Mental and Emotional Health
Lesson 1: Anxiety Disorders
Kinds of Mental and Emotional
Disorders
• Myth or Fact – Mental disorders are not true
illnesses… like heart disease or diabetes.
• Disorder – A disturbance in the normal function
of a part of the body.
Anxiety Disorders
• Anxiety disorder – A disorder in which intense
anxiety or fear keeps a person from functioning
normally.
▫ Phobia – An exaggerated fear of a specific
situation or object.
Is this a phobia??? Concern over walking down a
dark, deserted street in an unsafe neighborhood…
Types of Anxiety Disorders
DISORDER
SYMPTOMS
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Restlessness, tiredness, difficulty
concentrating, muscle tension, sleep
disturbances
Panic Disorder
Pounding heart, sweating, trembling,
shortness of breath, nausea, fear of
losing control
Phobia
An intense or exaggerated fear of a
specific situation or object
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
A need to perform behaviors over and
over again, such as handwashing,
counting hoarding, or arranging
possessions
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Withdrawal or depression after a
distressing experience such as sexual
abuse, a natural disaster, or an
accident
Check out how any phobias there
are…WOW!!!
• The Phobia List
Mental and Emotional Health
Lesson 2: Mood Disorders
Mood Disorders
• Mood Disorder – A disorder in which a person
undergoes changes in mood that seem
inappropriate or extreme.
• Examples:
▫ Bipolar Disorder
▫ Major Depression
Bipolar Disorder
• (Manic-depressive disorder)
• A mental disorder marked by alternating periods
of elation and depression
Bipolar Symptoms:
▫ Person may talk so rapidly that it is impossible to
follow what they are trying to say.
▫ May have difficulty concentrating for long on any
one thing.
▫ Frequently show poor judgment.
▫ May overspend on a shopping spree.
▫ Manic episodes alternate with periods of extreme
depression.
Major Depression
• Major Depression – A serious mood disorder in
which people lose interest in life and can no
longer find enjoyment in anything.
Major Depression Symptoms:
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Irritability, anger or anxiety
Lack of energy; feeling tired all the time
Significant change in sleep patterns
Inability to concentrate
Putting blame on other people for their problems
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
Indifference to things that used to bring pleasure
Pessimism
Physical problems like headaches or stomachaches
that can’t be explained
• Thoughts of death or suicide
Schizophrenia
• Schizophrenia – A severe mental disorder in
which people lose contact with reality.
• Symptoms:
▫ Hallucinations, including hearing or seeing things
that are not there.
▫ Not being able to tell the difference between real
events and ones that are imagined.
▫ Withdrawal from society, they tend to live in their
own world and develop a fear and mistrust of
others.
Mental and Emotional Problems
Lesson 3: Suicide/Self-destructive
behavior/Self-injury
Suicide
• Suicide – The intentional taking of one own life.
Causes of Teen Suicide
• New responsibilities at home or in school.
• Life changing events: family break-up, moving to
a new school, or the death of someone close, etc.
• Alcoholism or drug abuse by self or others at
home.
• Physical or sexual abuse
• Feeling disconnected or rejected (bullied) by
peers.
▫ What do all these things have in common?
 They all cause STRESS!!!
Warning Signs of Suicide
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Sharing of plans to attempt suicide.
Dropping hints through their words or actions.
Fascination with the topic of death.
Dramatic changes in the person’s appearance.
Self-destructive behavior.
Withdrawal from friends, family and regular
activities.
• A sudden change in mood.
Providing Support
• Something to remember:
▫ People who think about or attempt suicide usually
do not want to die, rather their actions are a plea
for help.
▫ How can you help?
 1st – talk to the person
 2nd – show interest in the person’s problems
 3rd – don’t keep plans to hurt one’s self a secret
Dealing with Depression
• If you ever find yourself thinking about suicide,
remember:
▫ Suicide is never a solution to depression.
▫ Feelings on depression do not go on forever.
▫ You are not alone.
What is Self-Injury
• Also called self-harming
• Deliberately harming your body
▫ Such as cutting, burning, bruising or scratching
• Often done impulsively
Why do people self-injure
• Deal with emotional pain
• Breaks feelings of numbness- release of tensionfeel something when feeling emotionally empty
• Be punished for perceived faults
• Low self-esteem
• Trauma
• Perfectionism
• Abuse
• Suffering can continue for long periods of time
without telling anyone
• Self-injury is usually followed by guilt or shame
and a return of the painful emotions
• Can also lead to more serious or fatal selfaggressive actions
Risk Factors
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Females are more likely to self-injure than males
Teenagers
Female/Male, any age, any race can all be at risk
Having friends who self-injure
Life issues: neglected, sexual, physical or
emotionally abused
• Mental health disorders: depression, anxiety,
PTSD, eating disorders
• Alcohol or drug consumption
HotLine/ Resources
211- only works on land lines. 1-800-543-7709 on cell phones.
http://www.211unitedway.org
National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) or the National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Both toll-free, 24-hour, confidential hotlines which connect you to a trained
counselor at the nearest suicide crisis center.
Safe Place: 1-888-290-7233
Project Safe Place provides access to immediate help and supportive resources
for young people in crisis through a network of qualified agencies, trained
volunteers and businesses in 32 states. Call the hotline to find out if the program
operates in your state, or look online.
National Alliance of the Mentally Ill: 1-800-950-6264
Toll-free, confidential hotline operating Mon.-Fri., 10 am- 6 pm (EST). Trained
volunteers provide information, referrals, and support to anyone with questions
about mental illness.
The Trevor Project: 866-4-U-TREVOR
The Trevor Project operates the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and
suicide prevention helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and
questioning (LGBTQ) youth. The Trevor Helpline is available as a resource to
parents, family members and friends of young people as well. Visit
www.TheTrevorProject.org for more information and resources for young
people, including “Dear Trevor,” an online Q&A forum for non-time sensitive
questions.
Self-Injury & Suicide Prevention
ISD 728 Safe Schools Tip Line
763-633-SAFE or 763-633-7233
• A "Safe Schools Tip Line" was introduced in
District 728 schools to promote safety in our
schools and communities. The tip line was
introduced during the 2005-2006 school
year and continues to provide another level
of safety. It does not replace the importance
of reporting concerns to teachers, principals
and other school staff or parents.
Mental and Emotional Health
Lesson 5: Eating Disorders
What are Eating Disorders?
• Eating Disorder – An extreme and damaging
eating behavior that can lead to sickness and
even death.
• 24 million people have an eating disorder in the
U.S.
• These disorders have nothing to do with food
but are brought on by mental/emotional
problems.
Binge Eating Disorder
• Binge Eating Disorder – Compulsive Overeating.
• A compulsion is something you feel you cannot
control and binge eaters can’t control their
desire to eat.
• They eat even when they aren’t hungry.
• Because of the excessive amounts of food they
eat, most compulsive eaters have serious weight
problems and are considered obese.
• Obesity – Weighing more than 20% higher than
what is appropriate for their height, age, and
body frame.
Anorexia Nervosa
• Anorexia Nervosa – An eating disorder
characterized by self-starvation leading to
extreme weight loss.
• Most common in females 14 – 18 years old, but
can also occur in males.
• People who have Anorexia often have low selfesteem and poor body image.
• They starve themselves to gain control of their
life.
• If left untreated a person with Anorexia could
die from starvation, heart failure, kidney failure,
or other medical complications.
• The depression that is associated with it can also
lead to thoughts of suicide.
Bulimia Nervosa
• Bulimia Nervosa – A condition in which a
person eats large amounts of food and then
secretly purges
• Purge – Getting rid of or removing something
• How people purge
 Forcefully vomiting
 Taking Laxatives
 Exercising excessively to burn off the calories they have
taken in
• Health Risks associated with Bulimia:
▫ Stomach acids from frequent vomiting can eat
away tooth enamel and injure the mouth and
throat.
▫ Hormone imbalance from frequent vomiting along
with dehydration, damage to the kidneys and liver,
and loss of important minerals.
Help for People with Eating Disorders
• Counselors
• Primary care doctor
• Nutritionists
▫ When an eating disorder involves serious medical
problems or severe depression, a hospital or
special treatment facility may be recommended.
Mental and Emotional Problems
Lesson 6: Help for Mental and
Emotional Disorders
What to Do if You Need Help
• Problems or issues that should not be ignored:
▫ Feelings of sadness or anger for two weeks or
longer
▫ Wanting to spend all your time alone
▫ If your feelings are affecting your sleep, eating
habits, schoolwork or relationships
▫ Feeling out of control or nervous all the time
If you feel you need help:
• Talk to a parent or guardian, the school nurse,
the school counselor, a teacher, coach or another
trusted adult?
▫ Who else might you be able to talk to in these
situations?
Kinds of Help
• Therapy – An approach that teaches you
different ways of thinking or behaving.
Therapy Settings
• Individual Therapy – The individual and the
therapist meet alone for the session.
• Group Therapy – The therapist meets with
several people who all have the same or similar
problems.
• Family Therapy – Counseling that seeks to
improve troubled family relationships. Often
times the goal is to help families communicate
better.
Drug Treatment Therapy
• In the last two decades drug therapy has come a
long way. These medications help chemical
imbalances in the brain.
▫ Not all medications work for every person. Many
times patients need to experiment and find the
right medication for them and their disorder.
Mental Health Providers
• Psychologist – A mental health professional who
is trained and licensed by the state to perform
therapy.
▫ Psychologists have a doctoral degree and often
specialize in a specific area.
• Clinical Social Worker – A licensed, certified
mental health professional with a master’s
degree in social work.
• Psychiatrist – A medical doctor with a specialty
in the treatment of mental health problems.