Mental Illnesses

• mood disorders are frequent changes in mood caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain
• major depressive disorder symptoms:

  • loss of interest in life
  • irritable
  • sadness
  • not sleeping/too much sleeping
  • decrease or increase in appetite
  • sense of worthlessness, guilt, suicidal thoughts
• Bipolar Disorder:

  • cycle of depressed mood, "normal" mood and mania
• Bipolar mania symtoms:

  • inflated self-esteem/confidence
  • decreased need for sleep
  • increase energy
  • poor judgement
  • increased spending
  • non-stop talkng
  • agitation
• Psychosis is when you experience hallucinations or delusions; caused by mental illness or drugs
• Schizophrenia symptoms:

  • delusions
  • disorganized speech
  • catatonic behaviour
  • difficulty at work/school/socially/home
• anxiety disorder is a persistent and excessive worry that interferes with daily activities
• OCD symptoms

  • disturbing intrusive thoughts that cause distress
  • repeated behaviours or mental acts to reduce anxiety
• PTSD is the re-experiencing of traumatic events and avoidance of reminders
• phobias are strong persistent fears of objects or situations
• Dissociative Identity Disorder

  • 2 or more identities that control someones personality
  • failure to make connections between identity, memory, and consciousness
• Eating disorders are conditions involving an obsessions with food, weight, and appearance that negatively affect you
• anorexia nervosa is the intense irrational fear of body fat
• bulimia nervosa is repeated binge eating and then purging
• mental illness is a disorder of the mind, characterized by abnormal thinking, mood, or behaviour
• factors that contribute to mental illness:

  • chemical imbalance in brain
  • substance abuse
  • traumatic life events
  • heredity
• biological treatments:

  • mediations
  • electroconvulsive therapy (CET)
  • exercise
• Psychological Treatments:

  • psychotherapy
  • self-help groups
  • family and community support