MENTAL DISORDERS

LEARNING TARGETS: Explain: How mental disorders are recognized. Identify: Four causes of mental disorders. Describe: Five types of anxiety disorders and four other types of mental disorders.

What are Mental Disorders? A mental disorder is an illness that affects the mind and reduces a person’s ability to function, to adjust to change, or to get along with others. – For example: a mental disorder could affect a person’s ability to study, keep a job, or make friends.

Recognizing Mental Disorders Normal Behaviors vs. Abnormal Behaviors Mental Health experts see abnormal thoughts, feelings, or behaviors as signs or symptoms of a mental disorder.

Causes… Heredity: – A person may inherit a tendency toward a mental disorder. It only means a person is at greater risk if events in his or her life act as a trigger for the disorder.

Causes… Physical Factors – Brain Damage Growth, or tumor Injury to the brain Infection that destroys brain cells Exposure to poison, such as lead Prolonged use of alcohol or other drugs.

Causes… Early Experiences Extremely negative experiences that occur in life can lead to mental illness. – Child neglect – Child abuse Recent Experiences Some mental health experts feel that recent experiences are more likely than early experiences to trigger a mental disorder. – Death of a loved one.

Anxiety Disorders: Fear caused by a source you cannot identify or a source that doesn’t pose as much threat as you think. Everyone experiences anxiety now and then. – You may feel anxious before a final exam, a school dance, or tryouts for an athletic team. These may be short lived. When the anxiety persists for a long time and interferes with daily living, this is a sign of anxiety disorder.

Generalized Anxiety A person with this disorder displays intense worry, fears, or anxiety most days for at least six months. These thoughts and emotions do not have a single specific source. Warning signs: – Irritability, muscle tension, trouble falling asleep, trouble concentrating.

Phobias Anxiety that is related to a specific situation or object is called a phobia. phobia

Panic Attack During a panic attack a person may experience some of the following symptoms: – Fast heart rate – Rapid breathing – Sweating – Trembling or shaking – Chest discomfort – nausea

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder An unwanted thought or image that takes control of the mind is an obsession. This may lead to a compulsion, an unreasonable need to behave in a certain way to prevent a feared outcome.

Post Traumatic Stress People who may survive a life- threatening event may develop pts. Flashbacks or nightmares that produce intense fear or horror. May be unable to sleep or concentrate. These people may try to avoid certain situations that remind them of that stress.

Other Mental Disorders Mood Disorder: experience extreme emotions that make it difficult to function well in their daily lives. – Bi-Polar: Also called manic-depressive disorder. People suffering from this: shift from one emotional extreme to another for no apparent reason. – Manic episode: overly excited and restless – Depression: emotional state in which a person feels extremely sad and hopeless.

Other Mental Disorders SCHIZOPHRENIA Severe disturbances in thinking, mood, awareness, and behavior. Means “split mind”. – Split from reality. May appear normal. May talk to themselves, display inappropriate emotional responses, dress and act strangely, and withdraw from others. Impulse-Control Disorders Cannot resist the impulse, or drive, to act in a way that is harmful to themselves or to others. – Gambling – Shopping – Internet – Video Games – Sex – What else?

Other Mental Disorders Personality Disorders: Display rigid patterns of behavior that make it difficult for them to get along with others. Group A – Tend to be cold and distant. Cannot form close relationships. – Paranoid personality disorder is an example. Overly suspicious of other people. Group B – Overly emotional or unstable. Selfish and demanding. May place high value on themselves over others. – Antisocial personality disorder Group C – Cannot make decisions. May have a strong need for approval from others. May avoid other people because of fear or rejection. – Dependent personality disorder