Download UNDERSTANDING MENTAL DISORDERS

UNDERSTANDING MENTAL
DISORDERS
Describe what mental disorders are.
2. List seven signs of mental disorder.
3. Summarize causes of mental disorders.
4. Identify community resources available for mental
health.
1.
What are Mental Disorders?
 MENTAL DISORDER: An illness that affects a persons thoughts, emotions, and
behavior.
 Mental disorders are often misunderstood and lots of people are afraid of mental
disorders .
 Many mental disorders are treatable.
 Learning signs and symptoms will help people better understand mental disorders.
 SYMPTOMS: A change that a person notices in their body or mind and that is caused by
a disease or disorder.
Signs of Mental Disorders
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Too much or too little sleep
Feeling extreme sadness
Unexplained mood changes
Drug or alcohol abuse
Inability to concentrate
Extreme anxiety or irrational fear
Personality changes
False perceptions of reality
Types of Mental Disorders
Depression: Extreme feelings of sadness or
hopelessness that prevent a person from carrying out
everyday activities.
Signs of depression:
 Lack of energy
 Withdrawal from people
 Loss of appetite or overeating
 Too much or too little sleep
 Feeling of helplessness or hopelessness.
Suggestions for Depression
 Face the Problem: Seek professional help
immediately…do not use drugs or alcohol to solve
problems…
 Identify the Problem: Find what is causing the
depression. Is it the result of loss, loneliness, or a
biological cause.
 Take Action: Change negative thinking, seek support
from others, and be active. Your body produces
chemical to make you feel better.
ADHD
 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: a person
who has this is frequently inattentive or impulsively
hyperactive to the point that they cannot accomplish
daily activities.
 The cause is unknown…treatment is available to help
them concentrate.
Panic Disorder
 sudden feelings of terror that strike without warning
 putting oneself in danger by desperately trying to
escape the situation
Phobias
 irrational fear of something that causes no real danger,
such as spiders, elevators, or giving a speech
 possible panic attacks
Obsessive-Compulsive
Disorder
 repeated, disturbing, and unwanted thoughts
 ritual behaviors that are perceived as impossible to
control such as repeatedly washing one’s hands
Eating Disorders
 obsessive behavior and thoughts about weight control
 starvation of oneself such as anorexia nervosa
 consumption of large amounts of food followed by
vomiting
Bipolar Disorder
 uncontrollable cycles of extreme happiness and then
depression
Schizophrenia
 false perceptions of reality
 hallucinations and/or delusions
CAUSES OF MENTAL DISORDERS
TRAUMATIC AND STRESS EXPERIENCES: LIKE
DEATH, ACCIDENTS, AND ABUSIVE EVENTS.
2. INHERITED: LIKE SCHIZOPHERNIA AND BIPOLAR DISORDER
3. INJURY AND PHYSICAL ABUSE: LIKE BRAIN
TUMORS, ALCOHOLISM, AND INFECTIONS.
1.
HELP FOR MENTAL DISORDERS
 IN OUR COMMUNITY: HOSPITALS, CLINICS, AND
PRIVATE AGENCIES LINK WITH SCHOOLS TO
PROVIDE HELP.
PSYCHOTHERPY, GROUP THERPY, AND
MEDICATION ARE ALL PROVIDED TO HELP THE
MENTALLY ILL.