Psychological Health

Chapter Three

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Psychological Health• What Psychological health is not..

– Not the same as psychological normality– Conforming to social norms– Never seeking help for personal problems– “Mentally ill”– Peoples appearance

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Defining Psychological Health• Negative definition• Positive definition• Abraham Maslow’s “Toward a Psychology of

Being”– Hierarchy of needs

• Studied very successful people (Self-actualization)– Abraham Lincoln, Henry David Thoreau, Ludwig van Beethoven,

Eleanor Roosevelt, and Albert Einstein

• Realism• Acceptance• Autonomy• Intimacy• Creativity

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Meeting Life’s Challenges• Growing Up Psychologically

– Adult identity– Intimacy– Values and Purpose

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Achieving Healthy Self-Esteem• Developing a Positive Self-Concept

– Begins in childhood– Integration– Stability

• Meeting Challenges to Self-Esteem– Challenge is your self-concept

• Acknowledge that something has gone wrong

– Notice your patterns of thinking– Develop realistic self-talk

• Being less defensive• Being optimistic

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Achieving Healthy Self-Esteem (continue)

• Maintaining honest communication

• Dealing with loneliness

• Dealing with anger

• Managing your own anger

• Dealing with anger in other people

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Psychological Disorders• Anxiety Disorders

– Simple phobia or Specific phobia• Fear of something definite• Most common and most understandable

– Social phobia• Fear of humiliation or embarrassment while being

observed by others

– Panic disorders• Sudden unexpected surges in anxiety

– Rapid and strong heart beat– Shortness of breath– Loss of physical equilibrium– Feeling of losing mental control

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Psychological Disorders• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

– Reaction to future threats is to worry – Worries have taken over

• Obsessive-Compulsive disorder (OCD)– Obsessions – recurrent, unwanted thoughts– Compulsions – repetitive, difficult-to-resist actions

• Post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD)– Reaction to a severely traumatic event

• Treatment for anxiety disorders

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Mood Disorders• Depression

– Demoralization• Feeling of sadness and hopelessness• Loss of pleasure• Poor appetite• Insomnia• Restlessness• Thoughts of worthlessness• Trouble concentrating• Thoughts of death or suicide

– Dysthymic disorder– Suicide

• Warning signs• Treatment

– Electroconvulsive therapy– Seasonal affective disorder

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Recognizing the Warning Signs of Suicide

• Expressing the ‘wish’ to be dead

• Increasing social withdrawal/isolation

• Sudden inexplicable lightening of mood

• Previous history of attempts

• Suicide by a family member or friend

• Readily available means of committing suicide

• History of substance abuse or eating disorders

• Serious medical problems

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Psychological Disorders• Mania and Bipolar Disorder

– Gender differences• Equal numbers of men and women suffer, women are nearly twice as

likely as men to be clinically depressed

• Schizophrenia– Uncertain about what causes it– General characteristics

• Disorganized thoughts• Inappropriate emotions• Delusions• Auditory hallucinations• Deteriorating social and work function

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Getting Help• Self Help

– Books– Writing a journal– Religious– Social groups– Peer counseling and support groups– Professional

• Determine the need • Choosing a mental health professional

– Psychiatrists– Clinical psychologists– Social workers– Licensed Counselors– Clergy– Treatment Team

Psychological Health

Chapter Three