Chapter 10 Lesson 1 What Are Mental Disorders

Mental Disorders 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 Identified by their inability to cope in healthful ways with life’s changes, demands, problems, or traumas

Mental Disorders In the past mental disorders were misunderstood and people with such disorders were feared or shunned Mental disorders understood not only as disturbances in the emotions but also as imbalances in the chemistry of the brain

Types of Mental Disorders Organic disorders Functional disorder Anxiety Somatoform Affective personality

Organic Disorder Caused by a physical illness or an injury that affects the brain Brain tumors, alcoholism, infections such as syphilis and meningitis, lupus and stroke Some are inherited chemical imbalances

Functional Disorder Result of psychological causes in which no clear brain damage is involved Usually result from stress, emotional conflict, fear or poor coping skills May be tied to inborn causes, traumatic events in childhood, or current causes Main functional disorders – anxiety, somatoform, affective and personality

Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety Disorder Illness in which real, imagined or persistent fears prevent a person from enjoying life Continuous, chronic anxiety People will often arrange their lives so as to avoid the object or situation that makes the anxious or nervous

Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety Disorder Four types of anxiety disorders Phobias Obsessive-compulsive Panic Disorders Post traumatic stress disorder

Anxiety Disorders/Phobias Specific fear that is so strong that person goes to extreme measures to avoid the fear producing object of activity Acrophobia – fear of heights Claustrophobia – Fear of enclosed spaces Person with phobia may be unable to carry out daily activities Some believe that phobias are related to some past experience that was upsetting

Anxiety Disorder/Obsessive compulsive Trapped in a pattern of repeated behaviors or thoughts Obsession – consistent, recurrent, unwanted thoughts or ideas that keep people from thinking about other things Compulsion – urgent, repeated, irresistible behaviors

Anxiety Disorder/Obsessive compulsive

Anxiety Disorder/Obsessive compulsive Person with OCD might feel the urge to wash hands 20-30 times a day When these activities interfere with other daily functions an commitments, they are considered a problem

Anxiety Disorder/Panic Fear or anxiety get in the way of functioning and enjoying life The individual may feel anxious, fearful, and upset most of the time, or the feelings may arise for no apparent reason Panic attacks are accompanied by severe symptoms such as trembling, a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness or even dying

Anxiety Disorder/Panic

Anxiety Disorder/Post Traumatic stress Syndrome Person who experiences or witnesses a traumatic event feels sever and long lasting aftereffects Common among veterans of military combat rape survivors, survivors of natural disatsers Symptoms: flashbacks, nightmares, emotional numbness, reaction to an image, sleeplessness,

Anxiety Disorder/Post Traumatic stress Syndrome Symptoms: flashbacks, nightmares, emotional numbness, reaction to an image, sleeplessness, feelings of guilt, or an extreme reaction to an image or sound that reminds the person of the event

Somatoform Disorders Describe an illness in which a person complains of disease symptoms, but no physical cause can be found Hypochondria – a preoccupation with the body and fear of presumed diseases that are not present Constantly feel aches and pains and worries about developing cancer, hear disease, or some other serious problem

Somatoform Disorders

Affective Disorder A mood disorder often with an organic cause that relates to emotions and may involve mood swings or mood extremes that interfere with everyday living Mood swings are severe and may last long periods of time Clinical depression Bipolar Disorder

Affective Disorder/Clinical Depression Feeling of sadness, hopelessness, or despair last for more than a few weeks and interfere with daily activities and interests It can be a serious health problem that affects one’s ability to concentrate, sleep, perform at school or work or handle everyday decisions

Affective Disorder/Clinical Depression It can be a symptom of substance abuse It can run in families and be biologically based Can be caused by life events and accumulated traumas or stressors

Affective Disorder/Bipolar Disorder Illness characterized by extreme mood swings between depression and extreme happiness, or mania During manic periods people may feel extremely happy or energetic Often this “high” period ends abruptly and a period of deep depression sets in Between periods they behave normally

Affective Disorder/Bipolar Disorder

Personality Disorder Variety of psychological conditions that affect a person’s ability to get along with others May often be at odds with others and never see their part in the problem Personality disorders have no apparent distinct signs or symptoms

Personality Disorder

Antisocial Personality Disorder Person’s constant conflict with society May display behavior that is cruel, uncaring, irresponsible and impulsive They can distinguish right from wrong, they often don’t care about others’ needs or society’s rules and are often in trouble with the law

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Personality Disorder/Schizophrenia Means Split mind 1 to 2 % of the population and appears most frequently among people between the ages of 15 and 35 Untreated they may act inappropriately, exhibit abnormal emotional responses, or in some cases, show no emotional responses at all

Personality Disorder/Schizophrenia Some schizophrenics withdraw often losing all sense of time and space Some hallucinate or hear voices, talk to themselves, act odd, or neglect to care for themselves Paranoid Schizophrenics – mistrust and are suspicious of others They may believe they are being followed, listened to or targeted for harm

Personality Disorder/Schizophrenia Professional help and chemical intervention are always recommended