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MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS
MENTAL ILLNESS IN GEORGIA
In the State of Georgia nearly
500,000
of its close to
8.2 million
citizens
have a severe mental illness
U.S. census 2010
MENTAL ILLNESS IN THE U.S.
 Mental illness affects 1 in 4 Americans. That is nearly 60
million people every year.
 Schizophrenia – 2.4 million American adults or 1.1% of
the population.
 Bipolar Disorder – 5.7 million American adults or 2.6%
of the population.
 Major Depressive Disorder – 14.8 million American
adults or 6.7% of the population.
National Institute of Mental Health and Mental Health America
MENTAL ILLNESS IN THE U.S.
 Anxiety Disorders – Affects 28.8% of American
adults will experience a significant anxiety disorder
during their lifetime.
 Anxiety is more prevalent in women than men and in
Whites than African-Americans or Hispanics.
 Panic Disorder – Affects about 40 million American
adults or 18% each year.
National Institute of Mental Health
WHAT IS MENTAL ILLNESS?
 Mental illness is a brain disease and is the same as any
other disease in the body.
 It has symptoms just as any other disease.
 Mental illness is a chronic disease just like diabetes.
 Symptoms are controlled so the individual can live as
normal life as possible. It is also involves the
development of strategies to help prevent worsening of
symptoms and how to live with the disease.
WHAT CAUSES MENTAL ILLNESS?
 Mental illness is caused by a chemical imbalance of the
neurotransmitters in the brain. These neurotransmitters carry
messages from one brain cell to another.
 When these are out of balance the result is hallucinations,
delusions, and disorganized thinking which can lead to bizarre
behavior.
 Researchers do not know what causes the chemical imbalance. They
do know that mental illness can be hereditary.
 In the past, most suffering from mental illness were housed in
institutions for long periods of time. Even for life. Now we are
focusing on community living and community based services to
make this possible. Now the emphasis is that RECOVERY IS
POSSIBLE.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE MENTALLY ILL?
Individuals with SPMI have experienced one or more
of these in their lifetime:
 Repeated hospitalizations, many for years at a time
 Loss of friends and family. Isolation and loneliness.
 In ability to work
 Homelessness
 Substance abuse
 Ridicule and stigma from the community
 Feelings of being different or abnormal. Rejection.
TYPES OF MENTAL ILLNESS
 Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI) refers to
a group of illnesses which have resulted in a long
history of hospitalizations and symptomology. It
effects the ability to work, develop daily living skills
and hampers the ability to develop interpersonal
relationships.
 The individuals in the Georgia Housing Voucher
Program have experienced difficulty in obtaining and
maintaining adequate housing due to the symptoms
of their mental illness and its associated problems.
TYPES OF MENTAL ILLNESS
The majority of individuals in the Georgia Voucher
Housing Program you will see have one of the
following diagnosis:
 Schizophrenia
 Bipolar Disorder
 Schizoaffective Disorder
 Major Depressive Disorder
 Anxiety and Panic Disorders
SCHIZOPHRENIA
 Schizophrenia means a split from reality NOT a split personality.
 It is chronic and disabling
 Individuals with schizophrenia can -
Hear voices others do not (auditory hallucinations)
Experience strange or odd thoughts (delusions)
May not make sense when they talk
Withdraw or shy away from others
Become lethargic or show a lack of interest
Express very little emotions (flat affect)
Inability to filter out background noise leading to confusion and lack
of concentration
 Onset is usually age 17 to 25 in men and a little later in women
BIPOLAR DISORDER
 Serious brain disorder effecting mood. Also known
as Manic-Depressive Disorder.
 Individuals with Bipolar Disorder experience –
Periods of mania which can lead to endless activity,
lack of sleep, and reckless behavior.
Periods of depression which can lead to disrupted
sleep, low energy, thoughts of suicide or suicidal
attempts.
 Onset of illness late teens or early adult years
SCHIZOAFFECTIVE DISORDER
 Very similar to Bipolar Disorder
 Symptoms usually include features of both
schizophrenia and a mood disorder.
 Individuals with Schizoaffective Disorder can –
Experience high or low levels of activity
Experience psychosis such as hallucinations
MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER
Serious brain disease that results in one or more of the
following:
 Loss of interest/motivation/lack of emotions
 Disruption of sleep. Either inability to sleep or
excessive sleep.
 Loss of appetite or excessive appetite
 Pain or general body aches
 Loss of concentration
 Thoughts of suicide or actual suicidal attempts
 Withdrawal from family and friends
ANXIETY AND PANIC DISORDERS
Individuals with anxiety disorder:
 Worry a great deal about small things
 Unable to relax, difficulty sleeping
 Feel tired all the time with frequent head and body aches
 Irritable, sweat a lot, light-headed or out of breath
Individuals with panic disorder:
 Sudden, repeated attacks of fear
 Feeling out of control
 Fear of when next attack will happen
 Physical symptoms of rapid heart beat, chest pains,
cold/sweaty, tingling
 Often mistaken for a heart attack
OTHER COMMON SYMPTOMS
 Hallucinations – Effects the five senses. Senses are
the way we gather information about our
environment. Hear, see, feel, taste, touch.
 Delusions – False beliefs usually a result of the
interpretation of the information gathered from our
five senses. Delusions are a result of hallucinations
and can cause individuals to act strangely or think in
unusual ways.
 Difficulty with concentration or inability to
understand simple instructions or tasks.
OTHER COMMON SYMPTOMS
 Negative symptoms of poor attention to grooming,
housekeeping and other activities of daily living can
be present.
 The use of alcohol or drugs can worsen symptoms
because of further disruption of brain chemistry.
 Mania which can include feeling very “up” or “high”,
rapid speech, high level of activity, or reckless
behavior such as spending sprees.
 Difficulty with sleep, either too little or too much.
MEDICATIONS
Types of Medications:
 Antipsychotics – Given to control hallucinations,
delusions, and the behaviors that result from them.
Examples-Risperdal, Invega, Zyprexa, Seroquel,
Clozaril, Prolixin, Haldol
 Antidepressants - Given to control depressive
symptoms such as low energy, feelings of
worthlessness/hopelessness, suicidal thoughts.
Examples-Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Zoloft,
MEDICATIONS
 Mood stabilizers – Used to control the highs and
lows of mood swings. Example-Lithium, Depakote,
Abilify, Lamictal
 Anti-anxiety – Given to control feelings of anxiety
or panic. Examples-Xanax, Valium, Ativan, Buspar,
Klonopin
 Other medications can be prescribed that have dual
indications such as those used to prevent seizures
have also been found to stabilize mood in some
individuals. Examples-Tegretol, Neurontin
REMEMBER!
Medications help to control symptoms. They often do
not eliminate symptoms.
Medications are used along with talk, cognitive or
other appropriate therapy to assist the individual in
reaching a better quality of life. The individual is
taught coping mechanisms and other strategies to
deal with symptoms and life challenges.
MEDICATION SIDE EFFECTS
All medications have side effects and can effect each
individual differently. Common side effects include:
 Drowsiness or sedation
 Difficulty focusing
 Involuntary movements of arms, legs, hands, feet
 Slow response time and/or slow speech
 Weight gain
 Dry mouth/thirst
TIPS FOR INTEACTING WITH SPMI
 Be yourself. The mentally ill are not different from
anyone else. Approach with kindness and respect. Be
relaxed and talk with them just like anyone else.
 Be aware of your body language and tone of voice. Just as
with anyone, that can set the tone of the interaction.
 Do not always expect them to look you in the eye while
speaking. Remember, social skills have suffered due to
the illness.
 Do not force anything upon the individual if they seem to
be having a difficult time. Speak in simple, easy to
understand terms and allow them the space and time
they need.
INTERACTION CONTINUED
 BE PATIENT! Sometimes understanding is
difficult due to not only the illness but also side
effects of medications. Attention span may be short
so allow time for the individual to take a short break
if needed.
 Treat the individual in a manner that you would
want yourself or a love one treated.
 The severely mentally ill long to have a life like
anyone else. Things we take for granted like going
out to eat, doing things with friends and family they
have difficulty experiencing.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Are the mentally ill dangerous? No. They are more like to be
victims themselves or to harm their selves than others.
What happens when the mentally ill stop taking their
medications? Symptoms either return or become more active.
Medications are an important part of recovery and should be
taken as prescribed. A relationship with the doctor is very
important to head off problems.
Why do the mentally ill often drink or use street drugs? Often
times, substances are used in an attempt to self-medicate.
Individuals are looking for a way to make psychosis or
depressed mood go away. Also because they often feel
different from others they may use to become part of a group.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why do the mentally ill behave or say strange things? Behaviors
are a response to the hallucinations or delusions they
experience. Individuals do not realize the information they are
receiving from their environment is distorted and their
response is based on that.
When someone hears voices, what do the voices say? Voices may
actually sound like someone calling your name, whispers,
commands, or simply white noise.
Why do some mentally ill believe things that are not true?
(Delusions). Once again behavior is in response to the
information in their environment and their perception of what
it means.
IN CONLUSION
 Mental illness can happen to anyone. It does not
effect just one group. It effects black, white, any
socioeconomic group, well educated or those with
minimal education.
 Mental illness is a chronic disease like any other
disease of a chronic nature.
 There is a great deal of stigma surrounding mental
illness due because of its symptoms.
 Individuals with mental illness long to be treated the
same as anyone else.