Demythologizing Mental Illness
and Suicide
Steven R. Crouch
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
President, Pine Meadow Counseling
National Alliance on Mental Illness Statistics
34,000 people commit suicide every year
10th leading cause of death in adults 3rd leading cause of death in
adolescents
Depression ✷ Depressed mood most of the day✷ Diminished interest or pleasure in all or most all
activities✷ Significant weight loss or gain✷ Insomnia or hypersomnia✷ Psychomotor agitation or retardation ✷ Fatigue or loss of energy✷ Feelings of worthlessness or guilt✷ Inability to think of concentrate or indecisiveness✷ Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide • Symptoms present nearly every day for at least
2 weeks
Mania* Elevated, expansive, irritable mood* Inflated sense of self importance* Decreased need for sleep* Racing speech* Flight of ideas, distractibility* Increase in goal-directed activity* Risk taking activities
IED■ Intermittent Explosive Disorder:
✷ Recurrent behavioral outbursts✷ Magnitude of aggression is grossly out of proportion✷ Outbursts are not premeditated✷ Outbursts cause marked distress in individual or
impairment in occupational or interpersonal functioning, or are associated with financial or legal consequences
✷ Chronological age is at least 6 years (or equivalent developmental level)
✷ Outbursts are not better explained by another mental disorder
Marsha
http://www.3pgc.org/photos-videos/details/?m=1021
Pit Thought Traits Impatience, frustration, hurriedness, reckless, Boredom, restlessness, dissatisfaction Defensiveness, self focused, pride, ego Fear, struggle, effortful, drudgery, strain Blame, judgement, self-righteousness Stress, burnout, anxiety, inefficiency Limited view, micromanage, details only Sadness, sorrow, depression, hopeless, helpless Anger, grudges, hostility, hate, revenge,
paranoia Serious, no one else understands, dis-ease,
complex
Free Flowing Secure Thought Traits
Calm, peaceful, natural, effortless Ability to focus and concentrate without
effort Curious, inspired, creative Present, content, satisfied, fulfilled Relaxed, ease, humble, kindness,
generosity Focus on enjoyment, light-hearted Empathy, compassion, understanding Cooperation, flexibility, open-minded Optimistic, positive, in love with life Resilient, hopeful, glass ½ full Love, gratitude, and intimacy
Levels of Awareness
Elevator of Consciousness• Ground Floor: Objective Reality
• Seeing what’s really happening • experiencing the world as it is
• Lower Floors: Subjective Reality• Seeing an interpretation of reality • experiencing the world through the filter of my
thinking• Higher Floors: Constructed Reality
• Seeing it is all made up • the world is what I think it is
• Top Floors: Illusory Reality• No separation between “out there” and “in here”• I am a pure expression of the energy of life
Pine Meadow Counseling
7070 Schirra Court, Suite 200
Bakersfield, CA 93313
661-834-7564
1-855-ilisn2u
www.pinemeadowcounseling.org