MENTAL MENTAL DISORDERSDISORDERS

What is a Mental What is a Mental Disorder?Disorder?

Mental disorder- illness that affects the Mental disorder- illness that affects the mind and reduces a persons ability to mind and reduces a persons ability to function, to adjust to change, or get along function, to adjust to change, or get along with others.with others.

Could affect a persons ability to study, Could affect a persons ability to study, keep a job, or make friendskeep a job, or make friends

Recognizing Mental Recognizing Mental DisordersDisorders

Abnormal thoughts, feelings, or Abnormal thoughts, feelings, or behaviors are signs/symptoms of a behaviors are signs/symptoms of a mental disordermental disorder

Behaviors that are highly unusual (i.e. Behaviors that are highly unusual (i.e. washing your hands over and over if washing your hands over and over if already clean)already clean)

Causes of Mental Causes of Mental DisordersDisorders

Sometimes has a single cause; more Sometimes has a single cause; more often a combination of factors are often a combination of factors are involvedinvolved Physical FactorsPhysical Factors HeredityHeredity Early ExperiencesEarly Experiences Recent ExperiencesRecent Experiences

Physical FactorsPhysical Factors

Damage to the brainDamage to the brain Growth or tumor in the brainGrowth or tumor in the brain Injury/ Infection to the brainInjury/ Infection to the brain Exposure to poison/leadExposure to poison/lead Prolonged use of drugs or Prolonged use of drugs or

alcoholalcohol

HeredityHeredity

May inherit a tendency toward a May inherit a tendency toward a mental disordermental disorder

Does NOT mean the person will Does NOT mean the person will have the disorderhave the disorder

Greater risk if the events in their Greater risk if the events in their life act as a triggerlife act as a trigger

Early ExperiencesEarly Experiences

Negative Experiences that occur Negative Experiences that occur early on in lifeearly on in life

Ex. Neglected child; child that is abused Ex. Neglected child; child that is abused in any wayin any way

Recent ExperiencesRecent Experiences

Experts believe that recent experiences Experts believe that recent experiences are more likely than early experiences to are more likely than early experiences to trigger a mental disorderstrigger a mental disorders

Ex. Death of a loved oneEx. Death of a loved one

ADHDADHD

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderAttention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Difficulty in school, home, social settingsDifficulty in school, home, social settings When treated with medication, the results When treated with medication, the results

are immediate and dramaticare immediate and dramatic Remember: Just because someone Remember: Just because someone

has trouble sitting still or paying has trouble sitting still or paying attention from time to time doesn’t attention from time to time doesn’t mean they have ADHDmean they have ADHD

ADHD (cont.)ADHD (cont.)

Signs/Symptoms:Signs/Symptoms: Doesn’t pay attention to detailsDoesn’t pay attention to details Makes careless mistakesMakes careless mistakes Doesn’t seem to listenDoesn’t seem to listen DisorganizedDisorganized Forgets to do daily activitiesForgets to do daily activities Easily distractedEasily distracted Difficulty following directionsDifficulty following directions

Anxiety DisordersAnxiety Disorders

Anxiety: fear caused by a source that you Anxiety: fear caused by a source that you cannot identify or a source that doesn’t cannot identify or a source that doesn’t pose as much threat as you thinkpose as much threat as you think

Feelings are usually normal and short-Feelings are usually normal and short-livedlived

ex: anxious before a final, school dance, ex: anxious before a final, school dance, tryoutstryouts

Anxiety Disorders (cont.)Anxiety Disorders (cont.)

Anxiety disorder: anxiety that persists for a Anxiety disorder: anxiety that persists for a long time and interferes with daily livinglong time and interferes with daily living

In any six month period, 10% of Americans In any six month period, 10% of Americans have an anxiety disorderhave an anxiety disorder Examples:Examples:

Generalized Anxiety DisorderGeneralized Anxiety Disorder PhobiasPhobias Panic AttacksPanic Attacks Obsessive Compulsive DisordersObsessive Compulsive Disorders Post Traumatic Stress DisorderPost Traumatic Stress Disorder

Anxiety Disorders: Anxiety Disorders: Generalized Anxiety Generalized Anxiety

DisorderDisorder Displays Intense worry, fears, or anxiety Displays Intense worry, fears, or anxiety

most days for at least 6 monthsmost days for at least 6 months NO single specific sourceNO single specific source Occur in different situationOccur in different situation Warning signs: restlessness, fatigue, Warning signs: restlessness, fatigue,

trouble, falling asleep, trouble trouble, falling asleep, trouble concentratingconcentrating

Anxiety Disorders: Anxiety Disorders: PhobiasPhobias

Phobia: anxiety related to a specific situation or Phobia: anxiety related to a specific situation or objectobject

Physical Effects: loss of breath, sweating, heart Physical Effects: loss of breath, sweating, heart racing, nausearacing, nausea Common Phobias:Common Phobias: Arachnophobia-fear of spidersArachnophobia-fear of spiders Aviophobia- fear of flyingAviophobia- fear of flying Acrophobia- fear of high placesAcrophobia- fear of high places Claustrophobia- fear of small, closed in placesClaustrophobia- fear of small, closed in places Ophidiophobia- fear of snakesOphidiophobia- fear of snakes

Anxiety Disorders: Anxiety Disorders: Panic AttacksPanic Attacks

Feeling intense fear and strong desire to Feeling intense fear and strong desire to leave or run awayleave or run away

After one attack, tend to worry about After one attack, tend to worry about having another/ may change their having another/ may change their behaviorbehavior Symptoms:Symptoms: Fast heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, Fast heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating,

belief you are dying, trembling, choking, belief you are dying, trembling, choking, nausea, dizziness, fear of losing controlnausea, dizziness, fear of losing control

Anxiety Disorders: Anxiety Disorders: Obsessive Compulsive Obsessive Compulsive

Disorder (OCD)Disorder (OCD) Obsession: an unwanted thought or Obsession: an unwanted thought or

image that takes control of the mindimage that takes control of the mind Compulsion: unreasonable need to Compulsion: unreasonable need to

behave in a certain way to prevent a behave in a certain way to prevent a feared outcomefeared outcome

Ex: constantly brushing teeth, checking Ex: constantly brushing teeth, checking to see if the door is locked, checking the to see if the door is locked, checking the stovestove

Anxiety Disorders: Post-Anxiety Disorders: Post-Traumatic Stress Traumatic Stress

DisorderDisorder Surviving a life threatening eventSurviving a life threatening event Flashbacks/NightmaresFlashbacks/Nightmares Intense Fear/horrorIntense Fear/horror Unable to sleepUnable to sleep Intense AnxietyIntense Anxiety Feeling of guilt if others survivedFeeling of guilt if others survived

Other Mental Disorders: Other Mental Disorders: Mood DisordersMood Disorders

- Experience extreme emotions that make Experience extreme emotions that make it difficult to function wellit difficult to function well

- Ex. Bipolar: shift from one emotion extreme Ex. Bipolar: shift from one emotion extreme to another (manic to depressive)to another (manic to depressive)

- Depression: emotional state in which a Depression: emotional state in which a person feels extremely sad and hopelessperson feels extremely sad and hopeless

Other Mental Disorders: Other Mental Disorders: SchizophreniaSchizophrenia

SchizophreniaSchizophrenia: severe disturbances in : severe disturbances in thinking, mood, awareness, and behaviorthinking, mood, awareness, and behavior

“ “ split-mind”- peoples minds are “split-off” or split-mind”- peoples minds are “split-off” or separated from realityseparated from reality

Rarely harmful to othersRarely harmful to others At times appear normal; at times talk to At times appear normal; at times talk to

themselves, display inappropriate dress, act themselves, display inappropriate dress, act strangely, withdraw from othersstrangely, withdraw from others

Develop fears that are not supported by realityDevelop fears that are not supported by reality

Other Mental Disorders: Other Mental Disorders: Impulse Control Impulse Control

DisordersDisorders Cannot resist impulse or the drive to act Cannot resist impulse or the drive to act

in a way that is harmful to themselves or in a way that is harmful to themselves or to others (ex. Kleptomania, gambling, to others (ex. Kleptomania, gambling, uncontrolled shopping)uncontrolled shopping)

Interferes with work, school, family, Interferes with work, school, family, relationships, financesrelationships, finances

Other Mental Disorders: Other Mental Disorders: Personality DisordersPersonality Disorders

Display rigid patterns of behavior that Display rigid patterns of behavior that make it difficult to get along with othersmake it difficult to get along with others

Falls into three broad groups:Falls into three broad groups: Group AGroup A Group BGroup B Group CGroup C

Other Mental Disorders: Other Mental Disorders: Personality Disorders Personality Disorders

(cont.)(cont.) GROUP A:GROUP A:

Tend to be cold and distantTend to be cold and distant Cannot form close relationshipsCannot form close relationships Absorbed in their own thoughts/ Absorbed in their own thoughts/

withdraw from realitywithdraw from reality ““paranoid” personality: overly paranoid” personality: overly

suspicious of other peoplesuspicious of other people

Other Mental Disorders: Other Mental Disorders: Personality Disorders Personality Disorders

(cont.)(cont.) GROUP B:GROUP B:

Overly emotional/unstableOverly emotional/unstable SelfishSelfish DemandingDemanding High value on themselves and not High value on themselves and not

on otherson others ““anti-social” personalityanti-social” personality

Other Mental Disorders: Other Mental Disorders: Personality Disorders (cont)Personality Disorders (cont)

GROUP C:GROUP C: Cannot make decisionsCannot make decisions Strong need for the approval of othersStrong need for the approval of others Avoid people for fear of rejectionAvoid people for fear of rejection Need help from others to properly care Need help from others to properly care

for themselvesfor themselves ““Dependent personality”Dependent personality”