Chap 5 Less 2
Mental
Disorders
Students will examine mental illness by
reviewing the types of mental disorders
Main Idea 1: Mental disorders are medical
conditions that require diagnosis and treatment
• Define Mental Disorder
o An illness of the mind that can affect the thoughts, feelings and behaviors
of a person, preventing him or her from leading a happy, healthful and
productive life.
• Define Stigma
o A mark of shame or disapproval that results in an individual being shunned
or rejected by others
o Learning about mental and emotional problems will help erase the stigma
associated with these disorders, and will help encourage people to seek
medical help early.
Examples of Mental
Disorder Stigmas
• People with severe mental illness, like schizophrenia,
are usually dangerous and violent
o Fact: Statistics show that the incidence of violence in people who have a brain
disorder is not much higher than it is in the general population. Those suffering
from a psychosis such as schizophrenia are more often frightened, confused and
despairing than violent.
• Depression results from a personality weakness or
character flaw, and people who are depressed could just
snap out of it
o Fact: Depression has nothing to do with being lazy or weak. It results from
changes in brain chemistry or brain function, and medication and/or
psychotherapy often help people to recover.
Main Idea 2: Mental Disorders can be identified by
their symptoms
• Define Anxiety Disorder
o A condition in which real or imagined fears are difficult to control.
o Approximately 13 percent of children between the ages of 9 and 17
experience an anxiety disorder each year.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
• Phobia
o A strong, irrational fear of something specific, such as heights or social
situations
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
o Persistent thoughts, fears, or urges (obsessions) leading to uncontrolled
repetitive behaviors (compulsions).
• Panic Disorder
o Attacks of sudden, unexplained feelings of terror. “Panic attacks” are
accompanied by trembling, increased heart rate, shortness of breath or
dizziness. (ex.
• Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD)
o A condition that may develop after exposure to a terrifying event. Symptoms
include flashbacks, nightmares, emotional numbness, guilt, sleeplessness, and
problems concentrating http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEVA0T7QR1E
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
o Exaggerated worry and tension for no reason. People with GAD startle easily
and have difficulty concentrating , relaxing or sleeping.
Impulse Control
Disorders
• Define Impulse Control Disorders
o People with impulse control disorders cannot resist the urge to hurt themselves
or others
Types of Impulse Control Disorders
• Kleptomania
o Unplanned theft of objects
• Cutting
o Repetitive cutting on parts of the body that can be hidden
• Pyromania
o Setting fires to feel pleasure or release tension
• Excessive Gambling
o Continuing to gamble despite heavy losses
• Compulsive shopping
o Spending money on items that you can’t afford and don’t need
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q1Vy1Fq2lA
Eating Disorders
• Define Eating disorders
o Extreme harmful eating behaviors that can cause serious illness or even death
Types of eating disorders
• Anorexia Nervosa
o An eating disorder in which an irrational fear of weight gain leads people to
starve themselves
o Health consequences: malnutrition, brittle bones, heart problems and sudden
cardiac arrest
• Bulimia Nervosa
o An eating disorder that involves cycles of overeating and purging, or attempts
to rid the body of food
o Health Consequences: dehydration, sore and inflamed throat and swollen
glands
• Binge Eating
o An eating disorder in which people overeat compulsively
o Health consequences: becoming overweight or obese and may develop
problems associated with obesity such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease.
Mood Disorders
• Define mood disorders
o An illness that involves mood extremes that interfere with everyday living
o Examples: depression, major depression, adjustment disorder and bipolar
disorder,
Conduct Disorders
• Define conduct disorder
o Patterns of behavior in which the rights of others or basic social rules are
violated
o Examples: Stealing, cruelty, lying, aggression, violence, truancy, arson and
vandalism
o Treatment: learning to adapt to the demands of every day life
Schizophrenia
• Define schizophrenia
o A mental disorder in which a person looses contact with reality
• Symptoms
o Delusions, hallucinations and thought disorders
• Treatment
o Professional help and medication
Personality disorders
• Teens with personality disorders are unable to
regulate emotions
• Examples: Borderline personality disorder, antisocial
personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder,
etc
• Causes unknown
Questions?
Getting Help
Chap 5 Lesson 4
Teens should seek help if they
experience the following:
• Feeling trapped or worrying all the time
• Feelings that affect sleep, eating habits, school
work, job performance, or relationships
• Becoming involved with alcohol or other drugs
• Becoming increasingly aggressive, violent, or
reckless
• Why do you think teens are reluctant to get help?
The benefits of treatment encourage people to
overcome a reluctance to get help
• Asking for help is a sign of inner strength. It show
responsibility for ones own wellness.
• Serious disorders, compulsions, and addictions are
complex and require professional intervention.
• Sharing your thoughts with an objective, helpful
individual can be a great relief
• Financial help to pay for care may be available
Where to go for help
• Counselor
o a professional who handles personal and
educational matters
• School psychologist
o A professional who specializes in the assessment
of learning, emotional, and behavioral problems
of school children
• Psychiatrist
o A physician who diagnoses and treats mental
disorders and can provide medications
Where to go for help,
cont.
• Neurologist
o A physician who specializes in physical disorders of the
brain and nervous system
• Clinical psychologist
o A professional who diagnosis and treats emotional and
behavioral disorders with counseling. Some can prescribe
medications
• Psychiatric social worker
o A professional who provides guidance and treatment for
emotional problems in a hospital, mental health clinic, or
family service agency.
Treatment Methods
• Psychotherapy
o An ongoing dialogue between a patient and a mental
health professional
• Behavior Therapy
o A treatment process that focuses on changing unwanted
behaviors through rewards and reinforcements.
• Cognitive Therapy
o A treatment method designed to identify and correct
distorted thinking patterns that can lead to feelings and
behaviors that may be troublesome, self-defeating, or selfdestructive.
Treatment Methods, cont.
• Family Therapy
o Focuses on helping the family function in more positive and
constructive ways by exploring patterns in communication
and providing support and education.
• Group Therapy
o Treating a group of people who have similar problems and
who meet regularly with a trained counselor.
• Drug Therapy
o The use of medications to treat or reduce the symptoms of
a mental disorder.