CHAPTER 3 NOTES
Mental health – the
state of mental wellbeing in which one
can cope with the
demands of daily life.
• Do you feel good
about yourself?
• Can you cope with
problems effectively?
• Can you work through
your problems with
your friends?
• Do you have close
friendships?
Mentally healthy people
can say yes most of
the time to these
questions.
• Mentally and emotionally healthy people
have the following characteristics:
• a sense of control
• ability to endure failures and frustrations
• ability to see events positively
• ability to express emotions in a healthy
way
Defense Mechanisms
Defense mechanisms are techniques we
use to protect ourselves from being hurt.
They provide a way to deal with problems
and maintain self-esteem. Too much
reliance on defense mechanisms is not
healthy if they are constantly used to avoid
facing an issue.
• Self-esteem – having high self-esteem is
important in developing and maintaining
good mental health. Self-esteem is feeling
good about yourself and the things you do.
“A sense of confidence”
• High self-esteem gives you a sense of
control
Self-concept – your current mental image of
yourself, sometimes positive, sometimes
negative.
Self-ideal – your mental image of what you
would like to be, should be realistic.
(self acceptance)
• Integrity- doing what you know is the right
thing
Communication Styles
• Passive – offers no resistance when
challenged or pressured
• Aggressive – hostile or unfriendly, usually
makes conflicts bigger.
• Assertive – healthy communication style
that is direct and respectful
SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL
ILLNESS
• too much or too little
sleep
• feeling of extreme
sadness
• unexplained mood
changes
• drug or alcohol abuse
• inability to concentrate
• extreme anxiety or
irrational fear
• personality changes
• false perceptions of
reality
Types of Mental Disorders
• Anxiety disorders – constant fear, physical symptoms do
not subside, chest pain, difficulty breathing, phobias are
an example.
• Phobias – irrational fears
• Panic disorder – extreme terror, may come on very
quickly
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) – uncontrollable
thought and actions usually repetitive (rituals)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Eating disorders (often OCD related) see chap. 5
SIGNS of DEPRESSION
• lack of energy
• withdrawal from people
• loss of appetite or over eating
• too much or too little sleep
• feelings of helplessness or hopelessness
Depression – feeling of sadness, loneliness,
hopelessness, and despair.
Factors linked to depression:
• Family history, major life stress, physical illness,
substance abuse
• Managing depression – try to identify why you
feel that way. Put things in perspective, focus
on positive
Help for Mental Disorders:
• Psychotherapy
• Group therapy
• Medication
Other mental disorders:
• ADHD – attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Inattentive or impulsively hyperactive to the point that daily
activities are hard to complete
-easily distracted, difficulty following directions and
completing tasks
• Hypochondria – belief of illness when none is present
• Bipolar disorder (manic/depressive)- uncontrollable
cycles of extreme happiness and then depression
• Schizophrenia – false perceptions of reality,
hallucinations and/or delusions. Usually presents itself
in late teens to mid 20’s, begins as friendly, comforting
voices that eventually become mean and
frightening/violent. This disorder only affects about 2-3%
of the population