Mental Health. and Mental Illness

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Isaac Elliott
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1 Mental Health and 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 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 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 18 th century confined to asylums Nothing was done to help people with disorders Kept in chains 1

2 Late 20 th 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 nonthreatening 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 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 through conditioning techniques exposure therapy and relaxation techniques 2

3 Too Ugly To Love BDD I believe I am ugly... BBC documentary (20 minutes) Part 1: Part 2: 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 3

OCD - I've got jews at my table http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah1fbpvsxki&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safet y_mode=1&safe=active OCD personal story http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4sadyelhku&feature=related New waitress http://www.

4 OCD - I've got jews at my table y_mode=1&safe=active OCD personal story New waitress e=1&safe=active Door scene Obsessive Personality ctive - 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 - 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 Disorders 1. 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 i. genetic predisposition i. psychotherapy and counseling (behavioural therapy) ii. stress induced deaths, divorce, loss of employment ii. anti-depressants iii. developmental problems abuse as a child or personality problems iv. females and those with a family history of depression are also at risk 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. 4

5 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 iii. unlimited energy iv. difficulty sleeping ii. sadness iii. sense of futility iv. extremely withdrawn v. spending sprees/substance v. low self-esteem abuse MPD / bipolar What is multiple personality disorder? Borderline Personality Disorder - chemical imbalances in the brain - genetic component having a parent with bipolar disorder may increase the chance of having children with this condition - 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. 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 - disturbed behaviour apathy confusing, or even shocking, changes in behavior hallucinations and delusions - 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 -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 5

6 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 - early life experience and learned behaviours, social environment, biological make up and genetics. s - 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 : 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 - one of the most difficult of all personality disorders to treat - individuals rarely seek treatment - therapy 6

Advocating for people with mental health needs and developmental disability GLOSSARY

Advocating for people with mental health needs and developmental disability GLOSSARY Accrued deficits: The delays or lack of development in emotional, social, academic, or behavioral skills that a child