Mental Disorders and Suicide

Mental Disorders Over 230 different types of Mental Disorders are recognized In 2009, approx. 45 million Americans (1 in 5) had some form of mental illness. (about 20% of the population). Approx. 6.1 million Americans went untreated for their mental illness.

Causes of Mental Disorders Physical (also called “organic disorder”) ◦Dementia=irreversible loss of brain function. Can be caused by tumors or prolonged abuse of drugs or alcohol. Functional (cannot be traced to physical causes) ◦Factors can include: inborn causes, early experiences, current causes or combo of all 3.

Causes cont. Inborn: Inherited from parents and may be set in motion by life experiences such as abuse. Early Experiences: Result of experiences in early childhood that had a negative effect. Current Causes: Significant events and people the person is dealing with.

Kinds of Mental Disorders Anxiety Disorders: Anxious or fearful tendencies toward objects or situations. ◦Phobic: Fear of objects or animals. ◦General anxiety and panic: Cannot specify the exact cause, but is overcome with physical symptoms (example: sweating, fast heart rate, dizziness, etc.) ◦Obsessive-compulsive: An idea or thought consumes the mind and the person is unable to move on from it.

Kinds cont. Somatoform Disorders: A person is overcome with physical symptoms, but no cause can be found. ◦Hypochondria is an example of a somatoform disorder. A person believes that they feel sick, but medical doctors cannot find any scientific basis for it.

Kinds cont. Eating Disorders: People try to control their emotions through abnormal eating habits. ◦Anorexia Nervosa: Not eating enough energy to maintain a healthy body weight. Physical symptoms may include: lower body temp, slow heart and breathing rates, dry skin and loss of menstrual cycle. ◦Bulimia: the purging or vomiting of food that has been eaten or through the use of laxatives. Common physical symptoms are dehydration, kidney damage, bleeding of gums, etc.

Kinds cont. Mood Disorders: A person whose mood swings to the extremes and effects their daily lives. ◦Clinical Depression: Being overwhelmed by sad feelings for months and can’t carry out their daily lives. ◦Bipolar Disorder: Shifting from one emotional extreme to the other.

Kinds cont. Personality Disorders: An inflexible personality that interferes with a person’s ability to be happy. ◦Passive-Aggressive: Depend on others to tell them what to do, but hate being told what to do. They will not express anger directly, often in subtle ways. ◦Antisocial: Person performs cruel and violent acts with no guilt. Lack empathy, and often have criminal records.

Kinds cont. Dissociative Disorders: A person loses the ability to identify themselves or surroundings. Amnesia is the most common type of dissociative disorder. This is where a person “forgets” who or where they are. Multiple personality disorder is where a person switches between 2 or more different personalities. Most people confuse this with Schizophrenia.

Kinds cont. Schizophrenia: Unpredictable changes in thinking, mood, awareness and behavior. Schizophrenics are often said to have a “split mind” and suffer from irrational fears that someone or something controls their thoughts.

Suicide Approximately 4,400 youths commit suicide each year. Suicide is the 3 rd leading cause of death among teenagers. (1 st =Motor vehicle crashes, 2 nd =Homicide) Some warning signs are the same as clinical depression. Other signs may be a sudden increase in injuries or risk-taking behavior.

Treating Mental Disorders Psychiatrists: A physician who specializes in mental disorders. Since they are medical doctors, they can prescribe drugs. Clinical Psychologists: Specialize in the extreme and abnormal Mental Disorders. They are NOT medical Doctors, so they can’t prescribe any medication. Often work with Psychiatrists.

Treatment cont. Social Worker: Specialize in helping mentally ill and their families by offering counseling. Often work with hospitals, clinics or family agencies. Other Specialists: May include Occupational Therapists (Help patients become productive again). Pastoral Counselors (members of the religious community).

Treatment cont. Psychotherapy: involves conversations with a therapist who helps the individual understand and overcome fears. Drug Therapy: The drugs administered will not cure the mental illness, but will help alleviate the physical symptoms. Hospitalization: For patients who need constant supervision or are in danger of hurting themselves.