Download mental illness

MENTAL ILLNESS
The term mental illness/disorder is
used to describe many different
types of emotional & mental
problems.
ORGANIC DISORDERS
Disorders that are caused by a physical
illness or injury that affects the brain.
Examples:
• Meningitis
• Syphilis
• Traumatic brain injury
FUNCTIONAL DISORDERS
Disorder that
occurs as a result
of psychological
causes/trauma in
which no brain
damage is
involved
Four Categories:
• Anxiety
• Somatoform
• Affective
• Personality
ANXIETY
• Disorder in which real or imagined fears
prevent a person from enjoying life
– Phobia: when a person goes to extreme
measures to avoid a fear
– General anxiety disorder: feels anxious, fearful,
and upset most of the time, but for no specific
reason. (panic attacks)
OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE
DISORDER (OCD)
Unreasonable need to act & think in a
certain way
OBSESSIVE:
Persistent thoughts/ideas/voices that cause a great
deal of anxiety
COMPULSIVE:
Urgent/repeated behaviors that when done, give a
brief feeling of relief.
Common Obsessions
• Washing – hands, house cleaning, etc…
• Repeating – actions: locking door,
turning lights on & off, etc…
• Checking – power of appliances, locks,
lights, etc…
• Counting – generally in
multiples of 5, but not always
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS
DISORDER (PTSD)
A person has
experienced an
extremely traumatic
event & feels severe
and long lasting after
effects
(i.e. flashbacks)
Examples of causes:
• War
• Rape
• Child Abuse
• Witnessing a car
accident (or anything
in which a person is
severely injured or
killed)
SOMATOFORM
Describes a condition in which a person
complains of disease symptoms, but no
physical cause can be found.
Example:
• Hypochondria
AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
DEPRESSION
• Feelings of
hopelessness last for
more than a few
weeks and interfere
with daily living
• #1 cause of suicide is
untreated depression
MANIC DEPRESSION
• A person “sways”
from a depressed
state to a manic state
• “Cycling” is unique to
each person…for
some it happens in
weeks, some, years