Look at the picture to the right. Describe what you see… What do you think has made this soldier cry? How would you expect him to deal with what has caused him to cry?

 People with major depressive disorder are subject to a deep and long-lasting sense of sadness and loss of pleasure.  Imagine having feelings that severely disrupt your ability to work, play, eat, sleep, and concentrate– then imagine having these feelings for weeks, months, or even years.  That’s what major depressive disorder is like.

 Each person in your group of 7 should have a different scenario.  Read your scenario and decide where on the continuum you would place each of those situations in terms of the effect the stress might have on the individual  Get up and stand where your situation would fall

 Why do you think you have different ideas about where to place these different situations along the continuum?  Can two people react differently in the same situation?  What makes the difference?

 Definition: Severe, ongoing anxiety that interferes with day to day activities.  Treatment methods: medication and/ or therapy

 Definition: Social phobia is a strong fear of being judged by others and of being embarrassed.  Similar to GAD, Social Phobia can also interfere with day to day activities.  Treatment methods: medication and or therapy/counseling

 Definition: OCD is an anxiety disorder that leads people to performing repetitive tasks that interfere with everyday life.  Treatment Methods: medication and behavioral therapy

 Definition: A mental health condition that is triggered by a terrifying event. Symptoms may include nightmares, flashbacks and severe anxiety.  Treatment Methods: therapy and or medication

 Definition: An involuntary anxiety or “panic” attack, triggering severe physical reactions.  Treatment Methods: medication and/ or therapy

 Parent or Other Family Member  Mental Health Professional ◦ Family doctor or school counselor  School Nurse  Priest, Minister, Rabbi, or other clergy member  Teacher  Hot Line ◦ Alexander Youth Network in CHARLOTTE ◦ 24 hours / 7 days a week  (704)

 Perception that problem will “just go away”  Perception that a mental health problem means one is weak or crazy  Lack of awareness of resources at school or community  Embarrassment to acknowledge problem  Perception that one should be able to fix the problem without help

 Rank each barrier 1-5 in order of relevance to high school students 1. Why might this particular barrier be so prevalent in our daily lives? 2. What ideas do you have for overcoming these barriers? 3. Why is it that people feel more comfortable addressing a physical health problem but not a mental health problem?

 Work with a partner to complete the matching symptoms handout  Read the symptoms and match each scenario with one of the mental disorders we talked about last week

 A Haiku is a poem that has 3 lines.  The first line has 5 syllables, line 2 has 7 syllables, line 3 has 5 syllables.  It also uses a nature metaphor.  Write a Haiku about what you learned today about depression & mental illnesses.