CHAPTER 2

PERSONALITY&

MENTAL HEALTH2014/2105

Mental Health¨ Psychologist, PhD

– study the human mind and human behavior

– A doctoral degree usually is required for independent practice as a psychologist.

– Does therapy

¨ Psychiatrist, MD– a physician who

specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, addictive, and emotional disorders

– Prescribes meds.

Other Health Professionals¨ Clinical Psychologist – trained to recognize

and treat behavior¨ Psychiatric Social Worker – helps patients

and their families¨ Neurologist – doctor who treats physical

disorders of the nervous system¨ Mental Health Counselor – focus on

specific mental problems

¨ Social Worker – assist people by providing counseling for patients and families; help person adjust to life

¨ Recreational Therapist – uses activities as therapist

¨ Psychiatric Aide- helps people with mental disorders do basic things.

SIGMUND FREUD¨ Theories:¨ 1) Hysteria is the result of a

traumatic experience¨ 2) The organism is special in that it

acts to survive and reproduce¨ 3) Personality is made of 3 parts:

• id,• Ego,• superego

Freud, cont.

¨ Conscious and unconscious thoughts.¨ Conscious thoughts are thoughts that can be

easily recalled.¨ Unconscious thoughts are thoughts that can

not be easily recalled; but they maybe experiences that did occur.

¨ Psychoanalysis – therapy that brings forward memories, through hypnoses.

Carl Jung¨ Theory:¨ The Psyche has three parts:

– Ego: related to the personal unconscious, includes both memories that are easily brought to mind and those that are suppressed

– Collective unconscious: a kind of knowledge we are born with.

Four basic Functions:¨ Sensing means getting information

by means of the senses¨ Thinking – means evaluating

information or ideas rationally, logically

¨ Intuiting – works outside of the usual conscious processes

¨ Feeling – is a matter of evaluating information by weighing one’s overall emotional response

Erik ERIKSON

¨ Theory:¨ Humans develop socially &

psychologically up until their death.

Eight Stages of Development:• Trust vs. Mistrust -- feeding• Autonomy vs. Shame/doubt – toilet training• Initiative vs. Guilt – independence• Industry vs. Inferiority – school

Erikson – stages of development (cont)

• Identity vs. Role Confusion – adolescence• Intimacy vs. Isolation – love relationships• Generativity vs. Stagnation – parenting• Ego Integrity vs. Despair -- reflections

5 Central Traits¨ Extroversion *Introversion¨ Agreeableness *Suspicious¨ Conscientiousness *Impulsive¨ Emotional Stability *Fearful/Worried¨ Openness to

Experience *Predictable

How is personality developed?

¨ Heredity – genetics, person can not change who she/he is.

¨ Environmental – influences us to act a certain way

–Modeling – coping behavior

Self - Esteem¨ Self image – it’s the overall picture you

have of yourself–Appearance–Abilities–View of how others see you

Self-Esteem

¨ Who develops it?¨ Who affects it?

Benefits of High Self-Esteem¨ Realistic about strengths and weaknesses¨ Able to take on the responsibilities of daily

living¨ Caring toward oneself and others¨ Able to handle disappointments and learn

from them¨ Able to feel enjoyment & sense of

achievement

Improving Self-Esteem1. Take inventory of strengths & weaknesses

2. Set ambitious, but realistic goals

3. Do not be too hard on yourself.

4. Rely on your values, choose good friends

5. Learn to accept compliments

6. Do something nice for others.

7. Do not focus too much on appearance, practice good health habits

8. Avoid negative thinking.

Emotions

¨ Primary Emotions– Happiness– Sadness– Anger– Fear

Learned Emotions

¨ Love– Compassion– Romantic

¨ Guilt

Coping Strategies

Defense Mechanism¨ Compensation¨ Rationalization¨ Denial ¨ Reaction Formation¨ Projection¨ Regression

Mental Disorders ¨ Abnormal thoughts, feeling or

behavior that makes a person uncomfortable with him/her environment and at odds with others.

Anxiety Disorders - fear that does not have an identifiable source or fear caused by a danger that no longer exist.

¨ Phobic Disorders - when anxiety is related to a specific situation or object.

¨ Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - thinking and acting in a rigid way

¨ Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – a traumatic experience that is reexperienced.

Mood Disorders - moods or emotions become extreme & interfere with daily life

¨ Clinical Depression - condition in which the person is overwhelmed by sad feelings for months and stops being able to carry out every day activities.

¨ Bipolar - person shifts from one extreme to another for no apparent reason.

Somatoform Disorders – complain of physical symptoms, such as pain, with no physical cause.¨ Hypochondria - constant fear of disease and

preoccupation with one’s health.¨ Body Dysmorphic disorder – preoccupation

with an imagined or exaggerated defect in physical appearance.

Jocelyn Wildenstein

Factitious Disorders – are characterized by physical/psychological symptoms that are intentionally produced

¨ Munchausen by Proxy – hurting others, such as children to seek attention or sympathy

¨ Anorexia Nervosa - refusing to eat, don’t maintain a normal body weight: causes death

¨ Bulimia Nervosa- binge eating followed by purging

¨ Binge-eating Disorder – recurrent episodes of binge eating, with no purging

Eating Disorders - emotional problems revealed through abnormal eating

Personality Disorder - characterized by behavior that is inflexible¨ Borderline Personality Disorder – a pattern

of instability in interpersonal relationships¨ Narcissistic Personality Disorder – a pattern

of grandiosity, lack of empathy¨ Antisocial Personality Disorder - perform

cruel and violent acts without feeling any guilt

Psychopath vs. Sociopath•

¨ Predisposition to Violence:

• High Varied

¨ Impulsivity:• High Varies

¨ Behavior:• Erratic Controlled

¨ Criminal behavior:– Leave clues and act on impulse. Schemes and take calculated risks

Dissociative Disorders -becoming disconnected from former identity¨ Dissociative Amnesia - sudden loss of

memory, caused by severe emotional trauma

¨ Dissociative Identity Disorder- switching between two or more separate personalities– are not aware of the other personalities that

coexist within the mind.

Schizophrenia - Means “split mind” ¨ A disorder characterized by unpredictable

disturbances in thinking, mood, awareness and behavior.– Talk to themselves, dialogue– dress and act strangely