Stepping Out Blog

Overview:

Anxious/Avoidant Personality Disorder is a condition characterized by extreme shyness, feelings of inadequacy, and extreme sensitivity to rejection. These individuals feel themselves to be inferior to others. This disorder is only diagnosed when these behaviours become persistent and very disabling and/or distressing. This diagnosis should be used with great caution in children and adolescents for whom shy and avoidant behaviour may be appropriate. An example of this would be a new immigrant.

The symptoms:

– They tend to live alone
– Contact with family and friends can be enjoyable, but only for a short period of time
(minute or hours) and anxiety can be aroused at any moment.
– They avoid contact with strangers. They are extremely kind when such contact
occurs and they do everything possible to make sure that such contact is brief.
– They develop at least one phobia (for animals or objects) whose origin is connected
with the earlier appearance of anxiety attacks in social situations. The animal or
object connected with such situations unleashes the anxiety and this assumes phobic
characteristics.
– They are aware that they have abdicated certain experiences in life in order to avoid
suffering.
– They often fantasize about the situations they avoid and yet would like to experience – in their fantasies they exclude the anxiety-provoking stimuli.
– They can be professionally successful, but they could be even more successful if
they did not turn their backs on opportunities.

What causes Avoidant Personality Disorder?

The cause of avoidant personality disorder are not clearly defined. They may be influenced by a combination of social, genetic, and biological factors. Avoidant personality traits typically appear in childhood, with signs of excessive shyness and fear when the child confronts new people, situations and environments. These characteristics are also developmentally appropriate emotions for children, however, and do not necessarily mean that a pattern of avoidant personality disorder will continue into adulthood.

Many of those diagnosed with Avoidant Personality Disorder have had painful early experiences of chronic parental criticism and rejection. The need to bond with the rejecting parents makes the avoidant person hungry for relationships but their longing gradually develops into a defensive shell of self-protection against repeated criticisms or rejections. Ridicule or rejection by peers further reinforces the person’s pattern of social withdrawal and contributes to their fear of social contact.

Is there a cure?

The indicated treatment is psychotherapy. However, difficulties often arise, such as the sufferer being unmotivated and unwilling to change.

How Stepping Out can help:

Stepping Out have the facilities and staff to care for anybody suffering with Avoidant Personality Disorder. Our staff are both experienced and qualified to handle such cases. Stepping Out are able to provide home care, helping with daily tasks which a sufferer may find difficult. Avoidant Personality Disorder can sometimes be accompanied by other conditions and Stepping Out are aware of, and prepared to deal with such instances.
In extreme cases where the sufferer needs full-time support, Stepping Out provide their own 24-hour staffed housing accommodation, which are primarily based in north London and Hertfordshire.

Overview:
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common childhood-onset behavioural disorder. Although the disorder is mainly associated with children, adults are just as likely to suffer from it.

Those affected have a greatly reduced ability to maintain attention without being distracted, to control what they’re doing or saying (because of impulsivity) and to control the amount of physical activity appropriate to the situation (that is, they’re restless and fidgety).

ADHD is also called attention deficit disorder (ADD) or hyperactivity. The disorder shouldn’t be confused with normal, boisterous childhood behaviour.

The symptoms:

Symptoms include excessively, consistently and involuntarily having difficulty:

• Remaining seated when required
• Waiting turn in group situations
• Following instructions
• Playing quietly

Other common symptoms include:

• Shifting from one incomplete activity to another
• Interrupting others
• Engaging in physically dangerous activities without considering the consequences

What causes ADHD?

The cause of ADHD has not yet been fully explained. One theory is that it may be due, in part, to an imbalance of neurotransmitters (chemicals that transmit nerves signals in the brain).

Is there a cure?

It is still unclear as to why children develop ADHD, thus it’s difficult to prevent and/or treat. There’s also no simple screening test to identify those people carrying genes that might increase the chances of ADHD.

Although there is no cure, early diagnosis and appropriate help at home can make a big difference. Therapy and counselling have been known to help significantly.

How Stepping Out can help:

Stepping Out have the facilities and staff to care for anybody suffering with ADHD. Our staff are both experienced and qualified to handle such cases. Stepping Out are able to provide home care, helping with daily tasks which an ADHD sufferer may find difficult. ADHD can sometimes be accompanied by other conditions and Stepping Out are aware of, and prepared to deal with instances.
In extreme cases where the sufferer needs full-time support, Stepping Out provide their own 24-hour staffed housing accommodation, which are primarily based in north London and Hertfordshire.

Overview:

Asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism, which is a lifelong disability that affects how a person interprets the world, processes information and relates socially and emotionally to other people.
Asperger’s syndrome is mostly a ‘hidden disability’. This means that you can’t always tell that someone has the condition from their outward appearance. Irregularities are usually most obvious when in a social environment.

The symptoms:

The three main symptoms can be classified as:

* Social communication difficulty
* Social interaction difficulty
* Lack of social imagination

While there are similarities with autism, people with Asperger’s syndrome have fewer problems with speaking and are often of average, or above average intelligence. They do not usually have the accompanying learning disabilities associated with autism, but they may have specific learning difficulties.

With the right support and encouragement, people with Asperger’s syndrome can lead full and independent lives.
Although symptoms can vary from person to person, generally they find it difficult to express themselves emotionally and socially. For example, they may have:

*  Difficulty understanding gestures, facial expressions or tone of voice
*  Difficulty knowing when to start or end a conversation and choosing topics
to talk about
* May use complex words and phrases but may not fully understand what they
mean
* May be very literal in what they say and can have difficulty understanding jokes,
metaphors and sarcasm. For example, a person with Asperger’s syndrome may be
confused by the phrase, ‘That’s cool’ when people use it to say something is good.

Many people with Asperger’s syndrome actually want to be sociable but have difficulty with initiating and sustaining social relationships, both long and short term. This can make them very anxious. The syndrome itself does not necessarily make the sufferer want to become anti-social, it just impedes their social abilities. People with the condition may:

* Struggle to make and/or maintain friendships and relationships
* Have trouble understanding the unwritten ‘social rules’ that most of us pick up
without noticing. For example, they may stand too close to another person during
conversation, or start an inappropriate conversations
* Find other people unpredictable and confusing
* Become withdrawn and seem uninterested in other people
* Behave in a socially inappropriate manner

People with Asperger’s syndrome can be imaginative in the conventional use of the word. For example, many are accomplished writers, artists and musicians. But people with Asperger’s syndrome can have difficulty with social imagination. This can include:

* imagining hypothetical or alternative outcomes to situations and finding it hard to
predict what will happen next in any social environment
* understanding, predicting or interpreting other peoples thoughts, feelings or
actions. The subtle messages that are put across by facial expression and body
language are often missed or misunderstood

People with Asperger’s syndrome may develop an intense, and sometimes obsessive interest in a hobby or collection. Sometimes these interests are lifelong; in other cases, one interest is replaced by an unconnected interest over time. For example, a person with Asperger’s syndrome may focus on learning all there is to know about trains or computers. Some are exceptionally knowledgeable in their chosen field of interest. Or, they may go through phases of a series of interests throughout their lives.

What causes Asperger’s syndrome?

The exact cause of Asperger’s syndrome is still being investigated. However, research suggests that a combination of factors – genetic and environmental – may account for changes in brain development.

Asperger’s syndrome is not caused by a person’s upbringing, their social circumstances and is not the fault of the individual with the condition.

Is there a cure?

There is currently no cure and no specific treatment for Asperger syndrome. Children with Aspergers syndrome become adults with Asperger syndrome. However, as our understanding of the condition improves and services continue to develop, people with Aspergers syndrome have more opportunity than ever of reaching their full potential.

There are many approaches, therapies and interventions, which can improve an individual’s quality of life. These may include communication-based interventions, behavioural therapy and dietary changes. Information about many of these can be found at: www.autism.org.uk/approaches
Diagnosis

Because Aspergers syndrome varies widely from person to person, making a diagnosis can be difficult. It is often diagnosed later in children than autism and sometimes difficulties may not be recognised and diagnosed until adulthood.

How Stepping Out can help:

Stepping Out have the facilities and staff to care for anybody suffering with Asperger’s syndrome. Our staff are both experienced and qualified to handle such cases. Stepping Out are able to provide home care, helping with daily tasks which an Asperger’s sufferer may find difficult.
Or, in extreme cases where the sufferer needs full-time support, Stepping Out provide their own 24-hour staffed housing accommodation, which are primarily based in north London and Hertfordshire.

Overview:

Alzheimer’s is a brain disease that causes memory loss, makes thinking more challenging and  causes other problems concerning behaviour. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. Alzheimer’s currently affects around 465,000 people in the UK alone.

The symptoms:

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 50 to 70 percent of dementia cases.

The most common symptoms are:

– General confusion, and frequently forgetting the names of people, places, appointments and recent events.

– Mood swings. They may feel sad or angry. They may feel scared and frustrated by their increasing memory loss.

– Become more withdrawn, due either to a loss of confidence or to communication problems.

Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, where symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, and may even go un-noticed. But with later-stage Alzheimer’s, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. Life long family members can become strangers to somebody suffering from late-stage Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Those with Alzheimer’s live an average of eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others, but survival can range from three to 20 years, depending on age and other health conditions.
However, Alzheimer’s isn’t confined to those in their old age. Up to 5% of sufferers have what is called early-onset Alzheimer’s (also known as younger-onset). This can effect people as young as 40.

What causes Alzheimer’s?

Scientists are still trying to fully understand the causes of the disease. However, we do know that Plaques and Triangles are responsible in some way.
Plaques and Triangles are names given to build ups of protein in the brain. Plaque build up happens between brain nerve cells, whereas Triangles build up inside the nerve itself.

Scientists are still studying how plaques and tangles are related to Alzheimer’s disease. One theory is that they block nerve cells’ ability to communicate with each other, making it difficult for the cells to survive.
Autopsies have shown that most people develop some plaques and tangles as they age, but people with Alzheimer’s develop far more than those who do not develop the disease. Scientists still don’t know why some people develop so many compared to others. However, several risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease have been uncovered.

Is there a cure?

Despite Alzheimer’s having no current cure, treatments for symptoms are available and deep research continues. In fact, over 90% of what we know about Alzheimer’s today has been discovered over the last 15 years, an indication of the focus given to the disease. Although current Alzheimer treatments cannot stop Alzheimer’s from progressing, they can temporarily slow the worsening of symptoms and improve quality of life for those with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. Today, there is a worldwide effort being taken to prevent, delay and eventually eradicate Alzheimer’s from the lives of those who suffer from it.