1. Personal and Mental Health Objectives: 1. Utilization of a person system for coping with stress. 2. Management of deadlines. 3. Peaceful resolution of personal conflicts.

2. Group Activity Stress: The reaction of the body and mind to everyday challenges and demands. On paper write down your own definition of stress, common causes of teen stress, and what do you do that helps relieve stress?

3. Types of Stressors Biological Stressors: These come from biochemical imbalances Examples include: mental or physical illnesses, disabilities, or injuries. Environmental Stressors: These include things from the outside world that you may or may not be able to control. Examples include: poverty, pollution, crowding, noise or natural disasters.

4. Types of Stressors Cognitive stressors: The way you perceive a situation or what you expect from it Example includes: thinking someone doesn’t like you (even if it’s not true). Personal Behaviors: Negative reactions in the body and mind caused by using tobacco, alcohol, or drugs, or not exercising. Example includes: You don’t exercise so you feel bad about your appearance.

5. Types of Stressors Life Situations: Stress caused by an event in your life. Examples include: death of someone, parents who separated/divorce, relationship trouble with friends or a dating partner.

6. Adrenaline Hormone released by the body in order to prepare the body to respond to a stressor. Fight Competition Test Confrontation

7. Stress Response Cycle Alarm: first stage; when the body and mind go on high alert Resistance: second stage; when the body tries to repair damage from the stressful event and return to normal Fatigue: third stage; results in a tired feeling that lowers one’s level of acivity Recover: in between cycles when body is at rest Alarm Resistance Fatigue Recover

8. Types of Fatigue 1.Physical fatigue: being tired from the day’s activity or exercise. 2.Pathological fatigue: being tired from fighting disease, being overweight, poor eating habits, using drugs or alcohol. 3.Psychological fatigue: caused by constant worry, being overworked, depression, boredom, and isolation.

9. Handling Stress Stress Tolerance: the amount of stress that you can handle before you reach a state of too much stress Resilience: the body’s ability to bounce back after a stressful situation

10. Psychosomatic Response to Stress A physical disorder that results from stress rather than from an injury or illness. High blood pressure: Stress increases levels of cholesterol Clogged arteries leads to high blood pressure. Headaches: Most adults and about ½ of all teens get headaches Range from mild to severe Stress in muscles cause tension Migraines are often tiggered by stress. Asthma: During an attack breathing becomes difficult due to airway constriction. Stress is a trigger for some people Immune Response: Prolonged exposure to stress can interfere with your immune system Your body may take longer to heal after injury or disease after long periods of stress. You may get sicker easier when you’re under stress.

11. Managing Stress  Identify the problem  What’s the source of the stress?  Is there more than one stressor?  Time Management  Use specific strategies for planning.  Prioritize: Rank things in order of importance.  Plan  Handling stress  Eliminate your stressor or your exposure to your stressor.  Change the way you perceive or react to the stressor.  Seek support  Talk to people you trust.  Relax (take time to rest and enjoy yourself; use relaxation techniques)  Progressive muscle relaxation  Meditation  Visualization

12. Understanding Mental Disorders Mental disorders are medical conditions that require diagnosis and treatment. Mental Disorder: an illness of the mind that can affect the thought, feelings, and behaviors of a person, preventing him or her from leading a happy, healthful and productive life.

13. Understanding Depression DEPRESSION: a prolonged feeling of helplessness, hopelessness and sadness. Serious condition that may require medical help. Almost 15% of teens will have some signs of depression Types of depression: major, mild, adjustment disorder

14. WARNING SIGNS Persistent sadness or irritable mood Loss of interest in things you once enjoyed Physical signs of nervousness Loss of energy Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide

15. Getting MAIN IDEA: Depression is a treatable illness. Health professionals can develop a “treatment plan” that may include: medication, changes in home/school environment or counseling. It takes TIME, PERSISTENCE and PATIENCE.

16. Understanding Anxiety… ANXIETY: the condition of feeling uneasy or worried about what may happen. Examples: test, presentation, coming home late Occasional anxiety is normal; a common response to stress Worry, insecurity, fear, self-consciousness, panic When stress leaves – anxiety leaves

17. Coping with Anxiety What caused the anxiety? Can it be avoided in the future? Use stress management techniques  Time management strategies  Planning (using a day planner/agenda)  Relaxation techniques Progressive muscle relaxation Meditation Visualization

18. Understanding Mental Disorders Conduct Disorder: patterns of behavior in which the right of others or basic social rules are violated. Examples: stealing, cruelty, lying, aggression, violence, truancy, arson, and vandalism Mood Disorder: illness that involves extreme moods that interfere with everyday living. Examples: depression, bipolar disorder (aka manic-depressive disorder) Anxiety disorders: Phobia, OCD, Panic Disorder, PTSD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder

19. Mental Disorders Personality Disorders- Unable to regulate their emotions. Schizophrenia- person loses contact with reality Eating Disorders- common in teen years Anorexia Nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating disorder. (more common in girls)

20. Suicide Prevention The act of intentionally taking one’s life Third leading cause of death amongst teens 15-19 Risk factors: suffering from depression, have a mental disorder, abuse alcohol or drugs. Exposure to recent suicides (cluster suicides)

21. Prevention Warning signs: Statements about suicide, changes in personality, depression, substance abuse, complaints, guilt, shame, rejection, change in habits How you can help: Initiate a meaningful conversation, show support and ask questions, Try to persuade the person to seek help If you fear someone you know may be suicidal GET HELP Counselor, school nurse, teacher, Parent, coach, trusted adult can get you started so proper treatment can begin