To contextualise the concept of health through mental health What does it mean to be mentally healthy? 2 minutes to define

Different mental illnesses What different illnesses do you know?

Depression Can be long or short term Many different types Not just about ‘feeling low’ Affects moods and sleep patterns

Bi Polar (Manic depression) People who suffer with Bi Polar have irregular mood swings and can be overly excitable to then deep depression. Some people can hear voices, see things that aren’t really there. Everyone has different moods but those with Bi Polar experience these moods in their extremity.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Often described as an anxiety disorder Split into two: Obsession and Compulsive An obsession is a repeated unwanted thought or urge; a compulsion is a repetitive activity that you feel you have to do. OCD can be unpleasant and frightening. Again, everyone has things that they like to be ‘just so’ – CDs in alphabetical order, or everything having its ‘right place’ – OCD is when a person can NOT get through the day withouth doing certain things. The thought will continusly appear in your mind until you act upon them.

Eating Disorders Everyone has different eating habits, if someone does not eat 3 meals a day it does NOT mean they have an ED. For people with ED’s, food becomes the most important thing in their life. 2 main forms of ED are Anorexia or Bulimia but there are plenty of other forms.

Schizophrenia The definition of this disorder has been debated for many years but is generally understood by doctors as when a person can not tell their own thoughts, feelings and ideas from their imagination to reality. Can vary greatly from person to person – some people will ‘hear’ another person, others will just have a dramatic change in behaviour.

Any thoughts or questions on mental illness? Having a mental illness can be a frightening experience – look at the clip of Stacey from Eastenders. Do you think that people know enough about mental illness?

Do mental and physical health go hand in hand?