Understanding Mental Health and Emotions

1. Understanding Mental Health and Emotions Mrs. Voakes PPZ 3O

2. Mental Health • Mental health was once thought to be the absence of mental illness • Now it refers to how you use the various aspects of health to achieve positive feelings about yourself and improve your ability to deal with problems.

3. Mental Health • The National Association for Mental Health describes someone with good mental health as having the following characteristics; • Feels comfortable with himself or herself • Has good relationships with others • Meets the demands of life.

4. Assessing Your Mental Health • Get a blank piece of paper • Write yes , sometimes, or no to answer each question • You do not need to show anyone your results

5. Assessing Your Mental Health • 1. Are you willing to assume responsibilities appropriate for someone your age? • 2. Do you participate in activities appropriate to your stage in life? • 3. Do you accept your responsibilities? • 4. Do you solve problems rather than avoid them? • 5. Do you make decisions with a minimum of worry? • 6. Do you stick with a choice you made until new factors surface? • 7. Are you satisfied with your accomplishments?

6. Assessing Your Mental Health • 8. Do you recognise that thinking about a problem is the first step in toward taking action? • 9. Do you learn from failures or defeats? • 10. Do you keep success in perspective? • 11. Do you enjoy working and enjoy playing? • 12. Do you say no to negative situations even though they may provide temporary pleasure? • 13. Do you say yes to positive situations even though there may be some momentary displeasure? • 14. Can you tell others when you are angry?

7. Assessing Your Mental Health • 15. Can you show affection? • 16. Can you endure frustration when the source cannot be changed or eliminated? • 17. Can you make compromises in dealing with difficulties? • 18. Can you concentrate and work at a single goal? • 19. Do you recognize the challenges of life? • 20. Can you develop and maintain family and intemate relationships?

8. Assessing Your Mental Health • Count the number of Yeses and the number of Nos • If you have more Yeses, you may have more characteristics of good mental health

9. Emotions Are Normal • Emotions are feelings in response to an activity or an experience. • They can be positive or negative • Example: Feeling angry is natural but expressing that anger with violence is not. • Hormones and Drugs can also alter ones mood or emotions.

10. Expressing Emotions • Expressing emotions is learned from past experiences. • Your personal interactions and Modeling of others • You see how someone else reacts and the next time the same situation happens to you, you react in the same manner.

11. Expressing Emotions • Expressing emotions in a positive way is an essential skill that must be practiced and rehearsed. • Example: When feeling angry, instead of hitting something or someone. Do some strenuous exercise or talk to someone about it.

12. Kinds of Emotions

13. Love • The feeling of strong affection or caring for another person. • Everyone has the need to love, and the need to be loved by others. • There are different types of Love. • Romantic Love is often confused with attraction in the adolescence years.

14. Happiness • The feeling of joy and well-being or contentment • Happiness can also be a goal that drives people – self help books

15. Tips on how to be happy. • - Recognize that you have some control in your life • -You are the only one who can control your attitude and how you react. • -Adopt a healthy lifestyle • Have a positive attitude • -Think about what makes you happy and make time for those activities

16. Tips on how to be happy. • Work hard at tasks you find meaningful • Be organized, but flexible, so you can adapt to changes as they occur in your life. • -Establish close relationships with others

17. Optimism • Feeling that life experiences will be positive (having a positive attitude) • Optimism is a healthy emotion that affects your physical wellbeing

18. Humour • A characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling that provokes laughter • Humour provides a way of expressing negative emotions in a positive way. • Laughter can boost your immune system

19. Fear - • The feeling of danger • Fear response – Increase heart rate, muscles tense, and your senses become more alert. • Staying in this state can harm your body. • Fears are useful as they protect you from harm • If the feeling of danger is not realistic it should be managed.

20. Managing Fear • How to deal with fear • Self talk- Saying things to yourself in order to view a fear more realistically • Environmental planning- Rearrange the environment to reduce your fear

21. Anger • A strong feeling of irritation • Anger also increases heart rate, raises blood pressure, causes headaches and nausea

22. Managing Anger • Recognize what the source of anger is. • Others can make you angry but they do not make you express your anger • It is important to talk to someone about the problem as bottling is bad for your health.

23. Guilt - • The feeling that you have done something wrong or are responsible for something bad happening • Guilt can be a cue to resolve a problem

24. Managing Guilt • Think about what the source of guilt is. • If you have made a mistake, correct it and the move on. • If the guilt seems overwhelming seek a professions help

25. Depression • A feeling of anxiety, loneliness, and despair • It can interfere with the ability to carry out daily tasks • affects 33% of teens

26. Depression - Symptoms • Sleeping too much or too little • - Loss of appetite • -Feeling tired throughout the day • - Loss of energy • -Lack of interest or lack of ability to concentrate • -Withdrawal from a group

27. Factors linked to depression • Family History – the tendency for depression appears to be hereditary (genes or environment?) • Major life stresses – personal traumas – neglect, abuse • Physical Illness – Illness can causes depression for multiple reasons • Substance abuse – The dependency and guilt can cause depression • Gender – more likely in women

28. Managing Depression • Identify what has made you depressed • Focus on positive things in life • Talk to a friend or professional • Exercise – releases endorphins

29. Are you at risk for depression • Write your answers on a blank piece of paper • Do not show others your answers. • You can also fill this out to see if you think a friend is depressed. • Answer Yes or No

30. Are you at risk for depression • 1. Do you have problems concentrating or making decisions? • 2. Are you almost always tired, or do you have problems sitting still because you are so upset • 3. Do you sleep well? Are you sleeping much more or much less than usual?

31. Are you at risk for depression • 4. Have you gained or lost a significant amount of weight? • 5. Do you find that you are no longer enjoy things that used to make you happy? • 6. Do you feel worthless most of the time? • 7. Do you have thoughts of death?

32. Are you at risk for depression • If you answered Yes to 5 or more of these questions, please speak to a school councillor, parent, guardian, teacher, etc.

33. Jealousy • The feeling of wanting something that someone else has or the fear of losing something you have.

34. Managing Jealousy • Discuss your feeling with the person involved • Jealousy that is not dealt with can lead to anger

35. Loneliness • - The feeling of isolation or alienation • Managing Loneliness • Take charge - Engage in activities that will make you part of a group. • Make the effort to call old friends or volunteer

36. Shyness • The feeling of being timid or bashful • Often people who are shy, lack self-esteem

37. Managing Self-esteem / Improving Self Esteem • Make a list of your strengths and positive traits • Do not put yourself down. It makes you feel inferior • Put yourself in situations with supportive people • Do not spend time with people who make you feel bad about yourself. • If this cannot be avoided remember your strengths and positive traits • Do not be afraid to try new things and fail. • Failures teach lessons that help you grow as a person.

38. Questions • How would you know if you are mentally healthy? I (1) • List four SMART goals you can set to achieve happiness I (2) • Describe some positive strategies for managing anger I (1) • List four things you can do to keep from feeling lonely I (1)