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BREAKING THE SILENCE

BREAKING THE SILENCE. Teaching the Next Generation about Mental Illness. National Alliance on Mental Illness. A self-help organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with a serious mental illness. support. education. advocacy. Overview of Talk.

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BREAKING THE SILENCE

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  1. BREAKING THE SILENCE Teaching the Next Generation about Mental Illness

  2. National Alliance on Mental Illness A self-help organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with a serious mental illness • support • education • advocacy

  3. Overview of Talk • Why is it vital to teach young people about mental illness? • What are the warning signs of mental illness? • What perpetuates stigma and what can we do about it? • How does “Breaking the Silence” approach this challenging topic?

  4. How common is mental illness in children & adolescents? • 1 in 12 children and adolescents have a mental illness severe enough to require treatment • Of those needing it less than 1 in 5 will receive treatment • 1 in 5 adults will develop a mental illness at some point in their lives • Before the age of 14 half of those are who will go on to develop a mental illness are already showing the early warning signs • Suicide is the third leading cause of death in teenagers ages 15 to 24. Surgeon General’s Report - 2001

  5. Impact of Untreated Mental Illness in the Classroom • Inattentive students • Poor attendance • Bullying • Disruptive behavior • Weak social skills • Low achievement

  6. Mental illness affects people from all walks of life, regardless of age, race, income, religion, or education • Mental illnesses are no fault brain disorders Jessica Lynch Miss New York State 2004

  7. What are the warning signs of mental illness? • Dramatic changes in behavior • Personality change • Mood swings • Inability to concentrate and cope • Bizarre behavior and speech • Reckless and uncontrolled behavior • Duration - Persist over an extended period of time • Affect quality of life • Friendships, social life • Fearful, anxious, withdrawn • No longer enjoy life

  8. What are some of the mental illnesses that affect young people? • MOOD DISORDERS – depression, bipolar disorder • THOUGHT DISORDERS – schizophrenia, bipolar disorder • ANXIETY DISORDERS – examples: phobias, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder • EATING DISORDERS – anorexia, bulimia

  9. Severe mental illnesses are NOT: • Anybody’s fault • A character flaw • Hopeless!

  10. What causes mental illness? • Often people who develop a mental illness have a biological predisposition to these disorders • Environmental stressors may trigger the onset of symptoms such as complications during pregnancy, viruses, starvation, disaster, traumatic events, head injury

  11. QUESTION #1 If you had someone in your class or school that you thought had a mental illness what would you do?

  12. Let’s talk aboutStigma

  13. Stigma is destructive • There are long delays—sometimes decades—between the first onset of symptoms and when people seek and receive treatment • Students often self-medicate with drugs and alcohol instead of seeking treatment Surgeon General’s Report, 2001

  14. Stigma Learned at Early Age • Children’s media parallels adult stereotypes • Predominant image is violent, fear producing • Message is that isolation not treatment is the answer Sheldon Silverstein, “Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book”

  15. Are people with mental illness really violent? • People arrested multiple times for drunk driving pose by far the greatest risk to society • Social risk factor, not mental illness, predict violence • Substance abuse • Victims of violence in childhood • Live in neighborhoods where violence is common • More likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators – 1 out of 6 Jack Nicholson in the movie The Shining

  16. Mental illness as the object of ridicule • “Crazy for You” strait-jacketed teddy bear • Valentine’s Day gift from Vermont Teddy Bear Company • Comes with commitment papers

  17. How does stigma affect someone struggling with mental illness? • Feelings of shame and isolation • Loss of friends • Future thrown off course – education, profession, marriage • Lowers self-esteem

  18. How are families affected by stigma? • Feelings of secrecy and shame • Difficult to get family member to accept treatment • Family becomes isolated from friends and extended family • NAMI study showed that 70% of their members’ marriages ended in divorce

  19. How are siblings affected by stigma? • Loss of relationship with brother or sister • Am I responsible? • Feelings of neglect • Survivors guilt • Will I get it? • Fearful of classmates and friends finding out

  20. QUESTION #2 What examples of stigma have you seen in your class or school? How did you respond?

  21. BREAKING THE SILENCE: Teaching the Next Generation About Mental Illness • For three grade levels: upper elementary, middle school, and high school • Each grade level packet includes lessons with fully scripted questions and responses, posters, games and definitions. • User friendly and fully scripted • Lessons are story based • Emphasis on serious mental illness

  22. Following up in the classroom • Suggested cross-curricular activities • Topics for further study • Annotated book/video lists • Recommended websites for further exploration of the topic

  23. Elementary School - Fighting Stigma Big Mouth Kevin • Lisa’s brother who is seeing a psychiatrist is called “a mental” by an insensitive classmate Stay-at-Home Mondays • Jessica, who suffers from depression is isolated and treated abusively by her peers Knock-Knock Who’s There? • David suffers in silence as caretaker for his formerly fun loving mom who is in a deep depression Role plays • Using brain puppets students practice listening and responding empathetically – Listen, Care, Ask, Suggest

  24. Middle School – Fighting Stigma Stop Pretending Poems • Poems illustrate the cruelty of other students who make jokes about the author’s older sister who has developed bipolar disorder. Famous Persons with Mental Illness Word Search • Includes names such as Lincoln, Mark Twain, and Monica Seles who suffered from a mental illness The Brain Game • A board game in which teams compete in answering review questions. Game cards provide multiple examples of stigmatizing and stigma busting behavior.

  25. High School – Fighting Stigma Ross Szabo – bipolar disorder • Director of Youth Outreach for the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign • Ross travels around the country to college campuses educating people about mental illness • Featured in stories in Seventeen and Parade magazines Jessica Lynch - depression • Miss NYS 2004 • Made mental illness her platform Meera Popkin – schizophrenia • Actress. Major roles in London and Broadway productions • Continued to pursue her musical theatre career despite her illness Ross Szabo Lectures at colleges

  26. Elementary School – Symptoms of Mental Illness Stay at Home Mondays – depression • Multiple moves caused Jessica to withdraw socially • Didn’t want to go to school • Complained of aches and pains • Suicidal thoughts Knock-Knock Who’s There • Mom’s dramatic change in behavior • Unable to cope with functions of daily living • Can’t get out of bed. Sleeps too much. Brains Can Get Sick Too poster

  27. Middle School – Symptoms of Mental Illness A Mother’s Day Gift • Story of a high school student’s struggle with schizophrenia. • Extreme anxiety • Bizarre and obsessive behavior • Deterioration in grooming • Grades went down. Couldn’t concentrate. • Delusions – The CIA was after him. Nothing to Sneeze At • Story of Emily’s resistance to acknowledging her OCD • Fear of contamination • Counting rituals • Excessive hand washing • Late to school The Brain Game • Team competition questions include symptoms

  28. High School – Symptoms of Mental Illness Schizophrenia as a Thought Disorder • Delusions – paranoid thoughts • Hallucinations – auditory & visual • Excerpts from books, short stories --Lori Schiller told by TV it was her responsibility to save the world. --Brandon Fitch felt covers on magazine covers were jumping out a him --Colors too intense to bear --Couldn’t block out background noise Are These the Normal Ups and Downs of Adolescence or Mental Illness? --Students asked to distinguish normal from abnormal behavior Warning signs of Mental Illness Poster

  29. National Health Education Standards support teaching about mental illness STUDENTS WILL: • Comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention. • Demonstrate the ability to access valid health information and health promoting products and services. • Analyze the influence of culture, media and technology and other factors on health. • Demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.

  30. How teachers can integrate mental illness into the existing curriculum • Teach tolerance toward people with mental illness as part of anti-bullying/ character education curriculum • Integrate into Substance Abuse curriculum. At least half the people with mental illness self-medicate by using drugs or alcohol

  31. What message do we want to communicate to young people? • Recognize the warning signs of mental illness • It is biology, not a character flaw, that causes mental illness • Learn that mental illness is treatable • Fight the stigma that surrounds mental illness

  32. Parents & Teachers as Allies A booklet written by NAMI to encourage parents and teachers to work together for the child’s benefit when a child has a mental illness. Here’s what teachers can do: • Remove feelings of blame • Acknowledge denial and anger as normal • Communicate empathy and compassion for the parent’s dilemma • Destigmatize mental illness • Emphasize the importance of early intervention and treatment • Be sensitive to parents with special needs and concerns • Provide parents with resources

  33. QUESTION #3 How do you intend to use or encourage the use of Breaking the Silence in your school?

  34. Resources • NAMI – www.nami.org 1-800-950-NAMI • NAMI-NYS – www.naminys.org, 1-800-950-FACT • NAMI Queens/Nassau – www.namiqn.org • NAMI-NYC Metro – www.naminyc.org – Community of Care (multiple languages) • 1-800-LifeNet; Spanish – 1-877-298-3373; Asian languages – 1-877- 990-8585

  35. Contact us for more information BREAKING THE SILENCE NAMI Queens/Nassau 1981 Marcus Avenue, C-117 Lake Success, NY 11042 (516) 326-0797 or (718) 347-7284 www.btslessonplans.org

  36. HELP EDUCATEYOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS

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