Mental HealthLesson 2

Health Class

Weekly Reminders• Reality town is Wednesday• Pay attention to the altered schedule

Getting Started

• Pick up Lesson 2 notes on Mental Health on the front desk• You will be taking notes today

Class Objectives• Learn how mental illnesses can

change a person physically, mentally, emotionally, and social. • How mental illnesses occur• Where to get help if someone is

showing signs of a mental illness

Mental Health

• Mental health is the way people think about and respond to events in their daily lives.

Mental Health

• The brain controls thoughts, feelings, memories, and actions.• When the brain is working

correctly, it responds to life events with normal emotions and thoughts.

Mental Health

• Sometimes the brain does not work properly because of illnesses that affect the chemical balance of the brain. • When this happens, people are

said to have a mental illness.

Mental Health

• A mental illness is a disorder that effects a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. • Fact

• 1 out of every 6 people has a mental illness

Cause of Mental Illnesses

• The cause of mental illnesses are not completely understood.• Like many other diseases like

type one diabetes or multiple sclerosis, the person with a mental illness did not choose to have the disorder.

Factors of Mental Illness

• Some factors include that could influence someone to have a mental illness include;• Family history• Stress• Abuse• Drug use

Family / Heredity

• Many illnesses are more common in some families than others• Inherited traits may influence

mental illness.• Remember a person does not

get to pick what traits they are born with.• Therefore, they don’t get to pick

to have a mental illness.

Stress

• Sometimes stress can cause a metal illness. • Have you ever heard of someone

having a “mental breakdown”.• Mental breakdowns usually

occur when a person is dealing with a stressful situation in their life. • They are unable to cope with the

stress in a healthy way.

Abuse

• There are many forms of abuse. • Physical: Harm done to the body• Mental: Comments and words said

that causes harm to how a person thinks• Emotional: Harmful behaviors

that cause negative emotions

• Sometimes when people experience abuse, they develop a mental illness as way to deal with the abuse.

Drug Use

• Drugs change chemicals in our brains.• This changes causes our brains

to think and feel differently in normal life situations.• The repeated use of drugs can

damage the normal chemical balances of the brain and cause mental illnesses to develop.

Assignment #1

• With a partner decide what might be the cause of a mental illness in each scenario.

1. Carrie has been using methamphetamines. While getting high she hallucinates that bugs are crawling on her.

2. Matt is feeling depressed. He talks with his mom about his feelings and finds out that his Grandpa struggles with depression.

3. After September 11th, 2001, many police and fire fighters who survived the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York City suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

4. Samantha's makes herself vomit after every meal. Her boyfriend doesn’t physically hurt her, but his negative comments about her weight and appearance made her self concept and self esteem decrease

Types of Mental Illnesses

1. Anxiety Disorders2. Mood Disorders3. Schizophrenia and Psychotic

Disorders4. Dementias5. Eating Disorders

Anxiety Disorders

• An Anxiety Disorder is an illness that causes unusually strong nervousness, worry, or panic.• Symptoms of an anxiety disorder

include:• Nervousness• Worry• Panic• Difficulty breathing• Fast heart rate• Lightheadedness

Types of Anxiety Disorders

1. Phobias2. Panic Attack3. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

(OCD)4. Post – Traumatic Stress

Disorder (PTSD)

Types of Anxiety Disorders

• Phobias are panic attacks that are triggered by specific things.• It causes irrational fear of

something that really poses little or no actual danger.

Phobias

• Common phobias include a fear of:• Animals• Flying• Insects• Small spaces• Crowded rooms• Clowns

Panic Attacks

• Phobias often times trigger a panic attack.• A panic attack is an anxiety

disorder that causes a person to have brief periods of extreme anxiety.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

• Some anxiety disorders are triggered by repetitive thoughts called obsessions. • Sometimes with an obsessive

anxiety disorder a person will develop ritual, or compulsions.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

• A combination of anxiety and ritual activity is an anxiety disorder called obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Examples of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

• Counting: • Counting items• Needing a specific number of things

• Washing • Hands, clothing, items even after just

washing• Organizing

• Straightening items• Labeling • Everything has specific place

• Checking• Checking door to make sure they are locks• Checking lights to make sure they are off

Example of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder• The hit TV show called Monk is

based upon a police detective who suffers from OCD. • Watch the following video.• See how many types of OCD

behavior you can identify.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)• Post traumatic stress disorder is

a mental illness that begins after experiencing a traumatic events.• Some things that can cause PTSD

include:• War• Rape• Child abuse• Natural Disasters

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)• Symptoms of PTSD include:• Nightmares• Flashbacks• Numbing of emotions• Depression• Feeling angry• Irritable• Distracted• Easily Startled

Assignment 2

• With a partner match the following scenarios to the correct anxiety disorder.• Phobia• Panic Attack• OCD• PTSD

1. Right before the big game, James felt lightheaded and thought he was having a heart attack.

2. Every time Katie sees a puppet, she curls up and hides her face.

3. After Ray return from the war he struggled keeping a job. He was so distracted and couldn’t sleep at night.

4. As Jill walks to school. She counts all the sidewalk squares. If she thinks she miscounts, she will go back and start all over.

Mood Disorders

• Another category of mental illnesses is Mood Disorders. • A mood disorder is an illness in

which people have uncontrollable mood changes.

Types of Mood Disorders

• Depression• Bipolar Disorder

Depression

• Depression is a disorder that causes a mood of extreme sadness or hopelessness that last for more than two weeks.

Depression

• Most of us will experience times of sadness in our lives. • For example when a loved one

dies or parents go through a divorce. • This is called healthy sadness

and is normal.

Depression

• When this sadness last longer than two weeks without any signs of emotional improvement then it is called depression.

Symptoms of Depression

• Extreme sadness for no reason• Inability to cheer up with good

news• Changes in sleeping habits• Changes in eating habits• Tiredness

• Slowed or increased movement• Difficulty concentrating• Lack of energy• Feelings of hopelessness• Difficulty making decisions• Thoughts of death and suicide

Bipolar Disorder

• Bipolar is a mood disorder that causes a person to experience two extreme moods: depression and mania.

Bipolar

• A person with Bipolar will show two different extreme moods over a period time.• The first mood is called

depression.• Remember that depression is a

disorder that causes a mood of extreme sadness or hopelessness

Bipolar

• The other mood swing in Bipolar is called mania.• Mania is mood that causes

excessive energy and irritation.

Symptoms of Mania

• Hyperactivity• Insomnia: Inability to sleep• Racing thoughts• Increased energy• Poor judgment• Risk-taking behavior• Inappropriate social behavior

Bipolar Swings

• When someone transition from depression to mania with a bipolar disorder it is called a mood swing.• They will have a period of time

in the swing from high to low where they will experience times of feeling normal.

Bipolar Swings

• Every person with Bipolar will swing at different rates. • Some will swing rapidly in a day.• While others can last in one

state of depression or mania for long periods of times like weeks and months.

Schizophrenia

• Another category of mental illness is called Schizophrenia• Schizophrenia is a disorder in

which a person breaks from reality in several ways.

Schizophrenia

• Someone who suffers from schizophrenia could have changes in:• Cognition: Learning• Emotions• Language• Perception: How you see things• Thought

Schizophrenia

• Someone thoughts with Schizophrenia can be changed by:• Delusions: A false belief• Hallucinations: Sensing something

that is not real• Paranoia: A belief that other

people want to harm someone.

Examples Of:

• Delusion: A person may believe they are famous even though they are not. • Hallucination: A person may

thing they hear people talking when in reality there is no one there.• Paranoia: A person may think

that aliens are constantly watching them.

Assignment #3

• With a partner decide what effect of schizophrenia is being described.

1. Feeling bugs crawling under the skin.

2. Thinking they are the president of the United States

3. Thinking that the policeman is secretly a hit man for the mob.

Symptoms of Schizophrenia

• Can’t show feelings (flat affect)• Can’t start or maintain

conversations• Minimal flow of thought• Lack of motivation• Unable to feel pleasure (no

happiness or joy)• Minimal self-care and grooming• Frozen positions

Dementia

• Dementia is another mental disorder.• Dementia is a decline of

intellectual and physical functioning which develops over a short period of time.

Dementia

• Some common illnesses that fall under dementia:• Alzheimer’s• Parkinson’s• Substance Induced Dementia:

Caused by drug, alcohol, and inhalant use

Dementia Symptoms

• Memory loss• Decrease in intellect• Decrease in body control• Change in personality• Change in behavior

Eating Disorders

• The last category of mental illnesses is called Eating Disorders.• An eating disorder is when a

person has an unhealthy concern for his or her body weight and shape.• We will be discussing eating

disorders in depth in a later unit.

Suicidal Thinking

• Suicidal thinking is the desire to take one’s own life. • Suicidal thinking is the most

dangerous symptoms of all mental illnesses. • Because of this, it is important to

learn to recognize the signs for depression.

Signs of Suicidal Thinking

• Depression• Lack of concentration• Low self-esteem• Lack of goals or plans for future• Makes arrangements to leave

friends and family• Talking about dying• History of suicidal thoughts or

attempts of suicide

Suicidal Thinking

• Suicidal thinking is an emergency condition. • You must seek help from a

trusted adult if you think someone could be having suicidal thoughts.• It is better to be wrong and tell

someone and wrong – than to be right and not say anything.

Mental Illnesses

• Most mental illnesses like any other disease can be treated. • Mental illnesses are treated by:• Education• Support from family and friends• Medication• Professional Help

Professional Help

• There are several different types of professional help.

1. Teen Hot Line: A phone number that teens can call to talk privately and anonymously (You don’t have to give your name)

Utah Teen Hot Line: 801-625-3700National Hot Line: 800-442-HOPE

Professional Help

2. Counselor: A professional who helps people work through difficult problems by talking with them.

Professional Help

• Psychologist: Is a person who tries to change thoughts, feelings, and actions by finding the reasons behind them or by suggesting new ways to manage emotions.

Professional Help

• Psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in illnesses of the brain and body that affect emotions and behavior. • They can also prescript the use

of medication to help.

Quick Check

1. What is the most serious symptom of depression?

2. Where can teens phone in and talk anonymously about their problems.

3. List the 5 categories of mental health. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

4. When someone sees or hears thing that are not there they are having a _______ .

5. What are the two emotions that occur with bipolar disorders?1. 2.

Quick Check

1. What is the most serious symptom of depression? Suicide

2. Where can teens phone in and talk anonymously about their problems. Teen Hot Line

3. List the 5 categories of mental health. 1. Anxiety Disorder2. Mood Disorder3. Schizophrenia4. Dementia5. Eating Disorder

4. When someone sees or hears thing that are not there they are having a hallucination .

5. What are the two emotions that occur with bipolar disorders?1. Mania 2. Depression