Mental Illness

Mental Disorders/IllnessMental Disorder-

- An illness of the mind,- It effects thoughts, feelings,

and behavior- Prevents someone from

leading a happy, healthy, productive life.

*Each year nearly 20% of the US population is affected by some sort of mental illness

Change a mind about Mental Illness

• watch this

Treatable vs. Curable Illnesses

• Treatable: illnesses that we can help improve with a illnesses that we can help improve with a combination of medicine, therapy, diet, and exercise, but will never combination of medicine, therapy, diet, and exercise, but will never “go away”“go away”

– ExamplesExamples: : ALL mental illnessesALL mental illnesses, cancer, herpes, cancer, herpes– Early identification and treatment is of vital importance!

– **between 70 and 90 percent of individuals have significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life with a combination of pharmacological and psychosocial treatments and supports.

• Curable: illnesses that we can treat and actually are eliminated illnesses that we can treat and actually are eliminated from the body or “go away” (even though they can come back if you from the body or “go away” (even though they can come back if you are re-exposed to the agent of infection)are re-exposed to the agent of infection)

– Examples: sinus infections, bacterial infections, yeast infectionsExamples: sinus infections, bacterial infections, yeast infections

MENTAL ILLNESSES are TREATABLE MENTAL ILLNESSES are TREATABLE (not curable)!!!(not curable)!!!

Coping Strategies v. Treatment

• Treatments (Ts)– Prescribed by a doctor (prescription drugs) or

performed by a therapist (psychotherapy, systematic desensitization, ECT)

• Coping Strategies (CS)– What you can do on your own, in the

meantime before your dr’s appointment– i.e.: talk, journal, relaxation, exercise, reach

out, hobbies!

Key Definitions of Treaments

• PsychotherapyPsychotherapy (aka therapy, CBT, etc): (aka therapy, CBT, etc):– someone talks to a therapist about their thoughts and

feelings in order to change their behavior – idea: changing thoughts positively will change behavior

positively• Systematic DesensitizationSystematic Desensitization::

– therapy where a person is slowly and steadily exposed to whatever they fear until they no longer fear it

• Electroconvulsive therapyElectroconvulsive therapy: : – Shockwaves to brain to induce grand mal seizure to

refresh brainwaves after psychotic break(used only after medications and therapy aren’t work well)

2 mental illnesses that underlie most other mental illnesses

• Which 2 do you think?

Depression-

- sadness, hopelessness, despair, and/or guilt, lasting more than a few weeks

- the inability to concentrate, changes in sleeping and eating, withdrawing from family, friends, hobbies, lack of interest

- Coping Strategies: reach out for help!, talk about it, journal

- Treatments: psychotherapy & antidepressants

PBS documentary on depression

Anxiety-• Continual uncertainty, or fear

in general

• worrying about what may happen next

• Panic attacks, stomach aches, difficulty concentrating and sleeping may arise

• C.S.: seek help! journaling, relaxation, talk about it

• T: psychotherapy &

• prescription medications

Post Traumatic Stress-• After a traumatic event a

person suffers severe after effects and thinks, feels, and acts if the event were to happen again.

• “Flashbacks”, sleeplessness, numbness, fear

• War, Car Accident, Rape, Abuse, 9/11

• C.S: reach out!, meditation, journaling, talk about feelings

• T: psychotherapy, anti-anxiety medication

• Clip on PTSD• PTSD explained

Phobias-• irrational fears of specific objects,

people, places, or situations.• (Examples:)

– Claustrophobia – Fear of enclosed spaces

– Agoraphobia – Fear of leaving home and being in a public place.

• C.S.: avoid object of fear, relaxation techniques, deep breathing

• T: psychotherapy or systematic desensitization

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder- (OCD)

• Obsessive thoughts – recurring disturbing thoughts or mental images

• Compulsive behaviors- repeated ritualized actions.

C.S.: journaling, relaxation, talk about it

• T: systematic desensitization, psychotherapy and sometimes anti-anxiety medications

• Brief OCD example video

Bi-Polar-• mood disorder where one

alternates between episodes of severe depression and mania (extreme highs of energy, little sleep).

• “Mixed state” both mania and depression at the same time. Often looks like agitation, and sad/scared paranoia

• Hypomania: not quite manic, so no drastic high or anger, but over-expressive for no good reason

• C.S.: reach out for help! journaling, relaxation

• T: prescription mood stabilizers & psychotherapy

• Video clip

Schizophrenia- (“Split Mind”)

• withdrawal from reality, • Visual, auditory and smell

hallucinations• Impairments in the perception or

expression of reality.• Grandiose thinking, paranoia• C.S.: n/a• Treatments: anti-psychotic

medication, hospitalization, psychotherapy

• Video clip animated & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cPjF7vkREU

Seasonal Affective Disorder- (SAD)• A form of depression occurring at certain seasons of

the year. Usually in winter.• C.S.: talk about it, journal, exercise, tanning• T: anti-depressant drugs, psychotherapy, special sun lamps

• Antisocial personality disorder:Antisocial personality disorder:

– People in constant conflict with society, cruel, People in constant conflict with society, cruel, uncaring, irresponsible, and impulsiveuncaring, irresponsible, and impulsive

– Can distinguish between right and wrong but Can distinguish between right and wrong but does not care about others’ needs does not care about others’ needs

– No “conscience” No “conscience” – Often in trouble with the law and /or in jail;

often starts in childhood by hurting animals

• Impulse control disorderImpulse control disorder – Inability to resist impulse to perform an action Inability to resist impulse to perform an action

that is harmful to self or othersthat is harmful to self or others– i.e.: kleptomania, pyromania, compulsive gambling,and trichotillomania (hair pulling)

– CS: any of the stress management skills– T: psychotherapy to figure out the cause of the impulse and

learning new ways to cope

• Self-mutilation:– General term for a variety of self-harm General term for a variety of self-harm

withoutwithout the wish to die the wish to die– used to dullused to dull emotional pain emotional pain– Cutting, burning, any physical pain on self on Cutting, burning, any physical pain on self on

purposepurpose

AD/HD• either difficulty paying attention, or over-

focused attention, increased brain activity especially in the PFC

• sometimes hyperactive or impulsive behavior

• CS: talk about it, extra efforts to stay organized and focused, journaling, support groups

• T: behavior therapy &

prescription medication Discovery News on ADHD from someone who has it!

Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Disorder with many diagnoses but most have Disorder with many diagnoses but most have social, behavioral social, behavioral andand communication communication problems problems ranging from mild to severeranging from mild to severe

• CS: support groups, parent help, having routines and familiar people and places

• T: Applied behavioral therapy where parents, therapists and teachers work together to help kids with autism reach their potential

– new research: each day autism is being researched and we learnMore information

autism video clip

Eating Disorders

• Mental illness that have to do with feelingsfeelings NOT weight or hunger

• 3 main types (all focus on food):1. Binge eating disorder2. Anorexia3. Bulimia

Binge Eating Disorder• When one eats and doesn’t stop when they are

full. #1 eating disorder in the U.S.• Symptoms: No longer listens to body cues of hunger,

eats alone, fast weight gain, emotional eating, eats fast, eats when full

• CS: support groups, journaling, feeling the feelings• T: psychotherapy, prescription drugs, hospitalization,

nutrition therapy

Anorexia• when one eats very few calories or limits food intake

severely. Usually far less than 800 calories day.

• Symptoms: Depression; Heart/Organ Failure; Muscle/Bone Loss (Osteoporosis); Drops weight about 20% below normal; Denies hunger; Exercises Excessively

• CS: journaling, support groups, feeling your feelings and not repressing them

• T: hospitalization, psychotherapy, antidepressant drugs,nutrit nutrition therapy

Bulimia• A eating disorder usually of people who are of normal

weight, that binge eat and then vomit, over- exercise, or use laxatives to prevent weight gain.

• Symptoms: bathroom after eating, rotting teeth, acid burns on face, fingers and inside throat, exercise compulsively, using laxatives, not eating around others, organ damage heart attack, Used to block feelings

• C.S.: relaxation techniques, journaling, talk to a friend; feeling your feelings and not repressing them

• T: anti-depressant drugs, psychotherapy, hospitalization, nutrition therapy

Suicide –

• continual helpless and hopelessness that results in wanting to be free of pain/hurting in life (die)

• Not necessarily a desire to die

(we will talk in depth about this further)