MENTAL ILLNESS

BI-POLAR/MANIC DEPRESSION

Life long disease Panic attacks- waves of emotion and anxiety

Stigma

SUICIDE ATTEMPTS

Things to watch for: Lengthy crying, unnecessary risks, making plans and not showing up, erratic decision making Overextend themselves Pursuit of perfection

PHOBIAS

Intense and unreal fears of something

ARACHNOPHOBIA

The not so pleasant looks of spiders have captured human imagination. They have been depicted as huge man eating monsters in some movies. However, their influence over the human psyche is not limited to only motion pictures. There are people who run into a frenzy every time they see a spider. This fear of the spiders is known as arachnophobia. Interestingly more women are known to be affected by this than men. It also been found that incidence of this phobia in people of South America, where the largest spiders in the world are found is much lesser than it is in other countries. Does this indicate that phobias have a sociocultural origin? Well, this possibility is being weighed by experts.

ACROPHOBIA

Do you feel dizzy and nauseated every time you think of going to the Empire State building? Well this could be because you suffer from vertigo whereas for some of the thought itself would be enough to trigger a morbid fear. Such people who suffer from acrophobia may be terrified of even peeking down the window of their third floor apartment! Acrophobia refers to the fear of heights that can affect one's daily activities to a great extent.

AGORAPHOBIA

Refers to the fear of being unable to escape from a place. Such people avoid crowded places, sporting events, shops, or even standing in a line at stores. This fear can be so intense, that many affected individuals refuse to leave their homes or may do so only when accompanied by a friend or family member. Although earlier it was perceived more as fear of public or open spaces, today it is more widely considered as a result of complication of panic attacks.

AEROPHOBIA

This is another strange fear that has made it to the list of common phobias in the world. Can you think of a world where you did not have aircraft to travel in? If yes then probably you can empathize with the plight of people suffering from fear of flying which is also known as aerophobia. Actor Billy Bob Thornton and actress/singer Cher are two celebrities who suffer from this.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

What is the relationship between stress and stressors?

What is the difference between distress and eustress?

How does the body respond to stress?

What are the physical signs of stress and depression?

What are the steps of the decision making process?

Where do you seek help when a person is in danger of suicide?

What are the warning signs of depression and suicide?

What are sources of help for people with depression, suicidal thoughts, etc.?

Why is good self esteem and self concept important?

What are ways to handle anger, conflict, and peer pressure?

How can you model ways of handling peer pressure situations?

What are the steps of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs?

Mental health- the way people think about and respond to events in their daily lives

Emotional health- the way a person experiences and deals with feelings

QUALITIES OF PEOPLE WITH GOOD MENTAL HEALTH

The person is comfortable with themselves: he/she does not question how they feel about something, their values and beliefs, or their own thoughts and actions.

The person is comfortable with others: he/she does not associate with people that make them feel uncomfortable, gets them in trouble, or asks them to do things that they do not agree with and don't feel right participating in. Part of this is also good hygiene and grooming habits - these two qualities are linked to better success with potential employment opportunities and in building relationships.

The person is comfortable with their environment: he/she is able to leave surroundings that make him/her feel uneasy.

The person is able to meet life's everyday demands: he/she does not put off things until the last minute but rather accomplishes what each day presents and possibly plans ahead for tomorrow's potential demands. As you transition from adolescence to adulthood, you will experience increased responsibility. Are you prepared to handle these?

SELF ESTEEM

Self esteem refers to how an individual feels about him/herself.

How would you characterize a person who has high self-esteem?

Can they interact with others comfortably and feel optimistic about self-worth and position in life, etc.

How would you characterize a person who has low self-esteem?

Social isolation, pessimistic outlook about life and self worth, feelings of worthlessness as a member of society, etc.

Where Does a Person's Self-Esteem Come From?

A person's self-esteem is constantly changing depending on many things: what others say to this person, how others feel about this person, the person's accomplishments, where the person is in their life educationally, financially, socially, vocationally, etc., how is the person doing in achieving his/her goals?

SELF CONCEPT

Self-concept refers to what an individual knows about him/herself.

Where Does a Person's Self Concept Come From?

A person's self concept begins developing from birth and continually develops throughout his/her life. Self concept is what makes a person who they are based on past experiences and experiences they have yet to endure. For example, a child loses his/her mother to cancer at age 5. How do you think this child's self concept is going to change? Possibly he/she will be hesitant about getting close to other mother-like figures, maybe he/she will constantly fear cancer, and what about if the father gets remarried…?

So, which experiences in your life have made you who you are today? And what experiences in your future do you feel may change your self-concept?

Watch the Dove Self Esteem Gallery on you tube

STRESSED OUT?

Stress, Eustress, Distress, Stress Management and Defense Mechanisms

It's safe to say that we all have experienced stress- some more than others. Stress is the body's response to change. Stressors are the things that actually cause the stress: family problems (divorce), relationships, injury, drugs, moving to a new home/community, failing a class (grades), being suspended from school, getting glasses, discrimination, trying out for a sports team, money (lack of most likely), fatigue, etc. Stress - and stressors - can be physical, mental, emotional, or social.

TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF STRESS:

Eustress: This is good or positive stress and you react to it in a positive manner

Example: You are getting married, but there's so much involved in planning a wedding that it is a very tiresome, but you will finally get to marry the man/woman that you want to spend the rest of your life with!

Distress: This is bad or negative stress and you react to it in a negative manner

Example: The death of a loved one or pet

Excessive stress can affect your physical, mental/emotional, and social health. Think back to the last time that you were under a lot of stress. Did you mentally function at your best? Did you easily become angry, confused, pessimistic, etc.? We will discuss the physical effects of stress on the body in the next topic.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Stress Management: The Ability to Handle Stress in a Healthy Way

Since there's little we can do to completely avoid stress, the best thing we can do is to manage it in a healthy way. What do you do when you are under a lot of stress? Here are a few ways to deal productively with stress:

Don't sweat the small stuff!

Improve your level of fitness…take a walk to clear your mind

Eat right

Participate in physical activity

Manage your time wisely (get a planner/calendar)

Maintain a positive outlook

Laugh

Develop positive coping strategies

Listen to your favorite relaxing music

Write down your thoughts about the stressor

Talk to someone

WHAT CAUSES YOU STRESS?

Write down on a piece of paper 5 things that cause you stress. They can be both good or bad stress.

We will discuss them in 5 minutes in class so be willing to share.

(Use one of the stressors to help with the decision making process on the next slide)

THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS: ASSERTIVENESS

Think back to a decision that you made recently. Were you pleased with your final decision and its outcome? What steps did you take when making this decision?

Doesn't some of the stress we experience come from decisions that we make? For example, if a person decides to be sexually active and becomes pregnant, she may have to drop out of high school in order to care for her child. What can we do to make better decisions in our lives? The five-step process listed below is a great strategy to use when making decisions, whether they are big or small.

State the problem

List the possible choices

Consider the consequences and your values

Make a decision and act on it

Evaluate your decision

GENERAL ADAPTATION SKILLS

Stage One: ALARM

The body enters the alarm stage when it is first introduced to the stressor. The sympathetic nervous system is activated during this stage to help the body meet the demands of the stressor. Refer to the linked worksheet to see the many physiological changes that occur during this stage.

Stage Two: RESISTANCE

A person enters the resistance stage when he/she manages their stress in a healthy, productive way. The parasympathetic nervous system is activated to help bring the body back to homeostasis (normal functioning levels). When you look at the linked worksheet, you should notice that all of the physiological effects that occur during the resistance stage.

Stage Three: EXHAUSTION

A person enters the exhaustion stage when he/she does not manage their stress very well and/or is under a lot of stress for an extended amount of time. During this stage, the body physiologically stays somewhat in the alarm stage…and therefore can eventually cause major health problems. Such health problems can range anywhere from decreasing your immunity so you catch a cold to having a massive heart attack! Think back …have you ever gotten sick when you were under a lot of stress?

PEER PRESSURE STRATEGIES

Sometimes peers try to influence your decisions. Peer pressure is defined as pressure people of similar age or status place on a person to behave in certain ways. This pressure can be positive (study for a test, practice for an upcoming concert, wear your helmet/seat belts, etc.) or negative (to try tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs; have premarital sex; steal; vandalize; etc.). There are many strategies (a plan of action) you can use in a negative peer pressure situation.

Complete Peer Pressure worksheet

DEPRESSION

As with stress, I'm sure we can all honestly say that we've experienced depression at some point during our lives. It is estimated that approximately 3-5% of teenagers suffer from teenage depression. Some people experience depression on a daily basis, whereas others get the "blues" only occasionally.

What Happens in the Brain When Someone Is Depressed?

Depression involves the brain's delicate chemistry — specifically, it involves chemicals called neurotransmitters. These chemicals help send messages between nerve cells in the brain. Certain neurotransmitters regulate mood, and if they run low, people can become depressed, anxious, and stressed. Stress also can affect the balance of neurotransmitters and lead to depression.

Sometimes, a person may experience depression without being able to point to any particular sad or stressful event. People who have a genetic predisposition to depression may be more prone to the imbalance of neurotransmitter activity that is part of depression.

Medications that doctors use to treat depression work by helping to restore the proper balance of neurotransmitters.

HUMAN REACTIONS TO DEPRESSION

A woman by the name of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross was interested in finding out how people react when grieving. If you have ever lost a loved one, what emotions did you go through when you heard the news? Kubler-Ross came up with a process that she felt described what a lot of people go through when grieving:

Stage One: Denial and Isolation: The grieving person refuses to accept the reality of the death.

Stage Two: Anger: The person is continuing to resist reality and to ask, "Why me? Why not that old person down the street?"

Stage Three: Bargaining: The person tries to reverse reality, in various irrational ways, as in "bargaining with God," promising to do certain good works, etc.

Stage Four: Depression: Reflects the person's recognition of reality.

Stage Five: Acceptance: The person no longer denies reality, no longer feels angry about it, no longer tries to bargain it away, no longer feels depressed about it, but contemplates his/her death with quiet expectation.

It is important to remember that this is just one person's theory; however, I do feel that she isn't too far off with her stages. Some people may experience all five of these stages, whereas others may only experience a few if any at all.

TYPES OF DEPRESSION

Major depression

Dysthymia

Adjustment disorder with depressed mood

Bipolar disorder

For some people, depression can be intense and occur in bouts that last for weeks at a time. For others, depression can be less severe but can linger at a low level for years.

Doctors who treat depression distinguish between these two types of depression. They call the more severe, short-lasting type major depression, and the longer-lasting but less severe form dysthymia (pronounced: diss-thy-me-uh).

A third form of depression that doctors may diagnose is called adjustment disorder with depressed mood. This diagnosis refers to a depressive reaction to a specific life event (such as a death, divorce, or other loss), when adjusting to the loss takes longer than the normally expected timeframe or is more severe than expected and interferes with the person's daily activities.

Bipolar disorder (also sometimes called manic depressive illness) is another depressive condition that involves periods of major depression mixed with periods of mania. Mania is the term for abnormally high mood and extreme bursts of unusual activity or energy.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION

depressed mood or sadness most of the time (for what may seem like no reason)

lack of energy and feeling tired all the time

inability to enjoy things that used to bring pleasure

withdrawal from friends and family

irritability, anger, or anxiety

inability to concentrate

significant weight loss or gain

significant change in sleep patterns (inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get up in the morning)

feelings of guilt or worthlessness

aches and pains (with no known medical cause)

pessimism and indifference (not caring about anything in the present or future)

thoughts of death or suicide

SUICIDE

Suicide is defined as the intentional taking of one's life. It is important to recognize the warning signs of suicide and seek help if you or someone you know is suffering from severe depression. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem!

CASE STUDY: ETHAN

Ethan felt like there was no point going on with life. Things had been tough since his mom died. His dad was working two jobs and seemed frazzled and angry most of the time. Whenever he and Ethan talked, it usually ended in yelling.

Ethan had just found out he'd failed a math test, and he was afraid of how mad and disappointed his dad would be. In the past, he always talked things over with his girlfriend — the only person who seemed to understand. But they'd broken up the week before, and now Ethan felt he had nowhere to turn.

Ethan knew where his dad kept his guns. But as he was unlocking the cabinet, he heard his kid sister arriving home from school. He didn't want Grace to be the person to find him, so he put the gun back and went to watch TV with her instead. Later, when he realized how close he'd come to ending his life, Ethan was terrified. He summoned the courage to talk to his dad. After a long conversation, he realized how much his dad cared. All he could think of was how he'd almost thrown it all away.

WHY DO TEENS TRY TO KILL THEMSELVES?

Most teens interviewed after making a suicide attempt say that they did it because they were trying to escape from a situation that seemed impossible to deal with or to get relief from really bad thoughts or feelings. Like Ethan, they didn't want to die as much as they wanted to escape from what was going on and at that particular moment dying seemed like the only way out.

Some people who end their lives or attempt suicide might be trying to escape feelings of rejection, hurt, or loss. Others might be angry, ashamed, or guilty about something. Some people may be worried about disappointing friends or family members, and some may feel unwanted, unloved, victimized, or like they're a burden to others.

We all feel overwhelmed by difficult emotions or situations sometimes. But most people get through it or can put their problems in perspective and find a way to carry on with determination and hope. So why does one person try suicide when another person in the same tough situation does not? What makes some people more than others? What makes a person unable to see another way out of a bad situation besides ending his or her life?

The answer to those questions lies in the fact that most people who commit suicide have depression.

SUICIDE IS NOT ALWAYS PLANNED

Sometimes a depressed person plans a suicide in advance. Many times, though, suicide attempts happen impulsively, in a moment of feeling desperately upset. A situation like a breakup, a big fight with a parent, an unintended pregnancy, or being victimized in any way can cause someone to feel desperately upset. Often, a situation like this on top of an existing depression, acts like the final straw.

Some people who attempt suicide mean to die and some aren't completely sure they want to die. For some, a suicide attempt is a way to express deep emotional pain. They can't say how they feel, so for them, attempting suicide feels like the only way to get their message across. Sadly, many people who really didn't mean to kill themselves end up dead or critically ill.

WARNING SIGNS

There are often signs that someone may be thinking about or planning a suicide attempt. Here are some of them:

talking about suicide or death in general

talking about "going away"

referring to things they "won't be needing," and giving away possessions

talking about feeling hopeless or feeling guilty

pulling away from friends or family and losing the desire to go out

having no desire to take part in favorite things or activities

having trouble concentrating or thinking clearly

experiencing changes in eating or sleeping habits

engaging in self-destructive behavior (drinking alcohol, taking drugs, or cutting, for example)

CLASS DISCUSSION

Participate in a class discussion.

Your friend says, "I wonder who would come to my funeral" one night while you are chatting on the phone. A few days later he/she drops out of the marching band and starts giving away their prized positions. What would you do? How could you help? What organizations could you turn to in order to help your friend - or refer your friend to for help.

HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

Self Actualization: Self fulfilled, independent & creative

Aesthetic Needs: The needs to know, explore & understand

Achievement Needs: The needs to achieve, be recognized

Safety Needs: The needs to belong, love, be loved, be safe, secure & out of danger

Physiological Needs: The needs to satisfy hunger, thirst, sleep, & to have shelter