Mental Health

What Causes Mental Illness? Environment Experiences Self-esteem Physical Causes Body chemistry Disease Toxins and drugs Heredity Genetic

Warning Signs Anxiety Depression Sudden change in mood or behavior Physical complaints Psychosomatic Poor performance

Classifications of Mental Disorders Neurosis Anxiety disorders, depression & phobias Common and easily treated Personality Dissaociative disorders Not curable Psychosis Schizophrenia Difficult to function in the real world

Eating Disorders Behaviors that are the result of deep emotional problems related to self-image and self-esteem. Disordered eating as a result of a mental condition. Bulimia: Bingeing on food then purging to avoid weight gain Anorexia Nervosa: Excessive dieting resulting in a state of self-starvation

Anxiety Disorders General Anxiety Disorder: Constant feeling of anxiety and fear with physical symptoms like increased heart rate, shortness of breath, perspiration, shaking, and diarrhea Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Persistent recurring thoughts accompanied with the need to repeatedly perform some action, such as repeatedly washing one’s hands.

Anxiety Disorders Continued Panic Disorder Intense feelings of terror that occur suddenly without cause Phobia Persistent fear of something: Hydrophobia (fear of water), claustrophobia (fear of small, enclosed spaces), Agoraphobia (fear of public places)

Dissociative Disorders A person believes that sometimes he or she is really someone else. Amnesia Loss of Memory Multiple Personality Disorder Having two or more distinct personalities, which can show different physical conditions and are often the exact opposite of each other

Mood Disorders Mood Disorders: Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depression) One mood is experienced almost to the exclusion of other feelings Usually for a long time and interrupts a person’s ability to complete daily activities. Depression is the most common. Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depression) Experiencing exaggerated feelings of euphoria, irritability, depression; exaggerated mood swings; reckless behavior Depression Experiencing feelings of sadness, loneliness, and hopelessness for an extended period of time

Personality Disorders Traits that negatively affect a person’s ability to get along with others Aggression Behavior that displays an inner conflict between being dependent and being assertive, which results in erratic moods Paranoia Consistent mistrust of others for no reason Antisocial Personality Disorder Showing a preference to remain distant from others

Other Disorders Organic Disorders Schizophrenia Mental and emotional disorders resulting from a physical cause Schizophrenia Impaired perceptions, thinking processes, emotional health, and physical activity Hypochondriasis (A Somatoform Disorder) Believing and showing signs of serious illness without any physical cause

Seeking Help When to seek professional help: Prolonged feeling of depression and hopelessness Feeling that life is out of control The inability to concentrate and make decisions Difficulty getting along with family and friends Intense fears Persistent difficulty sleeping Emotional problems coping with a physical illness Inability to stop destructive behaviors like drinking, overeating, and abusing drugs

Therapy Medication Talk Therapy Group Therapy Play Therapy Alternative Relaxation techniques, meditation, music therapy or art therapy

Professional Careers in Mental Health Psychiatrist Prescribes medicine Psychologist Diagnoses and treats Counselors

People With Healthy Personalities… Are self-disciplined Are trustworthy Like themselves Are responsible Will help others

People With Healthy Personalities… Feel valuable Get along well with others Express emotions in healthful ways Solve problems in a constructive manner Have a philosophy and purpose of life

Optimism Make a list of all the positive things you expect will happen to you in the future. Then list any of the bad things that you think could happen in the future as well. Now look at your lists. Have you described more positive things or more negative things? How could you revise your lists to look at each negative event with optimism?