Name: ______________________
Chapter 2
Personality and Self-Esteem
_________________:
the qualities and traits, including behavior & feelings, that are characteristic
of a specific person.
EXTROVERT: ________________
INTROVERT: ____________________________________________
OPTIMIST: person who focuses on the _________________ of things and expects a favorable outcome
PESSIMIST: person who focuses on the ________________side of things and expects an
unfavorable outcome
ASSERTIVE: self-assured; able to stand up for oneself and ______________________ in an nonthreatening way
PASSIVE: _____________________ one’s feelings and yielding to others
AGGRESSIVE: communicating one’s opinions and feelings in a way that may seem
___________________________________-
I Messages
Refusal Skills
Saying the word “no”,
care
repeat “no” if necessary,
give your reasons,
show that you
1. You get up, leave the room and slam the door.
2. You say, “I want to see the program I was watching. Please change the channel back."
3. You yell, "What are you, stupid? Don't you see I'm watching my show”?
MENTAL HEALTH: the state of being _____________with oneself, with others, and with one’s
surroundings.
People who are mentally healthy are:
Realistic about strengths and weaknesses
Avoid high risk behaviors (drugs, tobacco, etc.)
Fun loving and are able to relax alone or with others
Able to______________ at themselves
View a change as a challenge and an ______________________
Put their talents and abilities to good use.
Able to feel enjoyment and a sense of achievement
Respect everyone’s value as a human being –including their own
How is Personality Formed?
1.Heredity: born with distinct temperaments
2.Environment: modifies traits
MODELING: ________________ the behavior of others
Friends, family, school, teachers, and culture
American teens spend more than 50% of their time with other teens
PEER GROUP: people who are about the same age and share similar interests
By young adulthood your personality traits are fairly well established
Still able to work to change traits with which you are not satisfied
Self-Esteem:
SELF-ESTEEM: the ___________________________ that you feel about yourself
More than any other factor, SELF-ESTEEM has a DIRECT effect on all aspects of your healthmental, social, and physical.
How is self esteem formed?
Over the years you have received feedback - messages from others that indicate who they think you
are or what they think you are like.
Positive and negative feedback from parents, peers, media – both verbal and nonverbal.
A person with mostly positive feedback will have high self esteem
A person with mostly negative feedback will most likely have low self esteem and fragile mental
health.
Teens with low self- esteem…
Increased chance of serious health problems
More likely __________________
More likely to drop out of school
More likely to suffer from eating disorders
Improving self- esteem:
Learn to focus on strengths
Select friends who will support & encourage you to do your best
Avoid dwelling on defeat
Practice good health habits
Avoid doing things that “go along with the crowd”
Set goals for yourself
Take time each day to do something you enjoy
Avoid negative thinking
Have the ability to LAUGH at yourself
EMOTIONS: are signals that tell your body how to react – they are simply the way your body and
mind respond to input
Love:
Many types of love (ex. Between family members, in marriage, and love between friends)
Felt towards places, things, & people
One of the most positive emotions people are capable of
Ability to give and receive love is essential to mental health
Empathy – is the ability to imagine and understand how someone else feels.
It is being able to “walk” in another’s shoes.
When you are empathetic, you can reach out to others and receive their gestures of warmth and
caring in return.
As with all emotions, it is not healthy to be overwhelmed with concern for other’s feelings at the
expense of your own needs.
Anger:- When people let their emotions carry them into anger, they face dangers of losing
friendships, losing their jobs, or precipitating violence from those whose actions have upset them.
Positively directing emotional energy is essential to healthy living.
Anger can be helpful or harmful
How can it be helpful???
What is the best way to deal with anger?
1. Accept and recognize feelings – DO NOT ignore them!!
2. Find a HEALTHY way to express those feelings! Go for a walk, scream, punching bag – no, not
your younger brother
3. After you have calmed down…and it may take several days, think about EXACTLY what made
you angry
4. Consider what constructive action you can take to improve the situation or prevent another angry
episode.
Primary Emotions that cause Anger
_________________
Embarrassment
________________
Hurt Feelings
Frustration
________________
Fear:
Everyone is afraid of something
Can be helpful in saving you from life threatening situations
Can be harmful if you avoid a situation out of fear, rather than confront it
Body responses:
•Heart races
•Increased breathing
•Loss of appetite
•Loss of sleep
•Headaches
Guilt:
Can stop you from doing something you know is wrong
Too much guilt could lead to doubt in oneself
Best way to deal with guilt is to correct the situation if possible and to talk about your feelings
Happiness:
Strong positive emotion
Normal response to pleasant events in one’s life
The good feelings that result from activities which make you happy will stay with you for the rest of
you life
Sadness:
Sorrow or unhappiness
Normal response to disappointing events in one’s life
Feeling usually passes quickly, but prolonged sadness could be a sign of depression
GRIEF: a period of deep sorrow
Overcoming sadness:
•Admit emotion
•Share feelings
Depression
FACTS
In 2004, among adults aged 18 or older, an estimated 14.8 percent (31.6 million adults) had
experienced at least one Major Depressive Episode in their lifetime,
Everyone, will at some time in their life be affected by depression -- their own or someone else's,
according to Australian Government statistics.
The rate of increase of depression among children is an astounding 23%
Depression will be the second largest killer after heart disease by 2020 -- and studies show
depression is a contributory factor to fatal coronary disease
What is DEPRESSION?
Depression: - a prolonged feeling of helplessness, hopelessness, and sadness.
Reactive Depression: response to a stressful event that lasts longer but usually resolves itself over
time.
Major Depression: is a medical condition requiring treatment. It is more severe and lasts longer
than reactive depression, or it might be a chemical imbalance in the brain or a genetic tendency.
Depression can happen in anyone’s life.
Any race
Any social standing
Any age – 1 in 8 adolescents have some symptoms
What Causes Depression?
Precise causes are not known.
Biological - genetic factors
Psycho - social factors
Ex: continued distress from a variety of identified “stressors”,
Ex: distorted, negative thinking patterns…
Contributing Factors for Depression in Teens:
Stressors such as fear of not meeting expectations of parents, teachers, others…
When things go wrong at school or at home teens may feel unsure of abilities or question how they
fit in…
Facing choices about friendship, sex, alcohol, and drugs…
Facing conflicting messages from parents, teachers, friends and society…
Danger Signs in Depressed Teens
When students……
Experience a humiliating or anxiety provoking situation
Demonstrate or verbalize suicidal thoughts
Increase risk-taking behavior
Show signs of personality changes
Seriously neglect self-care
Show more than five major signs of depression for over two weeks
Signs and symptoms of depression
Prolonged sadness or unexplained crying spells
Significant changes in appetite and sleep patterns
Irritability, anger, worry, agitation, anxiety
Pessimism, indifference
Loss of energy, persistent lethargy
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness
Inability to concentrate, indecisiveness
Inability to take pleasure in former interests, social withdrawal
Unexplained aches and pains
If you experience five or more of these symptoms for more than two weeks or if any of these
symptoms interfere with work or family activities.
COPING STRATEGY: A way of ________________with an uncomfortable or unbearable feeling or
situation – used consciously or unconsciously
Sometimes coping strategies can protect you from painful events, but if overused, they can stunt
emotional growth. If depended upon too much, one may not learn to express true feelings.
Also known as:
DEFENSE MECHANISMS: An unconscious or conscious a way of defending oneself against
difficult feelings
_________________
Refusing to recognize the existence of an emotion
______________________
Assuming the qualities of someone you admire
_______________________
Making up for weakness in one area by excelling in another area
________________________
Making excuses for feelings and/ or actions
_________________
Putting your own faults onto another person
_________________
Fantasizing to escape unpleasant reality
________________________
Transferring emotions from the original source to another
_________________________
Behaving in a manner opposite to the way you are feeling
_______________________
Reverting to immature behavior to express emotions
_________________________
directing your energy into a useful rather than an unacceptable goal
Other Coping Strategies
Confront situation, turn it into a positive if you can
Release energy by exercising, cleaning, etc.
Take a break by reading, walking, writing in a journal, etc.
Talk through you feelings with someone you trust
Harmful Coping Strategies
Strong emotions could cloud a person’s judgment
A person could turn to coping strategies which make the situation worse for him/ her
Acting out in violent ways
Using alcohol or drugs
Withdrawing from friends and family
References
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america.shtml
Managing Stress
So just what is stress and what causes it???
STRESS: is a reaction of the ________________ to threatening or challenging events in one’s life.
You experience stress when situations, events, or people make demands on your body and mind
The Many Causes of Stress
________________: something that causes stress
–Major life changes: new school, moving to a new town
–Everyday problems: lost shoe, missing keys, etc.
–Physical surroundings: crowded bus, weather, jammed locker
At
moderate levels, stress can improve your ability to _________________________ at your best
Stress can be positive!!!
Positive Stress
–Promotes growth and accomplishment
Also called ________________
–Examples:
Feelings before athletic event/ musical performance
Does it help you to perform better?
YEAH
FOR POSITIVE STRESS!
Stress can be Negative – who didn’t know that!
Negative Stress
–Decreases ability to concentrate and perform
–Also called _____________________
–Examples:
Nervous
to the point of being sick to your stomach
Difficulty doing every day tasks
.
How Stress Affects the Body:
Stages of Stress –General Adaptation syndrome
•_______________________
–Body releases adrenaline into the bloodstream
–Burst of energy
–Heart beats faster
–Increased rate of ______________
–Decreased amount of blood to the skin and digestive system
–Muscles tighten
–Pupils widen
–Mind more _________-to take in information
–FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE:
a series of physical changes that prepare the body to react to stress
•_______________________
–Body tries to recover from alarm stage and go back to normal homeostasis
A steady state or balance; the normal, balanced state of the body’s internal systems
All stressors trigger the same stress response in the body, but at different levels of intensity
•______________________________
_
only occurs if distress continues
over a long period of time
–Body is worn down and no longer has enough energy to fight off the stressor
–More susceptible to illness, because body remains in unbalanced state
–Most likely to enter this stage if stressor is out of your control, or if stressor continues for a long time
Recognizing the Signs of Stress
___________________
–Muscle tension
–Headache
–Upset stomach
–Pounding heart
–Increased sweating
–Dry mouth
–Trembling/ twitching
__________________
–Irritability
–Anger
–Impatience
–Nervousness
–Forgetfulness
–Negative thinking
–Excessive worrying
–Loss of interest
–Begin to cry easily
___________________
–Loss of appetite
–Overreacting
–Drug abuse
–Sleep problems
–Hurrying
–Withdrawing from relationships
–Criticizing others
–Fidgeting
Stress and Illness
Severe or prolonged stress can affect health
Illness can be brought on or made worse by stress
–Lowered resistance to infection (body less able to fight off infection)
–Makes some conditions more difficult to control
Asthma: attacks more likely
High Blood Pressure: increased blood flow
Heart Disease: heart must work harder when under stress
Physical symptoms to stress
Headaches
Stomach aches
Dizziness
Back pain
Neck stiffness
Ulcers – mouth, tongue
Constipated/diarrhea
Wt. loss/gain
Twitches – eyelids, face
Weakness
Nausea
Overeating, or loss of appetite
Skin problems
Cold hands or feet
Excessive sweating
 chest pains
Inability to sleep
High bl. Pressure
Rapid breathing
Heart palpitations
Frequent urination
Heartburn
Excessive sleeping/constant fatigue
Stress and Personality
How you react to a stressor could depend on….
–Is this situation a threat to my well- being?
–Do I have the necessary resources to meet the challenge?
Time
Skills
Emotional symptoms
____________________
Lack of concentration
Nightmares
Panic attacks
Anxiety
Withdrawing from others
Irritability
crying
Thoughts of suicide
Depression confusion
Feelings of helplessness
Restlessness
Racing thoughts
aggressiveness
Behavioral symptoms
Smoking
_____________
Tapping
Pulling hair
_________________
Use of alcohol
Use of medication
Compulsive eating
Compulsive over eating
Nervous laughter
Pacing
Lateness
Putting things off
Not caring about physical
Experience
Energy
Just
as your personality is unique, so is the way you react to
potentially stressful situations
Personality Type
__________________________________
–Behavior pattern characterized by competitiveness and a strong desire to succeed
Try to accomplish as much as possible in a short time
Driven to accomplish goals
Set high standards for self
_____________________________
–Behavior pattern characterized by calmness, less competitive, and not as concerned about
accomplishment
Less likely to feel stressed if do not meet standards
Less likely to develop stress related illness
May cope with challenges by ignoring them
Few people are entirely Type A or Type B (Are your test results accurate?)
Was there a time when you showed Type A personality traits?
Why is a balance of the 2 types of personality important?
Stress and Personality
Perfectionism – is a person that accepts nothing less than excellence from him/her self
Perfectionist sometimes take things too far
Can lead to a vicious cycle of trying harder and never being satisfied
Often have trouble meeting deadlines and taking risks
Suffer from high levels of stress
How to break the cycle of perfectionism
1. not easy!!!
2. accept that you cannot be perfect
3. take pride in the things that you do well
rather than focusing on your mistakes
The result will be a lower level of stress
and an increased level of satisfaction.
Negative Thinking
Only increases a person’s stress level – makes it almost impossible for one to succeed.
One way to stop negative thinking is to “coach” yourself through an upcoming stressful event . In
your mind, go through the event, step by step, giving yourself positive messages such as “You can do
this”
Hardiness – some people experience a great deal of stress but do not become ill as a result. These
people have what is called a “hardy” personality.
They view stressful events as challenges or opportunities rather than threats
They are deeply involved in and committed to whatever they are doing
They have a sense of control over what they are doing. They feel that they can influence the
outcome of the stressful event.
Three steps for managing stress
Step one:
__________________: In order to manage stress, we must identify where it is coming from.
Identifying the source of stress can be trickier that it might seem at first!
Step 2:
______________ the source of the stress, if possible. Sometimes it is possible to get rid of the
source of stress. For example, a student who has too much to do can eliminate an extra curricular
activity, or work fewer hours at a part time job
Step 3:
_____________the way we handle stress. Instead of engaging in negative thinking ( I can’t do it )
we can think positively!
We can deal with it head on, or discuss it with a supportive person.
Managing Stress
Managing stress helps to restore the balance in you life
Managing stress prevents the stressors from taking control and making you ill
Additional ways to handle stress
–Eat well
–Exercise regularly
–Express your feelings
–Say “NO” to alcohol and drugs
Stress Management Techniques
Confronting the Problem
–Devise a plan to solve the problem
–Many stressors in your life are things that you can work to change
–Direct your energy toward those things you are able to change
Time Management
–Do you often wish there were more hours in the day?
–Do you put things off until the last minute?
–Poor time management is one of the BIGGEST contributors to stress
______________________
Physical Activity
–Provide the body with an outlet for built up energy
–Take your mind off problems
–Give yourself a chance to relax
–Do activities that you_________________
_________________________

–A state when the mind and body are resting
–Deep breathing relaxes muscles, take in more oxygen which helps the body function better
–Progressive relaxation: concentration on each group of muscles in the body one at a time
–Read a book, take a nap, listen to music, stretching, take a hot shower, etc.
–Mental rehearsal -
Practice event in your mind, imagining yourself performing at your best
–Increases confidence in ability to perform
–Often done by Olympic athletes
Getting
Help When You Need It
–Recognize when stress is becoming overwhelming
–Sharing your problems often helps you to see them more clearly
______________________
–Laughter helps to relieve feelings of stress
–Deal quickly with stressor
–Can be harmful if laughter is used to cover up true feelings or if used inappropriately
Stress Management:
Stress Management Techniques
http://health.discovery.com/centers/stress/stress.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/findinformation/conditioncenters/centers.cfm?objectid=09BB3738-
5E3B-4242-8A552250AB1CB1D6
What
do you do to manage the stress in your life?