Download Mental Disorders

MENTAL DISORDERS
What are our perceptions as a society of mental illnesses?
Types of mental illnesses, how is it projected by the media (and how does
this influence our societal interpretation)?
How do we treat or react to those with a mental illness?
MENTAL DISORDERS
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Psychologically unable to cope realistically and effectively with the ordinary challenges
and tasks of the real world.
• Suffer discomfort more or less continuously – extreme anxiety, endless worry, or long
periods of depression (something wrong with their life more than the average person)
• May behave in a bizarre fashion – continuously misinterprets what is going on and
what others are doing or saying (cannot do the day-to-day things and comes
completely apart over minor things or sinks into a depression about them).
• May be very inefficient – unable to perform their life roles properly.
•
Anyone of those symptoms or a combination can indicate trouble – degree of disturbance
varies and so does the number of symptoms.
•
People with mental disorders tend to be inflexible – can’t go with the flow of life but plow
ahead with a fixed set of responses to almost everything and they establish self -defeating
boundaries and won’t budge.
CAUSES OF MENTAL DISORDERS
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Psychological
• Ex: learned not to trust people so they view the world as a threatening place
(frequently feel anxious)
• Stress – general anxiety, phobias, and depression
•
Sociocultural Background – something in the culture makes these problems more likely
• Ex: bulimia and anorexia in American society.
• http://www.aetv.com/intervention/episode-guide/season-12/
•
Biological - inherited
•
In many instances the causes are one of the above factors or a combination.
• More severe disorders – the causes tend to be more clear-cut, and tend to be
biological.
“DIAGNOSIS”/STIGMA
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Based on very subjective judgments - what is considered bizarre or irrational depends on the
standards of the culture, of the subculture, and of the individual observer.
•
The people affected may expend immense energy in trying to preserve a façade of happiness
and normality despite their underlying tension.
•
Those labeled mentally disordered tend to be viewed with suspicion by others – a stigma (mark
of shame or discredit) that makes many people reluctant to seek treatment.
•
Television depictions of those with severe problems are almost always inaccurate (overexaggerate)
•
•
Ax murderer who goes from house to house chopping people up because of some early
childhood experience shows little grasp of reality.
•
A handful of those with mental disorders are dangerous while the average mental patient
tends to be withdrawn or confused, bothering no one.
The stigma attached to a person with a mental disorder is not as bad as it used to be, but
people still tend to fear what they don’t understand.
•
Avoided or treated unfairly (sad because usually the most helpful thing for them is
emotional support of friends and family)
NEUROSES VS. PSYCHOSES
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Neuroses: personality disturbance, its chief characteristic being anxiety (origins in
childhood experiences), but they still have a firm grip on reality and able on the whole to
function in life.
• Impairment is often limited to one area
• Neurotic people often know they have a problem and wish to overcome it.
•
Psychoses: sharp break from reality – out of touch with their own situation and do not
attempt to adapt to the world.
• Organic – identifiable physical basis (damage to the brain tissue)
• http://www.mtv.com/videos/true-life-diary-i-have-a-traumatic-braininjury/1635813/playlist.jhtml#series=2212&seriesId=5232&channelId=1
• Functional – no obvious physical basis and whose origin is presumed to be partly or
wholly psychological.
DISORDERS OF CHILDHOOD
•
Those diagnosed during childhood – remember all children tend to act “abnormally” on
occasion, but only when problems are continuous or extensive should we be concerned.
•
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) – great deal of trouble focusing on the
task at hand, easily distracted and frustrated, impulsive, constant moving and
restlessness.
•
Autistic Disorder (Autism) – failure to develop normal communication patterns, social
interactions, and emotional responses.
• Echolalia: repeating what has just been said (“echoes”)
• Rain Man (highly functioning – savant: detailed knowledge in some specialized field)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqbXPfaN_VM
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVaT-VkCs0k
• http://www.mtv.com/videos/true-life-i-haveautism/1554937/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=5232&channelId=1
ANXIETY DISORDERS
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General feeling of apprehension and dread that includes many bodily upsets – attacks a
few times a day and in between are restless, sleep poorly, don’t eat well, and not capable
of calming down.
•
Panic Disorder – frequent and overwhelming attacks of anxiety – the anxiety spreads to
more objects, events, or people after the original or first panic attack.
•
Phobic Disorder – disabled and overwhelmed by fear in the presence of certain objects or
events.
• Specific vs. agoraphobia (fear of leaving a familiar environment, especially home).
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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – endless preoccupation with some type of urge
or thought combined with a symbolic, ritualized behavior that a person must repeatedly
act out.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrRqb5cvM5E
SOMATOFORM DISORDERS
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Psychological issues are expressed in bodily symptoms, but there is no actual physical
problem.
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Conversion Disorder: a serious psychological trauma is unconsciously changed into a
symbolic physical dysfunction.
• Ex: a person who has witnessed terrible human torture and slaughter may be
overwhelmed by the horror, so the mind shuts the visual system down (“hysterical
blindness”)
•
Hypochondriasis: feeling excessive concern about one’s health and exaggerating the
seriousness of minor physical complaints.
• Ex: a slight headache is interpreted as a symptom of brain cancer.
DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS
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Disorders in which the memory of a part of one’s life becomes disconnected from other
parts.
•
Amnesia: memories related to a terrible trauma “disappear” – they are cut from their
consciousness
• Psychogenic (psychologically caused) – soldier’s loss of memory of a nightmarish
event (PTSD) – selective forgetting (only the traumatic portions are forgotten)
• http://www.mtv.com/videos/true-life-i-have-post-traumatic-stressdisorder/1601333/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=5232&channelId=1
•
Fugue: an extensive and complicated type of amnesia – the person disconnects all of his
or her current life from awareness, moves somewhere else, and starts all over.
•
Dissociative Identity Disorder (multiple personality): individuals “forget” a portion of
themselves, and that portion begins to live a life of its own
• Behaviors are exaggerated to the point of becoming at least partly independent of
each other.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weLvkZGr9Tw
MOOD DISORDERS
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Disorders characterized by emotional states
• Dysthymic Disorder: moderate depression – lack of energy, unhappiness, loss of
interest in activities and people, loss of sense of humor, sadness, and rock-bottom
feelings of self-worth.
• Major Depression: severe depression – involves loss of appetite, lack of energy,
hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts
• Mania: extreme agitation, restlessness, rapid speech, and trouble concentrating –
thoughts move so quickly through a person’s mind they begin to collide into mass
confusion (flight of ideas)
• Bipolar (Manic-depression): extreme high and low moods
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEv1Lh_gJeo
•
Causes – significant loss or extreme stress, however the cause is not 100% clear
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Suicide
PERSONALITY DISORDERS
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A disorder in which a person has formed a peculiar or unpleasant personality (secretive,
self-centered and selfish)
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Antisocial Personality Disorder: person seems to have no conscience and is in constant
conflict with the law (“psychopaths”) – little or no guilt, concern, or anxiety.
• Sociopath – behavior of these people toward society is clearly abnormal). Sociopaths
don’t even abide by the rules usually followed by criminals.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qyCR9tPDgM
•
Borderline Personality Disorder: unstable emotions and relationships, dependency, and
manipulative, self-destructive behavior.
• Very dependent people, but they cannot admit this to themselves. So they constantly
test other people’s concern and often sabotage their own relationships.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liBJhHDw3o8
PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS/SCHIZOPHRENIA
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Major disorganization of thought processes, confused and extreme emotional responses,
and distorted perceptions of the world.
• Thought disorder, hallucinating, delusion, trouble with emotional responses (ex:
laugh at a funeral)
•
Schizophrenia: psychosis involving disorganized thoughts and garbled speech as well as
hallucinations, and delusions (most serious mental disorder).
• Catatonic – characterized by disturbances of movement
• Paranoid – characterized by strong feelings of suspiciousness and persecution
• Undifferentiated – lacks distinguishing symptoms
• http://www.mtv.com/videos/true-life-i-haveschizophrenia/1586145/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=5232&channelId=1
MENTAL RETARDATION/DEVELOPMENTALLY
DISABLED
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Mental abilities below average (IQ) along with a person’s inability to perform adaptive
behaviors (dressing, eating, communicating, shopping, and working).
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Total care is only necessary for the profoundly retarded – most others live in group homes
or with families
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No biological problem is known – familial retardation (occurs mostly in poor households,
where nutrition, intellectual stimulation, medical care, and emotional support may be
inadequate).
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Organic sources – related to physical disorders (birth injuries, fetal damage, metabolic
disorders, genetic abnormalities.
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Down Syndrome – moderate or severe retardation and a shortened life expectancy of
around 49 years.
• Age of parents is the biggest risk (genetic not hereditary)
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Developmentally disabled persons are not handicapped where their feelings are
concerned – sensitive to rejection and easily hurt by teasing or ridicule.
MENTAL DISORDER VIDEOS
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Tourettes:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnyTMzQ76WA
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True Life Videos:
• Narcolepsy - http://www.mtv.com/videos/true-life-i-havenarcolepsy/1672872/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=5232&channelId=1