Mental Health - Starpoint Central School District



Mental Health

8th Grade

Mental Health- The ability to handle the stresses and changes of every day life in a reasonable way

Good Mental Health Indicated in a person by:

1. Feeling comfortable with their self

2. Feeling good about relationships with others

3. Is able to meet the demands of life

Personality- A combination of your feelings, likes, dislikes, attitudes, abilities, and habits

▪ Unique characteristics

▪ Everything that makes you who you are

Factors that influence or determine different kinds of personality are:

1. Heredity- Traits born with, Genes from parents, 46 chromosomes

2. Environment-your family, friends, neighborhood, school, and climate where you live.

3. Behavior- The way you act in situations and events

4. Culture- Beliefs, value/personal standards

5. Experiences- Most important factor (childhood through adult)

Attitude- State of mind that you approach daily situations with

Types of Personalities and Attitudes

Extrovert- friendly and outgoing

Introvert- Less outgoing, quiet, does not share thoughts

Optimist- Focuses on positive side, Glass half full

Pessimist- Focuses on negative side, Glass half empty

Resilience- The ability to recover from problems or loss

-Having a positive attitude will help you to become resilient

Self Concept- The way you view yourself overall

– A mental picture of yourself

– Based on external input as well as internal thoughts and experiences

Self-Esteem- How you feel about yourself.

– Gives you a sense of pride

– Be Comfortable around other

– Respect themselves as well as others

Emotion- Feelings such as love, joy, or fear

Three basic inborn emotions: Love, Fear, Anger

1. Love- The strong liking of someone or something

Types:

– Love of parents

– Love of a friend

– Love of a pet

– Etc.

2. Fear- An unpleasant feeling of risk or danger.

▪ It can be real or imagined

▪ Protective emotion- guards us from danger

▪ Can make it difficult to take an active part in life

3. Anger- A natural reaction to feeling threatened

▪ Can help release tension

▪ Can make people act impulsively

▪ Key is finding ways to deal with it.

Grief- A normal healthy reaction to a loss.

– Does not only apply to death

– It is over losses (relationships

Stress

Definition- Condition of emotional or intellectual tension or strain

Causes of stress

• Major life changes

• Everyday problems- hassles

• Physical environment- noise, weather

• Other- worry, friends, family, work, school

Eustress- Positive stress

Promotes growth and accomplishment

Distress- Negative stress

Causes mental or physical discomfort

Ways to Manage Stress

1. Plan, think ahead

2. Laughter

3. Re-channel energy- Exercise

Hobbies

Take a walk

Sports

4. Learn to relax- find time for yourself

5. Use a support group- talk over problems

Fight or Flight Response- Our body's automatic, inborn response that prepares the body to "fight" or "flee" from perceived attack, harm or threat to our survival.

▪ Adrenaline is produced in the body

Psychosomatic- Relationship of mind to body

▪ Mind-body connection

Psychosomatic Illnesses- Physical disorders caused by the mind.

Stress Related Illnesses

1. Ulcer

2. Asthma

3. Headache

4. Increased blood pressure

5. Heart Disease

6. Backache

Stress Model

NS- Normal Stress- Levels vary during the day

• Need things to do to relieve- Relax

Exercise

Play Sports

CMP Critical Mental Pressure- When levels of stress get too high an alarm goes off to let you know action should be taken.

• Door- lets stress out and body turns it into a physical disorder

MB- Mental Breakdown- Too much stress resulting in a mental disorder.

Mental Illness

Mental Illness- An illness that affects a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior

– Caused by the inability to handle stress

– Small percentage is caused by brain injury, diseases, and drugs

Anxiety Disorders- Extreme fears of real or imaginary situations that get in the way of normal activities

1. Panic Disorder- Intense feelings of fear for a short time.

▪ Sometimes no real reason for feelings

2. Phobias- An exaggerated or unrealistic fear of something specific

▪ Acrophobia-Fear of heights

▪ Arachnophobia- Fear of spiders

▪ Claustrophobia- Fear of closed places

▪ Cynophobia- Fear of dogs

▪ Nyctophobia- Fear of the dark

▪ Xenophobia- Fear of strangers

3. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder- Feel that they must perform a certain activity

▪ (OCD)

▪ Doing the activity helps anxiety go away

4. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder- Reaction to a traumatic event, such as war or natural disaster

1. Have bad memories for a long time

2. Possibly nightmares

Mood Disorders- A mental and emotional problem where a person undergoes mood swings that seem extreme, inappropriate, or last a long time

1. Depression- Mood disorder in which a person feels a strong sense of hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, guilt and extreme sadness

▪ Feelings can continue for weeks

▪ Most common Mental Health problems in teens

2. Bipolar Disorder-

▪ Extreme mood swings for no apparent reason

▪ Also called Manic-Depression

▪ Extreme highs and lows

Suicide- The act of killing oneself on purpose

Warning Signs of Suicide

1. Talking about suicide

2. Saying final good-byes to friends

3. Giving away possessions

4. Engaging in risky behavior (drug Use)

5. Interested in death or violence

6. Wanting to be alone

How You Can Help

1. Take the person seriously

2. Talk to them and tell them they have a lot to live for

3. Listen to them

4. Arrange for them to talk to someone who can help

There is a difference between betraying a friend and seeking help for a friend who is in trouble

Care and Treatment

▪ Counseling (individual, group, or family)

▪ Psychologist- Studies behavior, not MD

▪ Psychiatrist- Studies the mind, medical degree required

▪ Psychoanalyst- Investigates conflicts form unconscious mind

▪ Drug therapy- Use of medication to treat mental disorders

Psychoanalysis- Treatment that brings memories into conscious mind so conflicts can be resolved

▪ Hypnosis and Dream Interpretation

Prevention of Mental Illness

1. Learn to face realities of life

2. Talk over problems with a good listener

3. Develop recreational interests that will keep you active

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