Chapter 4:
Mental Disorders and Suicide
What Are Mental Disorders?
Kinds of Mental Disorders
Suicide
Treating Mental Disorders
What Are Mental Disorders?
Recognizing Mental Disorders
• __________ __________: an illness that
affects the mind and prevents a person
from being productive, adjusting to life
situations, or getting along with others.
• Most mental disorders are characterized
by ____________ thoughts, feelings, or
behaviors that make people uncomfortable
with themselves or at odds with others.
Statistics
• An estimated _________ percent of
Americans ages 18 and older about
________adults suffer from a diagnosable
mental disorder in a given year
_____million people
• About 20 percent of children are estimated
to have mental disorders
What Are Mental Disorders?
Recognizing Mental Disorders
• Signs of a mental disorder • 1 in ___ children in the
usually occur __________
US suffer from a mental
and over a long period of
disorder severe enough
time
to cause some level of
impairment
• Signs are not always easy
to identify
– Children are defined
as those under the
– What is______ behavior
age of 18
in one culture may not
be in another
• There are more than____
types of mental disorders
which are recognized
Kinds of Mental Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
• ___________ ___________is a condition in
which real or imagined fears are difficult to
control.
• Characterized by ________ ________
• People with this disorder often arrange their
lives to avoid situations that make them feel
anxious or fearful.
• There are four main types of anxiety
disorders
ANXIETY DISODERS
• _______________________________
• Characterized by chronic fear…
• People with this disorder often arrange their
lives to avoid situations that make them feel
anxious or fearful.
• There are four main types of anxiety disorders:
1. Phobic Disorder
2.
3. Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder
4.
Kinds of Mental Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
1. Phobic Disorder
– _________: Anxiety
related to a specific
situation or object –
heights, , spiders, etc.
– How might fears affect
normal living?
2. Panic Disorder
– Has an ___________
feeling of terror –
feelings
accompanied by
symptoms such as
trembling, pounding
heart, shortness of
breath, dizziness.
– This fear gets in the
way of a person’s
ability to enjoy life
COMMON PHOBIAS
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Acrohobia
Agoraphobia
Algophobia
Astrophobia
Claustrophobia
Cynophobia
Hydrophobia
Monophobia
Nyctophobia
Ophidophobia
Thanatophobia
Xenophobia
Zoophobia
Belonephobia
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Heights
Open or public places
Pain
Stars/Space
Small Spaces
Dogs
Water
Being Alone
Dark/Night
Snakes
Death and dying
Strangers
Animals
Needles
Anxiety Disorders
3. Obsessive- Compulsive
Disorder
– ______________: an idea or
thought that takes over the
mind and cannot be forgotten
– ______________: repeated,
irresistible behaviors
– Repetitive behaviors such as
• Hand washing, counting,
cleaning
Types of Anxiety Disorders
• 4. __________________ stress disorder a condition that may result after exposure to a
terrifying event that threatened or caused
physical harm.
• The disorder is common after a personal assault
–____, ________, __________,
______________, _________________.
• Symptoms: flashbacks, nightmares, emotional
numbness, guilt, sleeplessness
Kinds of Mental Disorders
Affective Disorders
• AFFECTIVE DISORDERS:
.
• It is normal to feel depressed if you
experience an important loss or failure
• The feeling usually lifts after a couple of
days or weeks and you can get on with
your life
Kinds of Mental Disorders
Affective Disorders
• CLINICAL DEPRESSION:
•
Signs of Clinical Depression
– Change in appetite
• With weight loss or gain
– Change in sleep patterns
• Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too
much
• Can be caused by stressors
• Negative attitudes learned
early in life may also
contribute
•
Anyone who shows signs of clinical
depression should seek help from a
parent, teacher, guidance counselor,
physician, or mental health
professional.
– Loss of interest or pleasure in usual
activities
– Loss of energy, feeling tired all the
time
– Difficulty thinking or concentrating
– -
Kinds of Mental Disorders
Affective Disorders
Bi - Polar
– Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness. People who have it
experience dramatic mood swings. They may go from overly
energetic, "high" and/or irritable, to sad and hopeless, and then
back again. They often have normal moods in between. The up
feeling is called mania. The down feeling is depression.
– During a manic episode
• Overly excited
• Rapid talking which is impossible to follow
• Difficulty concentrating
• May over spend on a shopping spree
– Manic episodes alternate with periods of deep depression
• Schizophrenia-
•
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Unusual thoughts or perceptions
Disorders of movement
Difficulty speaking and expressing emotion
Problems with attention, memory and organization
Eating Disorders- Anorexia
Nervosa
• Psychological pressures, possible genetic factors,
and an obsession with body image and thinness can
lead to an eating disorder.
:____________ ____________ A serious eating
disorder in which a person refuses to eat enough
food to maintain a minimum normal body weight
• Symptoms:
– Intense fear of gaining weight (even when underweight)
– Denial of the seriousness of low body weight
– Intense or excessive exercise as another means of controlling
weight
Eating Disorders
•
• Psychological pressures, possible genetic
factors, and an obsession with body image
and thinness can lead to an eating disorder.
ANOREXIA NERVOSA
• A serious eating disorder in which a person
refuses to eat enough food to maintain a
minimum normal body weight
• http://www.facetheissue.com/anor
exia.html
• Some people with anorexia lose weight by
dieting and exercising excessively; others
lose weight by misusing laxatives
ANOREXIA NERVOSA
• Symptoms:
– Extreme loss of body weight
– Intense fear of gaining weight
(even when underweight)
– Denial of the seriousness of
low body weight
– Infrequent or absent
menstrual periods (women)
– Avoiding meals
– Intense or excessive exercise
as another means of
controlling weight
•Slowed heart and
breathing rates
•Lowered body
temperature
•Dry skin
•Brittle hair and nails
•In some cases, a lack of
essential minerals may
cause the heart to stop
suddenly, leading to
death
Anorexia Nervosa
• Other Symptoms:
– Slowed heart and
breathing rates
– Lowered body
temperature
– Dry skin
– Growth of fine body
hair
– In some cases, a lack
of essential minerals
may cause the heart to
stop suddenly, leading
to death
• An estimated .5% to
3.7% of females suffer
from anorexia in their
lifetime
• An estimated 5-15% of
people with anorexia
are males
Eating Disorders- Bulimia
• _____________: A serious eating disorder
in which alternates eating binges with
purging
• Bulimia is ________ prevalent than
Anorexia
• Difficult to diagnose
– Public behavior appears normal
– Bulimic behavior occurs in private
• Most Bulimics do not become dangerously
underweight
Eating Disorders- Bulimia
• Serious health effects
– Dehydration and kidney
failure
– Enamel on teeth erodes
– Vitamin and mineral
deficiencies
– Depression leading to
suicide or substance
abuse
• Symptoms
– Eating uncontrollably
– Using the bathroom
frequently after meals
– Bloodshot eyes
– Sore throat
– Weakness/ exhaustion
– Vomiting blood
– Depression/ Mood
swings
– Heartburn, bloating,
indigestion, constipation
Eating Disorders- Bulimia
• Enamel erosion of all
teeth
• Increased occurrence of
cavities
• Braces and restorations
may not stay on teeth
• Teeth become discolored
• Bleeding of the gums
• Physical changes in the
mouth are often the 1st
signs of an eating
disorder
Statistics on Eating Disorders
• The Desire to be Thin
– _____of 1st grade girls
want to be thinner
– ______ of 10 year olds are
afraid of being fat
– Most models are thinner
than ______ of American
women
– The avg. American woman
is 5’4” and 140lbs.
– The avg. American model
is 5’11” and 117 lbs.
• Dieting
– ______ of 9 and 10
year old girls feel
better about
themselves if they are
on a diet
– ______of all dieters
regain the lost weight
in 1-5 years
– Americans spend over
$_____billion on
dieting and diet
products every year
What to do about a friend that has
an Eating Disorder
• If You Have An Eating
Disorder
– Tell someone you trust
– You will need support
– It is an addiction
• If You Do Not Get Help
– Death from malnutrition
– Dangerous heart
rhythms
– Dental Problems
– Liver failure
– Hair loss
• Worried about a
Friend?
– Express your concern in
a loving and supportive
way
– Tell someone
– Avoid giving simple
solutions
– Express your
CONTINUED support
Warning Signs to look for
• If you notice a family member or friend with the
following symptoms consider talking to him or
her about these issues with compassion:
• low self-esteem
• severe dieting
• frequent overeating
• hoarding of food
• dissatisfaction with appearance
For Additional Information
• National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)
– www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
• American Dietetic Association (ADA)
– www.eatright.org
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
– www.nimh.nih.gov
• Teen Health
– www.teenshealth.org
Suicide
The Warning Signs
• Same signs as __________
– Loss of energy
– Change in sleep patterns
– Withdrawal from usual
activities
• ___________ changes in
personality
– Outgoing becomes withdrawn
– Shy person becomes
aggressive
• __________ depression
• Actions
– Stops doing things he/ she
enjoys
– Gives away belongings
– Decline in school performance
• Things person says
– “I don’t want to live anymore.”
– “They’ll be sorry when I’m
gone.”
• Suffered a ______ _______
–
–
–
–
Moving to a new place
Losing boyfriend/ girlfriend
Friend/ family member dies
Going through family divorce
• Signs can be ___________
– Someone who has been
severely depressed suddenly
becomes happy and carefree
– May think person is better and
over the depression
– Why might they really be
happy?
Suicide
Myths and Facts
• People who talk about
suicide ________ attempt it
– FACT: Suicide victims often
talk about suicide before
attempting it
• If you _______ a suicidal
person to go ahead and do
it, the person is not likely to
attempt suicide
– FACT: Daring the suicidal
person may only convince
them that no one cares and
may strengthen the person’s
resolve to commit suicide
• Suicidal people are always
tired, sad, and inactive
– FACT: Some suicidal people,
teenagers in particular, may
become overly active and
aggressive before attempting
suicide
• If people try to take their
own lives and do not
succeed, they usually will
not try to do it again
– FACT: Suicide victims often
have a history of several
suicide attempts
Suicide
Myths and Facts
• If a suicidal person
confides in you and
makes you promise not
to tell anyone of his/ her
plans to commit suicide,
it is important to keep
the secret, NO MATTER
WHAT!
– FACT: By sharing the
secret with a parent,
teacher, or other
responsible adult you
may save the person’s
life
• If a depressed, suicidal
person suddenly seems
better, you do not need to
worry.
– FACT: A suicidal person’s
sudden shift in mood from
depressed to happy may
indicate that he/ she has
resolved to commit suicide
and needs help
• Suicide attempts should be
kept secret because the
information could ruin a
suicidal person’s future
– FACT: The suicidal person
may have no future unless the
person seeks professional
help
Suicide
Statistics
• Who dies from suicide more often, men or
women?
– More _____ than ________ die from suicide
• Gender ratio is 4:1
• 73% of all suicides are white males
• 80% of all firearm suicides are white males
• What is the ______ leading cause of death
among people aged 15- 24
– _____________
Suicide
How to Help a Suicidal Person
•
DO
– Trust your feelings if you
–
–
–
–
–
believe the person is suicidal
Take seriously a suicidal
person’s threats
Tell the suicidal person how
concerned you are and how
much you care about him/ her
Talk calmly with the suicidal
person – show interest and
compassion
Find professional help for the
suicidal person
Stay with the suicidal person
until help arrives
• DO NOT
– Dare the suicidal person to go
ahead and make the attempt
– Judge the suicidal person
– Analyze the suicidal person’s
motives
– Argue or try to convince the
suicidal person of reasons
why he/ she should not
attempt suicide
– Keep the suicidal person’s
self- destructive thoughts or
actions a secret
– Leave a suicidal person alone
Suicide
Helping Yourself
• If you have been feeling depressed, remember that
no matter how overwhelming the problems in life
may seem, _______________________________.
• Knowing some specific symptoms of mental
disorders can help a person determine if he or she
should seek help
- you feel trapped with no way out –you worry all of
the time
- your feelings affect your sleep, eating habits, school
work, or relationships
- Your family and friends express concern about your
behavior – aggressive, violent, reckless
- you are becoming involved with alcohol/drugs
Treating Mental Disorders
• Most people wait _____________ to seek help
• Where to find help
– Often, a parent, relative, teacher, school counselor,
physician, or religious leader can tell you about
mental health professionals` and services in your
community.
– There are different type of mental health
professionals that are capable of different treatment
methods. They may include both counseling and a
drug treatment plan.
– Asking for help is not a sign of weakness – it is a sign
of strength as it show responsibility for one’s own
wellness.