Getting Help For mental and emotional problems

When should you get help  If any of the following feelings or behaviors persist over a period of time or begin to interfere with daily living –You feel trapped with no way out, or worry all the time –Your feelings affect your sleep, eating habits, school work, or relationships –Your family/friends express concern –Involvement with drugs or alcohol –You are becoming increasingly aggressive, violent, or reckless

Signs to Seek Professional Help  Prolonged sadness for no specific reason  Frequent outbursts of anger  Overwhelming fear, anxiety or anger  Unexplained change in sleeping or eating habits  Social withdrawal

Methods for seeking help  Parents and guardians  Teachers  School psychologist  Counselors  Coaches  Clergy members  Crisis hotlines –Contact Crisis – (972) 233-TEEN

Therapy Methods  Psychotherapy – Talking to a counselor –Behavior therapy  Focuses on changing unwanted behaviors though rewards and reinforcements –Cognitive therapy  Designed to identify and correct distorted thinking patterns –Group therapy  Treating a group of people who have similar problems  Biomedical therapy –medicines

Understanding Death and Grief

Expression of Grief  Coping – dealing successfully with difficult changes in your life  Grief response – an individual’s total response to a major loss –The response is unique to the situation

The Grieving Process: reactions that may occur during the grief response  Denial or Numbness –Can’t believe the loss has occurred –Protects the person from being overwhelmed  Emotional Releases –Periods of crying –Recognition of the loss  Anger –May lash out because of feeling powerless and unfairly deprived  Bargaining –Promise to change if only…

The Grieving Process: reactions that may occur during the grief response  Depression –Feelings of isolation, alienation, and hopelessness  Remorse –What he/she could have done to prevent the loss or make things better  Acceptance –Allows the person to face reality in constructive ways  Hope –A point where remembering becomes less painful –Begins to look ahead to the future

Unresolved Grief  Tends to affect the grieving process at the next occurrence of loss – causing a person to express some emotions and responses that have been held back

Coping with Death  Don’t think about what you should have done  Remember the wonderful things about the person and the great memories  Seek support from others

Helping others through the grieving process  Support from friends and family is important during mourning –Mourning – the act of showing sorrow or grief  Show empathy or just listen  Share memories and appreciation of the person who has passed away  Grief counseling –Seeing a counselor that can help work through the grieving process

Coping with Disasters and Crises  Spend time with other people and discuss your feelings  Get back to daily routines as quickly as possible  Eat nutritious foods, exercise, and get enough rest and sleep  Do something positive to help your community through the event, such as assisting with cleanup or raising money for aid