support with the NHS for your mental health.

Let's do another check for understanding.

I'd like you to rewrite the sentence to correct the advice: "To manage OCD, it's best to avoid facing your fears and keep your worries to yourself." Can you rewrite the sentence so that it's correct? Pause the video, and we'll go through a model answer in a few minutes.

Your rewritten sentence might say something like: "To manage OCD, it's best to set small, achievable targets to slowly face your fears and to talk to someone about your worries." Well done if your sentence was anything like this.

For our final practise task, I'd like you to write a short and reflective paragraph in response to the question: What advice might a GP give to someone who has learned that they have OCD? I'd like you to include an understanding of how OCD can impact someone's life, what self-care strategies you could recommend, and who they could speak to.

Pause the video, and we'll go through what you might have said in a few minutes.

Okay.

Your response may have looked a bit like this: OCD could deeply affect someone's life by causing distressing thoughts and repetitive behaviours.

To help manage OCD, self-care strategies can be useful, such as deep breathing, mindfulness, and keeping a journal.

Maintaining good sleep, exercise, and a healthy diet also support well-being.

It's important that anyone suffering with OCD talks to someone that they trust, such as a parent, a carer, a teacher, or a pastoral member of staff.

As a GP, I can also help you to access specialist support.

Well done if your answer was anything like this.

We are now going to summarise the key learning from today's lesson.

In today's lesson, we've learned that many people experience anxiety during stressful times, but when these feelings become intense, persistent, which means ongoing, or they start to affect someone's daily life, it may be a sign of a more serious mental health condition.

Symptoms of anxiety can impact physical health, social relationships, and emotional well-being, and may include someone having panic attacks.

Managing anxiety often involves self-care and support from trusted adults, friends, and professionals.

Everyone can have obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviours occasionally, but for those with OCD, these can cause significant distress and disrupt lives.

OCD can be managed through self-care and support from professionals.

During this lesson, you might have found that you've got some worries or some questions, and if you do, it's important that you share these with an adult that you trust.

There's also some resources on the screen too that are there to help you.

Well done for your hard work today.

I hope to see you in another lesson soon.