MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH

1. MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH OBJECTIVES: • Describe the characteristics of positive mental health. • Compare the stages of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. • Describe how you can learn to express emotions in a positive way. • Identify the limitations of defense mechanism.

2. Characteristics of Positive Mental Health Mental Health: state of mental well being in which one can cope with the demands of daily life. • Sense of Control: Mentally healthy people have a sense of control and take charge of their lives. • Ability to endure failures and frustrations: mentally healthy people persist through set backs and understand frustrations are a part of learning. • See Events Positively: mentally healthy people are optimistic and see challenges as opportunities. • Express Emotions in a Healthy Way: Mentally healthy people do not hold in emotions of deny how they feel. They express emotions ways in healthy ways .

3. Maslow’s Hierachy of Needs • PHYSICAL STAGE: The need for food, water, sleep, and exercise. • SAFETY STAGE: The need for shelter and protection from danger. • SOCIAL STAGE: The need for love, affection, and acceptance. • ESTEEM STAGE: The need to have self respect and achieve goals. • SELF ACTUALIZATION: The achievement of the best that a person can be.

4. EXPRESSING EMOTIONS POSITIVELY EMOTION: feeling that is produced in response to life experiences. • Emotions are not categorized as good or bad. • Expressing emotions can have good or bad effects. • You learn to express emotion much like the people around you. • You can learn to express your emotions constructively.

5. MANAGING EMOTIONS Emotions can be overwhelming , especially during your teenage years. Understanding and recognizing the emotions you feel can be a challenge. Follow these suggestions: • Talk it Out: Talk with someone that you trust about how you are feeling. • Blow off steam: Releasing energy in some positive way often helps…exercising, building something, or playing a sport are positive ways to let it go. • Be Creative: Some people write or draw when troubled others sing, play music , or paint. All these are effective. Again, singing, playing music, writing, drawing, talking to friends, exercising, play a sport, and letting go of what you cannot control are all ways to manage emotions.

6. Defense Mechanisms Defense Mechanisms are unconscious thoughts or behavior used to avoid experiencing unpleasant emotions. Examples of defense Mechanisms can be found on page 66 in the text.

7. Limitations of Defense Mechanisms • Most defense mechanisms have few, if any, long term effects. • They work for a short time to relieve troubles, so you can get through tough times. • They do not make the upsetting emotions disappear. • They may mask unwanted feelings. • All people use defense mechanisms, one must find a healthy balance to help cope with your feelings.