Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Trauma-Related Disorders - Memory Anchors
Memory techniques transform dry psychiatric nursing facts into vivid mental images and stories that your brain naturally wants to hold onto. Instead of rereading the same bullet points before the NLE, you will have colorful mental hooks — acronyms, analogies, and mini-stories — that fire automatically the moment you see a question stem. Every anchor in this set was built around a key NLE test point for anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and related disorders. Use them actively: read each anchor, close your eyes, picture it, and then test yourself with the recall trigger. The more dramatically you imagine each scene, the harder the memory sticks.
Memory anchors
Four levels of anxiety: Mild, Moderate, Severe, Panic — and how the perceptual field narrows as level rises
Memory aid
Use the acronym 'MMSP' — Mildly Motivated Students Panic. Picture a Filipino BSN student: when mildly anxious before a quiz she is MOTIVATED and alert. When moderately anxious before boards she NARROWS her focus. When severely anxious she is SCATTERED and shaking. When she PANICS during the actual exam she goes blank and runs out of the room. The word 'PANIC' at the end reminds you that panic is the last and most dangerous level.
Why it works
Acronyms reduce cognitive load. The progressive story of a student escalating through anxiety levels maps directly onto the clinical progression, making the order impossible to forget.
Example usage
Question asks: 'Which anxiety level is characterized by a greatly reduced perceptual field, scattered attention, and physical symptoms like palpitations?' — Think MMSP: M-M-S... Severe! Answer: Severe anxiety.
Recall trigger
Think of a Filipino nursing student walking into the NLE venue.
During severe anxiety or panic, do NOT attempt teaching — the client cannot process information
Memory aid
Imagine trying to load a YouTube video on a smartphone with only 1% battery — the screen flickers, nothing loads properly, and the phone might shut down any second. A panicking client's brain is that 1% battery phone. Pushing health teaching is like trying to stream HD video on 1% — it simply will not work and may cause the phone (client) to crash completely. First CHARGE the battery (reduce anxiety), then stream (teach).
Why it works
The smartphone analogy is deeply familiar to Filipino students. It translates an abstract clinical principle into an everyday frustration everyone has experienced.
Example usage
Question: 'A client is in the middle of a panic attack. The nurse plans to teach the client breathing exercises. Which is the PRIORITY action?' — 1% battery: you cannot teach now. Priority is to reduce stimulation, stay calm, guide slow breathing first. Teaching comes LATER.
Recall trigger
1% battery phone.
Priority nursing interventions during a panic attack: Stay, Calm, Quiet, Breathe
Memory aid
Remember 'SCQB' — 'Stay Calm, Quietly Breathe.' Picture a nurse who is herself the embodiment of calm: She STAYS with the client (never leaves), remains CALM in voice and manner, moves the client to a QUIET environment, and guides BREATHING (slow, controlled). Say it like a mantra: 'Stay Calm, Quietly Breathe.'
Why it works
Four-word phrases with a logical flow are easy to rehearse under exam pressure. Each word maps to a concrete clinical action.
Example usage
Question: 'A client in the ER is having a panic attack. Which nursing action is FIRST priority?' — SCQB: Stay with the client. Never leave a panicking client alone.
Recall trigger
SCQB — Stay Calm, Quietly Breathe.
Anxiety vs. Fear — Anxiety is unknown/nonspecific; Fear is known and specific
Memory aid
ANXIETY is like walking alone in the dark in an unfamiliar barangay at night — you feel dread but you cannot point to exactly what is threatening you. FEAR is like seeing an actual angry dog running at you — the threat is RIGHT THERE, concrete and specific. Remember: Anxiety = Dark barangay (unknown). Fear = Dog (known).
Why it works
Using a barangay at night is culturally vivid for Filipino students. The contrast between the two scenarios is sharp and memorable, making the clinical distinction intuitive.
Example usage
Question: 'What differentiates anxiety from fear?' — Dark barangay (anxiety — unknown threat) vs. angry dog (fear — known threat). Answer: Anxiety is a response to a vague, unknown threat; fear is a response to a known, identifiable threat.
Recall trigger
Dark barangay vs. angry dog.
OCD: Do NOT abruptly stop or interrupt the ritual — the ritual controls anxiety
Memory aid
Imagine Mang Tito, a security guard who always checks the padlock of the bodega 10 times before his shift ends. One day a new nurse supervisor yells 'STOP! That's irrational!' and grabs his hand away from the padlock. Mang Tito immediately goes into full panic — sweating, hyperventilating, pacing. His ritual WAS his anxiety control valve. Yanking it away is like removing the pressure-release valve on a pressure cooker — EXPLOSION. The nurse's job is to gently, over time, help Mang Tito use the valve less, not rip it off.
Why it works
A culturally familiar Filipino character (barrio security guard) makes the story relatable. The pressure cooker metaphor for abrupt ritual removal is viscerally clear and emotionally resonant.
Example usage
Question: 'A client with OCD is repeatedly washing her hands. Which is the BEST nursing action?' — Remember Mang Tito: do NOT abruptly stop. Allow the ritual; set gradual limits over time. Answer: Allow the client to complete the ritual at this time.
Recall trigger
Mang Tito and the padlock / pressure cooker.
SSRIs are the FIRST-LINE pharmacologic treatment for most anxiety disorders, OCD, PTSD, and panic disorder
Memory aid
Remember the 5 key SSRIs with the mnemonic 'FSPEF' — 'Five Students Pass Every Friday': Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Paroxetine, Escitalopram, Fluvoxamine. Then remember: these FIVE are FIRST-LINE. 'First-line Fridays — Five SSRI Friends.'
Why it works
Associating each letter with a word in a memorable phrase encodes both the drug names AND their clinical ranking simultaneously.
Example usage
Question: 'Which class of medication is first-line pharmacologic treatment for PTSD?' — Five Students Pass Every Friday — SSRIs. Answer: SSRIs (e.g., sertraline, fluoxetine).
Recall trigger
Five Students Pass Every Friday.
SSRIs take 2–4 weeks for full therapeutic effect — do not stop early
Memory aid
Think of planting pechay (pechay seeds are familiar to Filipino students who grew up near a garden). You plant the seed today but you do NOT dig it up after 3 days to see if it is growing — the roots are forming underground even if you see nothing yet. SSRIs are pechay seeds: the therapeutic effect is growing below the surface for 2–4 weeks. Digging up the seed (stopping the drug) before harvest time means NO pechay (no effect). Tell the client: 'Be patient — your pechay is growing!'
Why it works
Pechay gardening is a familiar Filipino experience. The underground growth metaphor is a perfect parallel for drug effects that are invisible initially.
Example usage
Question: 'A client on sertraline says the drug is not working and wants to stop after 1 week. What should the nurse tell the client?' — Pechay: roots are growing underground, give it 2–4 weeks. Answer: Therapeutic effect takes 2–4 weeks; continue the medication as prescribed.
Recall trigger
Pechay seed — roots forming underground for 2–4 weeks.
Serotonin Syndrome — signs and triggers (SSRIs + MAOIs or other serotonergic drugs)
Memory aid
Signs of serotonin syndrome: 'HALT — CAD': Hyperthermia, Agitation, hyperreflexia/cLonus, Tremor — Confusion, Autonomic instability, Diaphoresis. Think of a person who HALTS in their tracks because a CAD (bad guy) is chasing them — they are sweating, shaking, heart racing, hyperalert. The 'bad guy' (CAD) is the dangerous MAOI+SSRI combination that triggered the syndrome.
Why it works
Breaking a complex symptom cluster into two memorable groups (HALT + CAD) with a narrative makes recall during multiple-choice scanning fast and reliable.
Example usage
Question: 'A client on fluoxetine is also started on an MAOI. The nurse notes hyperthermia, agitation, and clonus. What is the priority concern?' — HALT-CAD: serotonin syndrome. Answer: Serotonin syndrome — discontinue, notify physician immediately.
Recall trigger
HALT — CAD (bad guy combination of drugs).
Benzodiazepines — rapid relief but high risk for dependence and withdrawal seizures; antidote is Flumazenil
Memory aid
Think of 'Benzo the Fire Extinguisher.' Benzo (benzodiazepine) puts out the fire (acute anxiety/panic) FAST — that is its superpower. But if you keep Benzo permanently attached to your arm, you become so dependent on him that when he is taken away SUDDENLY, your brain seizes up in protest (withdrawal seizures). The antidote hero who reverses a Benzo overdose is named 'Fluma' (Flumazenil) — she swoops in to wake up the over-sedated patient. Rule: Use Benzo short-term, taper gradually, and keep Fluma on standby.
Why it works
Personifying the drugs (Benzo and Fluma) as characters with personality traits (fast but addictive vs. heroic reversal agent) creates an emotional and narrative memory that is hard to erase.
Example usage
Question: 'Which drug is used to reverse a benzodiazepine overdose?' — Fluma (Flumazenil). Question: 'What is the greatest risk of abrupt benzodiazepine discontinuation?' — Benzo withdrawal: seizures. Answer: Flumazenil is the antidote; abrupt withdrawal can cause seizures.
Recall trigger
Benzo the Fire Extinguisher + Fluma the hero antidote.
Buspirone — treats chronic anxiety without dependence but takes 2–4 weeks; NOT for acute panic
Memory aid
Rhyme: 'Buspirone is slow and clean — takes two to four weeks to intervene. No dependence, no addiction fee — but for panic attacks? Don't call on me!' Repeat this in a singsong rhythm. The rhyme embeds three key facts: slow onset (2–4 weeks), no dependence, and uselessness for acute panic attacks.
Why it works
Rhymes exploit phonological memory loops in the brain, making information stick even under exam-stress conditions when retrieval is harder.
Example usage
Question: 'A client with chronic generalized anxiety is prescribed buspirone. She calls after 3 days saying the drug is not working. What is the BEST response?' — Slow and clean, 2–4 weeks. Answer: Inform the client that buspirone takes 2–4 weeks to reach therapeutic effect.
Recall trigger
Sing the buspirone rhyme in your head.
PTSD diagnostic criterion: symptoms persist MORE than 1 month after trauma; Acute Stress Disorder is 3 days to 1 month
Memory aid
Visualize a CALENDAR on the wall of a trauma ward. There is a red line at DAY 3 (before day 3 = normal stress response) and a bold BLACK line at DAY 30 (1 month). Between the red and black line is a yellow zone labeled 'ASD' (Acute Stress Disorder). After the black line — the zone turns RED and is labeled 'PTSD.' Now picture a Filipino survivor of a typhoon disaster: on Day 5 after the typhoon she is in the yellow ASD zone. If her symptoms persist past Day 30, she crosses the black line into the red PTSD zone.
Why it works
Visualizing a color-coded calendar exploits spatial memory and dual-coding (verbal + visual). The Filipino typhoon context makes it emotionally meaningful.
Example usage
Question: 'A survivor of a Mindanao earthquake presents with flashbacks and hypervigilance 6 weeks after the event. Which condition does the nurse suspect?' — Past the 1-month black line: PTSD. Answer: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Recall trigger
The calendar on the trauma ward wall — yellow zone (ASD) and red zone (PTSD) divided by the 1-month black line.
PTSD core symptom clusters: Intrusion, Avoidance, Negative cognition/mood, Hyperarousal
Memory aid
Use the acronym 'IANH' — 'I Avoid Negative Hyperarousal' or remember the phrase 'I Am Never Happy' — Intrusion, Avoidance, Negative cognition/mood, Hyperarousal. Picture a PTSD survivor saying: 'I Am Never Happy' — she is haunted by intrusive flashbacks (I), avoids all reminders (A), feels numb and negative (N), and is always on high alert/startle (H).
Why it works
A four-word phrase that captures the emotional core of PTSD (I Am Never Happy) is both clinically accurate and emotionally resonant, boosting encoding.
Example usage
Question: 'Which of the following symptom clusters is characteristic of PTSD?' — IANH: Intrusion, Avoidance, Negative mood, Hyperarousal. Answer: All four clusters: intrusion, avoidance, negative alterations in mood/cognition, hyperarousal.
Recall trigger
IANH — 'I Am Never Happy'
Systematic desensitization is the treatment for phobias — gradual exposure paired with relaxation
Memory aid
Think of SPICY FOOD training — the Filipino who has never eaten spicy laing starts with a tiny taste, breathes through the heat, and relaxes before taking a slightly spicier bite next time. You do NOT shove a whole bowl of spicy laing in a new person's mouth (that would be flooding/implosion therapy). SYSTEMATIC DESENSITIZATION = slowly increasing the heat level while staying relaxed. The person is gradually 'desensitized' to the spice.
Why it works
Laing and spicy food training is culturally resonant for Filipino students. The gradient of spice perfectly parallels the anxiety hierarchy used in desensitization.
Example usage
Question: 'Which behavioral therapy is used for specific phobias?' — Laing: start small, relax, increase gradually. Answer: Systematic desensitization.
Recall trigger
Spicy laing training — start mild, increase gradually.
Priority nursing care for PTSD: Establish TRUST and SAFETY first before any trauma disclosure
Memory aid
Maria is a Yolanda survivor. A nurse approaches on Day 1 and asks: 'Tell me everything that happened during the storm.' Maria shuts down, turns to the wall, and refuses all care. The nurse made a clinical error — she forced open a wound without anesthesia. The second nurse comes in, sits quietly, offers water, and says: 'I am here for you. There is no rush.' Over two weeks, Maria slowly opens up. LESSON: Build the house (trust and safety) before you hang the paintings (trauma disclosure). You cannot hang a painting on a wall that does not exist yet.
Why it works
The Yolanda (Typhoon Hainan) reference is deeply meaningful to Filipino students. The construction metaphor (build the wall before hanging paintings) is logical and visually clear.
Example usage
Question: 'A nurse is caring for a client newly diagnosed with PTSD. Which is the PRIORITY intervention?' — Build the house first. Answer: Establish a therapeutic relationship based on trust and safety.
Recall trigger
Build the house before hanging the paintings — trust and safety first.
Dissociative disorders — priority nursing concern is SAFETY (risk for self-harm)
Memory aid
Imagine a person floating outside their own body (depersonalization) looking down at themselves from the ceiling — they are DISCONNECTED from reality. Because they are disconnected, they may not feel pain the way others do, making self-harm less perceivable to them. Picture a safety NET under the floating person — the nurse's primary job is to make sure that NET (safety measures) is always there. Safety = the net under the floating person.
Why it works
The floating/dissociation image is a natural visual metaphor for dissociative disorders. Anchoring the safety net to it creates an immediate clinical priority association.
Example usage
Question: 'A nurse cares for a client with dissociative identity disorder. What is the PRIORITY nursing diagnosis?' — Floating person + safety net: Risk for self-harm/injury. Answer: Risk for self-directed violence related to altered perception of reality.
Recall trigger
Floating person + safety net underneath.
Defense mechanisms — unconscious ways to manage anxiety (repression, denial, projection, displacement, sublimation)
Memory aid
Remember 'RDPDS' — 'Really Defensive People Deny Stuff': Repression, Denial, Projection, Displacement, Sublimation. Or use a story: 'Remy DENIED that he Projected his anger onto others, but he DISPLACED it by punching a pillow and used SUBLIMATION to become the best boxer in the barangay.' Each act in the story illustrates the defense mechanism.
Why it works
Combining an acronym with a short narrative covering each mechanism allows dual encoding — both sequential (acronym) and episodic (story) memory.
Example usage
Question: 'A client who unconsciously forgets a traumatic childhood event is using which defense mechanism?' — Remy: the first mechanism R = Repression. Answer: Repression.
Recall trigger
Remy the defensive boxer — RDPDS story.
Never combine an SSRI with an MAOI — requires a washout period between them
Memory aid
Picture a road sign: SSRI → [🚫 MAOI] — like two opposing one-way streets that can NEVER meet without causing a traffic EXPLOSION (serotonin syndrome). Between them is a REST STOP labeled 'Washout Period.' You must always pull into the rest stop and wait before switching roads. The explosion on the road is serotonin syndrome — hyperthermia, seizures, death.
Why it works
Road signs and traffic metaphors are universally understood. The physical impossibility of two one-way streets merging without an explosion makes the danger concrete.
Example usage
Question: 'A client is being switched from phenelzine (MAOI) to fluoxetine (SSRI). What is the nurse's priority concern?' — Two one-way streets: never combine directly. Must observe washout period. Answer: A washout period of at least 14 days must be observed to prevent serotonin syndrome.
Recall trigger
Two one-way streets + the explosion + the rest stop.
Benzodiazepine examples — Lorazepam, Diazepam, Alprazolam, Clonazepam, Chlordiazepoxide
Memory aid
Chunk them into a Filipino basketball team: 'Team BENZO starting five: LORA (Lorazepam) passing to DIA (Diazepam), ALPha (Alprazolam) shoots, CLONA (Clonazepam) rebounds, and CHLORO (Chlordiazepoxide) is the veteran reserve.' Picture the team jersey reading 'BENZO' on the back. Before the game they always announce: 'This team plays FAST but gets DEPENDENT after a long season!'
Why it works
Filipino basketball culture is universally familiar. Chunking five drug names into a five-player team exploits spatial/social memory. The team announcement encodes the key clinical properties.
Example usage
Question: 'Which of the following is a benzodiazepine used for acute anxiety?' — Team Benzo roster: Lorazepam, Diazepam, Alprazolam. Answer: Lorazepam (or any listed benzodiazepine).
Recall trigger
Team Benzo — Lora, Dia, Alpha, Clona, Chloro.
RA 11036 — Philippine Mental Health Act: rights to humane, non-discriminatory, community-based mental health services and informed consent
Memory aid
Remember RA 11036 as the 'THREE HUGS LAW': clients get a HUG of HUMANITY (humane care), a HUG of EQUALITY (non-discrimination), and a HUG of COMMUNITY (community-based services). And before any hug, they must CONSENT — informed consent is sacred. The number 11036: think '11 hugs at 0'36 seconds' — 11 and 036, the law that hugs patients.
Why it works
Reframing a legal number as a personal and warm concept (three hugs) makes the abstract law feel human and anchors the number 11036 to positive imagery that contrasts with neglect/discrimination.
Example usage
Question: 'Which Philippine law protects the rights of mental health service users to community-based, non-discriminatory care?' — Three Hugs Law. Answer: Republic Act No. 11036, the Philippine Mental Health Act.
Recall trigger
Three Hugs Law — RA 11036.
SSRIs — monitor for increased suicidal ideation in adolescents and young adults in the FIRST WEEKS
Memory aid
Picture a see-saw: On one side is ENERGY (improves first), on the other side is MOOD (improves later). In the first 1–2 weeks on an SSRI, the energy side comes up first — the client now has energy to act on suicidal thoughts that were there all along but they were too depressed to act on before. This is the DANGER WINDOW. The nurse must be the 'spotter' standing beside the see-saw, especially for adolescents and young adults, until the mood side finally rises to balance the energy.
Why it works
The see-saw metaphor is visually clear and captures the counterintuitive paradox (more energy before better mood) that is so frequently tested in NLE. The nurse as 'spotter' connects assessment to the duty of care.
Example usage
Question: 'A 17-year-old is started on fluoxetine for anxiety. What is the nurse's PRIORITY assessment in the first weeks?' — See-saw danger window. Answer: Monitor for increased suicidal ideation, as energy may improve before mood, increasing risk of acting on suicidal thoughts.
Recall trigger
SSRI see-saw — energy up before mood up = danger window.
Revision game
I am the anxiety level where your brain acts like a phone with 1% battery — you can barely process anything. What level am I?
Answer
Panic level
Memory link
A2 — 1% battery phone analogy; A1 — MMSP anxiety levels
I am the golden rule of OCD nursing care. I sound counterintuitive: the nurse should NOT stop me because I keep the client from exploding. What am I?
Answer
Allow the ritual; do not abruptly interrupt the compulsive behavior
Memory link
A5 — Mang Tito and the padlock / pressure cooker story
I am like a pechay seed — you planted me today but you need to wait 2 to 4 weeks before you see results. What drug class am I?
Answer
SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)
Memory link
A7 — Pechay seed analogy for SSRI onset
My name sounds like a heroic character who rushes in when 'Benzo' goes too far. I am the antidote. What is my generic name?
Answer
Flumazenil
Memory link
A9 — Benzo the Fire Extinguisher and Fluma the hero antidote
I am the Philippine law that gives every mental health client a 'three-hug guarantee' — humane care, non-discrimination, and community-based services. Name my Republic Act number.
Answer
RA 11036 — Philippine Mental Health Act
Memory link
A19 — Three Hugs Law analogy
I am the calendar zone between Day 3 and Day 30 after a trauma. I have yellow on the calendar. What disorder am I?
Answer
Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)
Memory link
A11 — Color-coded calendar visual association
I treat chronic anxiety without causing dependence, but I am completely useless during an active panic attack. Who am I?
Answer
Buspirone
Memory link
A10 — Buspirone rhyme: slow and clean, not for panic
I am the dangerous SSRI see-saw window — energy comes up before mood does, making the client paradoxically more at risk in the first weeks. Which specific risk should the nurse monitor?
Answer
Increased suicidal ideation (especially in adolescents and young adults) in the first weeks of SSRI therapy
Memory link
A20 — SSRI see-saw analogy: energy before mood = danger window
Formula mnemonics
Anxiety Level → Perceptual Field Width (inverse relationship): As anxiety INCREASES, perceptual field NARROWS
Mnemonic
ZOOM OUT to ZOOM IN: When anxiety zooms UP, the mental lens ZOOMS IN too tight — you see less and less of the big picture. Mild = wide-angle lens. Panic = extreme close-up of nothing useful.
When to use
Whenever an NLE question asks about the ability to learn, make decisions, or process information at each anxiety level.
What each part means
Perceptual field = the range of stimuli the client can notice and process. As anxiety rises through mild → moderate → severe → panic, the field narrows progressively until at panic level the client can barely process any meaningful information.
ASD timeline: Trauma → [3 days to 1 month] = ASD; Beyond 1 month = PTSD
Mnemonic
The '3-30 Rule': ASD lives between 3 and 30 (days). Beyond 30 days = PTSD. Think of '3-30-PTSD' as a speedometer: under 30 is ASD speed, over 30 is PTSD territory.
When to use
Questions about diagnostic criteria distinguishing ASD from PTSD based on symptom duration.
What each part means
3 days = minimum duration for ASD diagnosis (normal acute stress before 3 days). 30 days (1 month) = the cutoff. Symptoms persisting past 1 month after trauma meet PTSD criteria.
SSRI therapeutic onset: 2–4 weeks (up to 6 weeks for full effect)
Mnemonic
The '246 Rule': Start seeing effects at 2, full effect at 4, maximum at 6 weeks. Picture a traffic light: YELLOW at 2 weeks (starting to work), GREEN at 4 weeks (therapeutic range), FULL GREEN at 6 weeks (maximum effect).
When to use
Patient teaching questions about SSRI adherence, as well as questions about when to reassess medication efficacy.
What each part means
2 weeks = initial therapeutic effect beginning. 4 weeks = expected full therapeutic effect. 6 weeks = outer range for full effect, especially in OCD or PTSD.
Benzodiazepine dependence risk: Duration of use ↑ → Dependence risk ↑; Abrupt cessation → Withdrawal (including seizures)
Mnemonic
The 'BENZO TRAP' formula: Longer use = Deeper trap. Abrupt exit = SEIZURE alarm. The only safe exit is the TAPER LADDER — go down one rung at a time.
When to use
Questions on benzodiazepine safety, discharge teaching, and management of withdrawal.
What each part means
Duration of use directly correlates with physical dependence. Abrupt discontinuation after chronic use causes a hyperexcitable CNS rebound — manifesting as rebound anxiety, tremors, and potentially life-threatening seizures. Gradual tapering prevents this.
Quick recall chains
Priority Interventions During a Panic Attack (in order)
Recall test
Close your eyes. A client calls the nurse and is hyperventilating, trembling, and screaming she is dying. Without looking at notes, list the 6 interventions in order.
Memory chain
Picture a LIFEGUARD (the nurse) who never abandons a drowning swimmer (client). The lifeguard is CALM, swims with the client to a QUIET shallow pool, counts breathing strokes ('1-2-3 breathe slowly'), gives SHORT commands ('kick slowly'), and NEVER stops mid-rescue to give a swimming lesson. Chain: STAY → CALM → QUIET → BREATHE → SHORT WORDS → NO TEACHING.
Items to remember
- Stay with the client — do NOT leave
- Remain calm in voice and manner
- Move to a quiet, low-stimulation environment
- Guide slow, controlled breathing
- Use short, simple, clear directions
- Do NOT attempt teaching during the attack
PTSD Core Symptom Clusters (IANH)
Recall test
What are the four symptom clusters of PTSD? Recite using IANH without looking.
Memory chain
'I Am Never Happy' — each word links to a cluster: I (Intrusion: I keep seeing it), A (Avoidance: Avoid everything), N (Negative: Never happy, numb), H (Hyperarousal: Hyperalert always). Recall: IANH → 'I Am Never Happy.'
Items to remember
- Intrusion — flashbacks, nightmares, distressing memories
- Avoidance — avoiding reminders of the trauma
- Negative alterations in mood and cognition — guilt, numbing, detachment
- Hyperarousal — exaggerated startle, hypervigilance, irritability, insomnia
Anxiety Levels and Perceptual Field — Mild to Panic
Recall test
List the 4 anxiety levels and state whether the perceptual field is wide or narrow at each level.
Memory chain
The Filipino student journey: MILD (excited before review class — alert), MODERATE (nervous the day before boards — focused but narrowed), SEVERE (morning of the exam — scattered, shaking, headache), PANIC (opening the test booklet and seeing the first question — blank mind, terror). MMSP — Mildly Motivated Students Panic.
Items to remember
- Mild — heightened awareness, good learning ability, wider perceptual field
- Moderate — narrowed perceptual field, can focus if directed
- Severe — greatly reduced field, scattered details, physical symptoms
- Panic — loss of rational thought, disorganized behavior, sense of terror
Key SSRIs — First-Line Agents
Recall test
Without looking, name all 5 SSRIs that are first-line for anxiety and OCD disorders.
Memory chain
'Five Students Pass Every Friday' — Fluoxetine (Five), Sertraline (Students), Paroxetine (Pass), Escitalopram (Every), Fluvoxamine (Friday). Imagine five nursing students celebrating after their NLE results on a Friday.
Items to remember
- Fluoxetine
- Sertraline
- Paroxetine
- Escitalopram
- Fluvoxamine
Benzodiazepine Team — Key Drugs
Recall test
Name all 5 benzodiazepines. Then state: what is the antidote for benzodiazepine overdose?
Memory chain
Team Benzo starting five basketball players: LORA (Lorazepam) — the point guard who sets up plays quickly; DIA (Diazepam) — the shooting guard; ALPHA (Alprazolam) — the small forward; CLONA (Clonazepam) — the power forward; CHLORO (Chlordiazepoxide) — the veteran center. 'Team Benzo plays fast (rapid onset) but retires early (short-term use only)!'
Items to remember
- Lorazepam
- Diazepam
- Alprazolam
- Clonazepam
- Chlordiazepoxide
Diagrams
Anxiety and Related Disorders — Master Mind Map
A comprehensive mind map showing all major topics in the chapter organized hierarchically. Use this as a visual overview to understand how all concepts connect — from basic anxiety theory through disorders, nursing management, pharmacology, and Philippine legal context. Study the branches in order from left to right.
Nursing Decision Flowchart — Managing Anxiety and Panic
A clinical decision flowchart showing how the nurse assesses anxiety level and selects appropriate interventions. The chart emphasizes the critical branch point at panic level, where the SCQB protocol (Stay, Calm, Quiet, Breathe) is activated. Note that teaching is NEVER attempted at severe or panic levels — it only comes after anxiety has decreased. Use this to practice clinical prioritization questions.
PTSD vs Acute Stress Disorder — Timeline State Diagram
A state diagram showing how a trauma survivor transitions through normal acute stress response, into Acute Stress Disorder (3 days to 1 month), and potentially into PTSD (beyond 1 month). The diagram also shows the risk of comorbidities (depression, substance use, suicide) if PTSD is untreated — all of which the nurse must assess. Use this to answer timeline-based diagnostic questions.
Pharmacology Decision Guide — Anxiety Medications
A comprehensive medication decision flowchart covering the three main drug categories for anxiety disorders. Each branch shows examples, onset, key nursing considerations, and dangers. Color-coded warnings highlight the most critical NLE test points: SSRI-MAOI interaction causing serotonin syndrome, benzodiazepine dependence and withdrawal seizures, and buspirone's delayed onset making it useless for acute panic.