ARE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS AFFECTING YOUR LIFE?

MANY PEOPLE WILL SUFFER SOME DISORDER IN THEIR LIVES, ALL OF US WILL BE AFFECTED

     Ferrum College Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Kevin P. Reilly will offer two courses this spring on psychological disorders. The courses, which involve five classes each, will focus on anxiety disorders and other kinds of psychological problems and will be held at the Franklin County Workforce Development Consortium offices (across from Franklin County High School), 70 Wray Street, Rocky Mount, VA. The public is invited to participate.

     The first course, titled “Panic, Phobias, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Other Anxiety Disorders,” will take place each Tuesday, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, 2/18, and 2/25, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The course goal is to acquaint people with the common symptoms, both physical and psychological, suffered by people with various anxiety disorders, as well as to acquaint people with popular treatments for these disorders. Each class will cover a different kind of anxiety-related problem.

     The second course, titled “Understanding Mental Illness,” will take place each Tuesday, 3/11, 3/18, 3/25, 4/1, and 4/8, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The goal of the course is to increase people's understanding of various kinds of mental illness. The first class will cover the various stereotypes of the mentally ill (e.g., that they are dangerous or criminal), and how these stereotypes are fostered. Other classes will cover various kinds of mental illness, with a focus on depression and personality disorders, as these problems are more common in the general population.

     Each course is $85, or participants may take both for $150. Course materials are provided. Registration will take place at the first class of each course. For more information on the courses, please contact Dr. Reilly at (540) 365-4407 or at kpreilly@ferrum.edu.

     Reilly believes the classes are timely and relevant to the population at large, saying, “If you talk about all types of psychological problems people can have in the course of a year, many of us will directly experience these problems. Over the course of a lifetime, approximately 40% of all people will suffer some type of psychological disorder such as anxiety, depression, or addiction. One hundred percent of us are affected. ” He points to the January 20 TIME cover story, How Your Mind Can Affect Your Body, as one indicator of the impact psychological health has on one’s physical health.

     “ Nationally we have cut vast proportions of our mental health services. In fact, Virginia has recently cut one-third of these services. That means all of us, particularly those of us who work with, teach, or have a loved one whom suffers from psychological disorders, must be more proactive in learning about these issues.”

     A Ph.D. in Social Cognition, with a focus in Clinical Psychology, Reilly’s professional focus has been on mental illness and psychopathology. He joined the Ferrum College faculty in 2002.

     Ferrum College is a four-year, private, co-educational, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. For more information on Ferrum, visit www.ferrum.edu. # # #