Mental Healthand

Mental Illness

What is mental health?

A capacity to use the abilities we have in ways that allow us to function in a state of mental and emotional well-being.

Mentally Healthy People Observe and understand what is going on

around them Judge their own capabilities realistically Are aware of their emotions and can

control their behaviour Can restrain their impulses when necessary Behave deliberately and reasonably Appreciate their own worth and feel

accepted by others Are capable of forming close relationships

and are sensitive to others' needs as well as their own.

What is mental illness? Behaviour that is characterized by

Irrationality Persistent personal suffering Interpersonal maladjustment An inability to function in society Antisocial behaviour that harms

others or myself

Statistics 1 in 5 Canadians suffer from mental illness

at some point in their lives 40% of visits are for emotional, not

physical, problems Only about 1/3 of people will seek help for

serious depression 7% of teenage girls and 2.4% of teenage

boys suffer from depression 10% - 25% suffer from anxiety disorders 1% of the population suffer from

schizophrenia 1% are bipolar

Statistics for youth 3.2 million 12-19 yr olds are at risk for

developing depression

80% of people treated for depression are able to get back to their regular activities

Suicide is among the leading causes of death in 15-24 year old Canadians, second only to accidents

only 1 out of 5 children who need mental health services receives them

Changing views of mental illness Middle Ages – caused by evil spirits

Exorcism was used, as well as prayer, fasting and vomiting

Accused of being witches and warlocks who had made a pact with Satan

18th century – confined to asylums Nothing was done to help people with disorders

Kept in chains

Late 20th century New medical drugs provide

assistance More widespread availability of

psychoanalysis or talk therapy Today

There is still little community support

The stigma that surrounds mental illness continues

People with mental illnesses live marginalized lives

What causes such disorders? A complex interplay of genetic,

biological, personality and environmental factors causes mental illnesses

A chemical imbalance in the brain (depression)

Genetic component (schizophrenia) The environment, such as serious

abuse (multiple personality disorders)

Two major categories of psychological disorders

A. Neurosis (anxiety disorders) Extremely anxious and tense React with fear and dread to

situations others consider non-threatening

May encounter difficulty in life, but are generally able to manage their daily affairs

Anxiety Disorders 1. Panic Attacks

Characterized by fear and intense physical and emotional suffering

Occur without any obvious reason Sufferers feel overwhelmed and cannot function

Agoraphobia (fear of public places)

Some researchers argue women are more prone

The genetic makeup of women is more susceptible to anxiety and depression

Hormonal changes

Nature vs Nurture? Some research suggest panic attacks

may be linked to subtle imbalances in the brain

Other researchers suggest not to jump to conclusions

Panic attacks may be a combination of biological, psychological and social factors

Treatment Combination of therapy and

drugs for treatment

2. Phobias An intense irrational fear out of proportion

to the danger involved These fears are debilitating, directly

interfering with our enjoyment of life Many psychologists believe the cause lies

in a combination of genetic predisposition mixed with environmental and social causes

Often result from negative experiences Treatment through conditioning

techniques – exposure therapy and relaxation techniques

Too Ugly To Love

BDD – I believe I am ugly...

BBC documentary (20 minutes)Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUKlLpMg-eM&feature=related

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b97j2szXVqI&feature=related

Match that phobia Acousticophobia

Fear of noise Arachibutyrophobia

Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth

Bibliophobia Fear of books

Claustrophobia Fear of confined spaces

Dipsophobia Fear of drinking

Entomophobia Fear of insects

Heliophobia Fear of the sun

Homophobia Fear of sameness

Musophobia Fear of mice

Noctiphobia Fear of the night

Pharmacophobia Fear of taking medicine

Tachophobia Fear of speed

Testophobia Fear of taking tests

Wiccaphobia Fear of witches

Xenophobia Fear of strangers

3. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)- persistent and unwanted thoughts that

you know are unreasonable but you cannot get rid of

- with a tendency to perform an act repeatedly in order to relieve the anxiety

- the obsession is the recurring thought

- the compulsion is the uncontrollable behaviour

OCD - I've got jews at my tablehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah1FbPVsXkI&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

OCD – personal storyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4sadYeLHKU&feature=related

New waitresshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezRrQZnuCNM&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Door scenehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3pl7Psb5ic&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Obsessive Personality

Causes

- genetic component increases the likelihood of development

- chemical imbalance in the brain (serotonin)

- some causes have been linked to head injuries and infections

- some life stressors (abuse)

- about 20% with OCD have tics which suggests OCD may be related to Tourette Syndrome

Treatment

- crippling and difficult to treat; requires medication, cognitive behaviour therapy [exposure therapy] or pyschotherapy

Abnormal Psychology – major disorder #2

B. Psychoses – general characteristics

- more debilitating forms of mental illness

-sufferers lose touch with the real world

- may experience delusions: belief in something despite rational evidence to the contrary

- may experience hallucinations: seeing or hearing something that is not really there

Mood Disorders1. Major Depression

• deeply unhappy, little pleasure in life

• anxiety sleep problems, change in appetite

• at times – suicide attempts• can be treated and never have it

recur • or can recur several times over a

lifetime

Causesi. genetic predisposition

ii. stress induced – deaths, divorce, loss of employment

iii. developmental problems – abuse as a child or personality problems

iv. females and those with a family history of depression are also at risk

Treatmenti. psychotherapy and counseling (behavioural

therapy)

ii. anti-depressants

iii. In extreme cases doctors may use

electroconvulsive therapy

• this involves passing electrical currents though the brain to trigger seizures

• cause changes in brain chemistry that can immediately reverse symptoms of certain mental illnesses.

2. Bipolar Disease – extreme mood swings

Characteristics

- a psychiatric disease characterized by extreme mood swings of both depression and mania.

Manic Depressive

i. grandiose thoughts/fearless i. extreme fatigue

ii. one is all important and powerful ii. sadness

iii. unlimited energy iii. sense of futility

iv. difficulty sleeping iv. extremely withdrawn

v. spending sprees/substance v. low self-esteem

abuse

MPD / bipolar

What is multiple personality disorder? Gretchin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0LNyXsErb8&feature=related

Borderline Personality Disorder-Emilyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liBJhHDw3o8&feature=related

Causes- chemical imbalances in the brain

- genetic component – having a parent with bipolar disorder may increase the chance of having children with this condition

Treatment- the goal of the treatment is to stabilize

mood and restore one's normal state

- the two medications most commonly used for this are depakote and lithium

- medication is administered under supervision of a psychiatrist

- psychotherapy is also recommended

3. Schizophrenia - a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disease.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvF4-C1EuJU

Nobel Laureate for economic science John Nash Jr.

- started experiencing episodes related to paranoid schizophrenia in the late 1950s.

Characteristics- distortion of reality

- symptoms – hearing internal voices not heard by others, or believing that other people are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them.

- the above results in social withdrawal

Activity

Need three volunteers.

- disturbed behaviour

• apathy• confusing, or even shocking, changes

in behavior• hallucinations and delusions

Causes

- schizophrenia runs in families

- research is revealing that the convergence of biological and environmental factors (stressors – especially in infancy/childhood) can influence the onset of schizophrenia

- genetic component

- chemical imbalance in the brain

Treatment-there is no cure

- one may experience “episodes” of schizophrenia and may live normally in between

- anti-psychotic drugs and therapy

- “acute” or “severe” episodes usually result in hospitalization

- such episodes can lead to permanent damage to the brain

Personality Disorder - patterns of behaviour, mood, social interaction, and impulsiveness causing distress

- difficulty relating to others

- loners, suspicious and mistrustful

- lie, break laws, feel they are being persecuted

- view themselves as perfectly normal

Causes

- early life experience and learned behaviours, social environment, biological make up and genetics.

Treatments

- psychotherapy, combined with antidepressants

- such individuals are difficult to treat as they continue to have difficulty relating to others including the one treating them

There are various and numerous types of personality disorders one of which is Anti-social personality disorder (ASP)

Antisocial Personality Disorder – sociopathy

What? Chronic behaviour that manipulates, exploits or violates the rights of others

- this behaviour is often criminal

- chronic troublemakers

Causes: genetic predisposition

- child abuse

- far more men affected than women [ y chromosome?]

- further research = disease of the brain?

- early signs – fire setting, cruelty to animals in children

Symptoms

- breaks the law repeatedly

- lies, steals and often fights

- disregards the safety of self and others

- lack of guilt/remorse

- inability to feel empathy

Treatment

- one of the most difficult of all personality disorders to treat

- individuals rarely seek treatment

- therapy