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Mental Illnesses

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What is a mental illness?
 A medical condition
 Disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to
others, behavior, and daily functioning.
 Interferes with a person’s ability to care for themselves, to get
along with others, to go to school or work, and to learn.
Mental Disorders are medical conditions. They
require diagnosis and treatment just like any physical
illness or injury.

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Stigma
 a mark of disgrace or infamy; a stain or reproach, as on one's
reputation.
 Stigma is when someone judges you based on a personal trait.
 Harmful effects of stigma:
 Lack of understanding by family, friends, colleagues or others you know
 Discrimination at work or school
 Difficulty finding housing
 Bullying, physical violence or harassment
 Health insurance that doesn't adequately cover your mental illness
 The belief that you will never be able to succeed at certain challenges
or that you can't improve your situation

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Depression
 Medical illness that involves the mind and body.
 Causes:
 Biological differences
 Neurotransmitters
 Hormones
 Inherited traits
 Life Events
 Early childhood trauma
 Symptoms:
 Feelings of sadness or unhappiness
 Irritability or frustration
 Loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities
 Agitation or restlessness
 Treatment
 Medication
 Therapy

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Depression
 Depressive disorders affect approximately 18.8 million American adults.
 Everyone will at some time in their life be affected by depression, their own or
someone else’s, according to Australian Government statistics.
 30% of women are depressed. Men's figures were previously thought to be half
that of women, but new estimates are higher.
 54% of people believe depression is a personal weakness.
 41% of depressed women are too embarrassed to seek help.
 80% of depressed people are not currently having any treatment.
 92% of depressed African-American males do not seek treatment
 15% of depressed people will commit suicide. .
 Depression will be the second largest killer after heart disease by 2020 -- and
studies show depression is a contributory factor to fatal coronary disease

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Bi-Polar
 Associated with mood swings that range from lows of depression to the
highs of mania
 Causes:
 Biological differences
 Neurotransmitters
 Hormones
 Inherited Traits
 Environment
 Symptoms:
 Euphoria
 Rapid Speech
 Aggressive Behavior
 Sadness
 Hopelessness
 Anxiety
 Treatment:
 Medication
 Therapy

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Bi-Polar
 Bipolar disorder affects approximately 5.7 million adult Americans.
 An equal number of men and women develop bipolar illness and it
is found in all ages, races, ethnic groups and social classes.
 Bipolar disorder is the sixth leading cause of disability in the world.
 Bipolar disorder results in 9.2 years reduction in expected life
span, and as many as one in five patients with bipolar disorder
completes suicide.
 Untreated, bipolar disorder can result in damaged relationships,
poor job or school performance, and even suicide.

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
(OCD)
 An anxiety disorder characterized by unreasonable thoughts (obsessions)
that lead you to do repetitive behaviors (compulsions).
 Causes:
 Biology
 Environment
 Insufficient serotonin
 Symptoms:
 Fear of contamination or dirt
 Having things orderly and symmetrical
 Intense stress
 Anxiety
 Treatment:
 Therapy
 Medication

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
(OCD)
 OCD affects about 2.2 million American adults each year
 People with OCD often go several years without treatment.
 OCD is found in all ethnic groups. Both men and women are
equally effected, although in children, OCD seems to be more
prevalent in boys.
 It is estimated that less than 10 % of those suffering from
obsessions or compulsions will seek effective treatment.
 Those suffering from OCD tend to have a higher risk of
substance abuse and addiction. It’s their way of coping with
stress and discomfort.

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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD)
 Mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event.
 Causes:
 Go through, see, or learn about an event that causes intense fear, helplessness
or horror.
 Inherited mental health risks
 Life experiences
 Chemicals and hormones
 Symptoms:
 Flashbacks
 Nightmares
 Severe Anxiety
 Uncontrollable thoughts about the event
 Treatment:
 Medication
 Therapy

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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD)
 Studies have shown that about 30% of veterans, 45% of
battered women, 50% of sexually abused children, and 35% of
adult rape victims are likely to suffer from PTSD at some point
in their lifetime.
 3.5% of the population is affected by PTSD
 Statistics regarding this illness indicate that approximately 7%-
8% of people in the United States will likely develop PTSD in
their lifetime.
 Many some from PTSD never seek proper treatment or help.

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General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
 Severe, on-going anxiety that interferes with day-to-day activities.
 Causes:
 Isn’t fully understood
 Involve naturally ocuring brain chemicals (neurotransmitters)
 Genetics
 Expereicnes
 Stress
 Symptoms:
 Constant worrying
 Fatigue
 Irritability
 Muscle tension or aches
 Trouble sleeping
 Treatment:
 Medication
 Theryapy

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General Anxiety Disorder
 Affects 6.8 million adults.
 Women are twice as likely to be affected.
 Can be managed with proper treatment.

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD)
 A chronic condition that includes combination of problems: difficulty
sustaining attention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior.
 Cause:
 Altered brain function and anatomy
 Heredity
 Childhood exposure to environmental toxins
 Symptoms:
 Trouble sustaining attention
 Seems not to listen even when spoken to directly
 Easily distracted
 Often forgetful
 Treatment:
 Medication

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD)
 Approximately 5.4 million children ages 4-17 have been
diagnosed with ADHD.
 Boys are more likely than girls to have ADHD but this ratio
seems to even out by adulthood.
 Children with a parent who suffers from ADHD is more likely to
also have ADHD.
 ADHD can be controlled through proper treatment.

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Phobias
 Overwhelming and unreasonable fear of an object or situation
that poses little real danger
 Causes:
 May be a link between your own phobias and your phobias of your
parents
 Brain chemicals
 Symptoms:
 Uncontrollable anxiety when exposed to the source of your fear
 Everything you do to avoid the fear
 Inability to function normal because of the fear
 Treatments:
 Medications
 Behavioral Therapy

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Common Phobias
 Claustrophobia- fear of enclosed spaces  Coulrophobia- Fear of clowns
 Zoophobia- fear of animals  Neophobia- fear of change
 Acrophobia- fear of heights  Iatrophobia- fear of doctors
 Aviophobia- fear of flying  Amathophobia- fear of dust
 Hydrophobia- fear of water  Cacophobia- Fear of ugliness
 Social Phobias  Carnophobia- fear of meat
 Necrophobia- fear of death  Dystychiphobia- fear of accidents
 Arachnophobia- fear of spiders  Electrophobia- fear of electricity
 Odontophobia- fear of dentists  Geliophobia- fear of laughter
 Ophidiophobia- fear of snakes  Homichlophobia- fear of fog
 Trypanophobia- fear of needles  Kathisophobia- fear of sitting down
 Eremophobia- fear of being alone  Limnophobia- fear of lakes

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Remember:
 Mental health is just as important as physical health!
 Mental illnesses are real and deserve to be treated.
 It’s not a person’s fault if he or she has a mental
illness
 Mental health problems are not something you can
“just snap out of” even if you try.
 It’s OK to ask for help and get it.
 There is hope! People improve and recover with the
help of treatment and they are able to enjoy happier,
healthier lives.