Mental Health/Illness

1. Mental Health/Illness

2. Overview •Nationwide 50 million Americans suffer from a mental illness in a given year •Mental Illness is more common than: –Cancer –Diabetes –Heart Disease •Psychiatric disorders are the number 1 reason for hospital admissions nationwide

3. Causes •Biological Causes –Biochemical Disturbances –Genetics –Infections- can cause brain damage –Brain defects or injury #1 cause brain injuries –Prenatal damage –Poor nutrition, exposure to toxins

4. Causes Cont. •Psychological Causes –Severe psychological trauma suffered as a child, such as emotional, physical or sexual abuse –An important early loss, such as the loss of a parent –Neglect –Poor ability to relate to others

5. Causes Cont. •Environmental Factors –Death or divorce –A dysfunctional family life –Living in poverty –Feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, anxiety, anger or loneliness –Changing jobs or schools –Social or cultural expectations (For example, a society that associates beauty with thinness can be a factor in the development of eating disorders.) –Substance abuse by the person or the person's parents

6. Categories of Mental Illness •Mood/ Personality Disorders •Anxiety Disorders •Psychotic Disorders •Impulse Control and Addictive Disorders •Eating Disorders/Body Image •Other ( Adjustment Disorders, Dissocative Disorders, Factitious Disorders, Somatoform Disorders, Cognitive disorders)

7. Mood Disorders • Bipolar Disorder • Major Depression Symptoms of mood disorders include feelings of sadness, hopelessness, helplessness or inadequacy that do not go away; guilt; suicidal thoughts; fatigue; changes in appetite; irritability; difficulty concentrating; and trouble engaging in daily tasks and relationships. Mood disorders can also cause an elevated mood (mania) that is accompanied by feelings of grandiosity, extreme energy, and heightened arousal. These feelings are stronger and last longer than normal, and interfere with day-to-day life.

8. Anxiety Disorders •Panic Disorder •Obsessive Compulsive Disorder •Post Traumatic Stress Disorder •Social Anxiety Disorder •Specific Phobias •Generalized Anxiety Disorder

9. Psychotic Disorders •Schizophrenia: –People with this illness have changes in behavior and other symptoms -- such as delusions and hallucinations -- that last longer than six months, usually with a decline in work, school and social functioning. •Schizoaffective disorder: –People with this illness have symptoms of schizophrenia, as well as a serious mood or affective disorder, such as severedepression, mania (a disorder marked by periods of excessive energy) orbipolar disorder (a disorder with cyclical periods of depression and mania).

10. Psychotic Disorders Cont •Schizophreniform disorder: – People with this illness have symptoms of schizophrenia, but the symptoms last less than six months. •Brief psychotic disorder: –People with this illness have sudden, short periods of psychotic behavior, often in response to a very stressful event, such as a death in the family. Recovery is often quick -- usually less than a month.

11. Personality Disorders •Personality disorders: People with personality disorders have extreme and inflexible personality traits that are distressing to the person and/or cause problems in work, school or social relationships. •In addition, the person's patterns of thinking and behavior significantly differ from the expectations of society and are so rigid that they interfere with the person's normal functioning. •Examples include antisocial personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and paranoid personality disorder.

12. Impulse control and addiction disorders •People with impulse control disorders are unable to resist urges, or impulses, to perform acts that could be harmful to themselves or others. •Pyromania (starting fires), kleptomania (stealing) and compulsive gambling are examples of impulse control disorders. •Alcohol and drugs are common objects of addictions. Often, people with these disorders become so involved with the objects of their addiction that they begin to ignore responsibilities and relationships.

13. Eating Disorders •Eating disorders involve extreme emotions, attitudes and behaviors involving weight and food. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder are the most common eating disorders.

14. Compare & Contrast Which disorders or illnesses are common? How are they similar? How might they be different?

15. Four Types of Stress 1. There is the positive kind called EUSTRESS, which is short term stress and actually arises to strengthen us for immediate action, creativity and times when we need inspiration and motivation 2. DISTRESS is negative and harmful and causes us to adapt to changing situations; there is the short-term variety of acute stress that passes quickly, and long-term chronic stress. 3. HYPERSTRESS is when we get so stressed out that we just overload because it is just too much for us to handle. 4. HYPOSTRESS means just not enough stress. We need a little bit in our lives, otherwise we feel bored and have nothing challenging us.

16. Types of Stress •Breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend •Beginning to date •Getting suspended from school •Loss of a parent’s job or change in income •Beginning high school •Death of a pet •Taking finals •Winning a competition or game •Being accepted at a college of your choice •Public recognition •TV Appearance •Birth of a sibling •Vacation •Holidays – Christmas, Easter, etc. •Traveling long distances with family •Large crowds •Traffic

17. Ways to COPE with stress C. Consider other alternatives O. Others Support P. Problem Solving E. Esteem Building