Women's Health Unit 2- Mental Health

Mental Distress

Normal, expected and necessary for growth and resilience.

Mental Health Problem

Problem arises from a greater challenge in your life, may require additional resources and support to assist you in navigating said challenge.

Mental Health Disorder/Illness

Diagnosed medical illness that requires professional interventions using effective treatments

Disability

• an amount of disruption a health problem causes a persons ability to attend work/school, carry out daily activities, and engage in satisfying relationships

• can be more disabling than chronic physical illnesses

• can start in adolescence and early childhood

Recovery

process whereby a person learns to cope with an illness, crisis, or trauma and its associated challenges

Stigma

negative attitudes and beliefs that motivate the public to fear, reject, avoid, and discriminate against others.

Stereotype

Attitudes about a group of people

• ex) all people with mental illness are dangerous

Prejudice

Agreeing with stereotypes without knowing of understanding, literally pre-judging

• ex) I think people with mental illness are dangerous

Discrimination

Behaviors that may result from stigma

• ex) I don’t want people with mental illness around me

Depression and Anxiety General Outline

• most common mental illnesses and can co-occur

• have signs and symptoms

  • signs: what we see

  • symptoms: what a person experiences

• Signs/symptoms are described in 3 buckets

  • Physical

  • Behavioral

  • Psychological

The Buckets of Depression/Anxiety

Physical

• Fatigue

• no/too much sleep

• lack of energy

Behavioral

• loss of interest in personal appearance

• loss of motivation

• use of drugs/alcohol

Psychological

• sadness

• guilt

• hopelessness

Depression

• A mood disorder that affects a person’s mood, thoughts, behaviors, etc. Its a medical disorder with biological and chemical basis that affects anyone

• Can occur only once or sporadically

• May be a chronic condition that could require ongoing treatment over a lifetime

Major Depressive Dissorder

Depression that lasts at least 2 weeks and affects a person’s

• ability to work/attend schooll

• carry out usual daily activities

• satisfy personal relationships

Postpartum Depression

• Antepartum/Prenatal Depression: Depression during pregnancy

• Postpartum Depression: Depression after pregnancy

• AKA the baby blues

• impacts the mother, mother-infant relationship, and the child’s cognitive and emotional development

Seasonal Affective Disorder

• aka Seasonal Depression and is triggered by the change of seasons and is most commonly triggered in the fall

• symptoms: feelings of sadness, lack of energy, loss of interest in usual activities, oversleeping, weight gain

Bipolar Disorder

• A disorder where individuals have extreme mood swings

• A person who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder have both major depressive episodes and manic/hypomanic episodes

• Major Depressive Episode: lasts at least 2 weeks in where a person feels sad or depressed for most of the day, everyday

• Manic/Hypomanic Episode: lasts at least 1 week where a person’s mood has been extremely elevated or irritable and is much more active than usual

Types of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar 1: experiences manic episodes

Bipolar 2: experiences hypomanic episodes

• hypomanic= less severe

Risk Factors for Anxiety and Depresion

• trauma

• difficult childhood

• family history

• chemical imbalance

• another mental illness

• more sensitive/emotional nature

Anxiety

• can help us avoid dangerous situations and motivate the solving of daily problems

• symptoms of anxiety disorders are more severe and can affect

  • ability to go to school/work

  • ability to have satisfying relationships

  • ability to carry out usual activities

• Anxiety disorders tend to begin in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood

What Causes Anxiety Disorders?

Mostly caused by perceived threats in the environment, but some people are more likely to react with anxiety when threatened

• sensitive emotional nature, tend to see the world as threatening

• history of anxiety in childhood/adolescence

• being female

• trauma/abuse

• separation/divorce

Anxiety symptoms can also result from

• medication conditions

• side effects of certain prescription drugs

• intoxication with alcohol, aohetamines caffeine, marijuana, cocaine, etc

Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety

Physical

• Cardiovascular: pounding heart, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, blushing

• Respiratory: fast breathing, shortness of breath

• Neurological: dizziness, headache, sweating, tingling

• Gastrointestinal: choking, dry mouth, stomach pains, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea

• Musculoskeletal: muscle aches, restlessness, tremors/shaking, inability to relax

Behavioral

• avoidance of situations, obsessive or compulsive behaviors, distress in social situations, phobic behaviors

Psychological

• unrealistic/excessive fear or worry, mind racing to going blank, decreased concentration, indecisiveness, irritability, impatience, anger, confusion, restlessness, fatigue, sleep disturbance, vivid dreams

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Symptoms

• overwhelming, unfounded anxiety and worry (things that may go wrong)

• multiple physical and psychological symptoms of anxiety and tension occurring more days that not for at least 6 months

Acute Stress Disorder and PTSD

• an anxiety disorder that occurs after a distressing or catastrophic event

  • war/military, assault, robbery, accidents, witnessing a significant event

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors accompany feelings of anxiety.

• obsessive thoughts: recurrent impulses and images that are experienced as intrusive, unwanted, and inappropriate and cause marked anxiety

• Least common anxiety disorder but can be very disabling

Phobic Disorders

A person with a phobic disorder avoids or restricts activities because of a persistent and excessive fear. They may have an unreasonable strong fear of a specific place, event, or object and avoid these completely

Agoraphobia

Involves the avoidance of situations where the person fears having a panic attack

Social Anxiety

The fear of any situation where public scrutiny may occur, usually with the fear of humiliation and embarrassment

Specific Phobias

Phobias of specific objects or situations

Panic Disorders

Experiencing recurring panic attacks for at least 1 month, is persistently worried about possible future panic attacks and possible consequences of said panic attacks

• some may develop a panic disorder after a few panic attacks while others may experience panic attacks without developing a panic disorder

Panic Attacks

A sudden extreme level of anxiety

• common crisis for individuals with anxiety disorders

• a distinct episode of high anxiety, with fear or discomfort that develops abruptly and has it peak within 10 mins

• 1 in 5 people will experience a panic attack

Symptoms:

• chest pain, discomfort, pounding heart, palpitations, rapid heart rate

• sweating, chills, or hot flashes

• trembling, shaking, numbness, or tingling

• shortness of breath, sensations of choking or smothering

• abdominal distress or nausea

How to help individuals experiencing a panic attack

• Express concern and willingness to help, ask the person if you could help/support them

• Ask whether the person knows what is or has happened

  • if the person never experienced a panic attack, get medical help immediately to make sure the person isn’t having a heart attack

• If the person has experiences a panic attack in the past

  • ask the person what has helped before

  • remain calm

  • speak slowly and clearly, in a reassuring but firm manner

  • be patient

  • avoid expressing your own negative reactions

Psychosis

When a person perceives or interrupts reality in a very different way from people around them. Almost like “loosing touch” with reality

• not a diagnosis

• Most common types of psychotic experiences are: hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking and speech

• Some people experience psychosis positively while others find it frightening

Hallucinations

• seeing things other people don’t

• seeing objects that seem to be distorted or move in a way that they normally won’t

• experiencing tastes, smells, and sensations

• hearing voices others don’t hear

Delusions

A belief that nobody else shares and which other experiences or perception show cannot be true

Disorganized thinking and speech

Racing thoughts: multiple going through a person’s head very quick;y

Speaking very quickly and stumble over words

Change topics of conversations- bouncing from topic to topic

What Causes Psychosis

• Physical illness or injury

• Abuse/trauma

• recreational drugs

• alcohol

• prescribed medication

• hunger

• lack of sleep

• bereavement

• spiritual experiences

• genetic inheritance

Symptoms of Psychosis

• Changes in emotion and motivation

  • depression

  • anxiety

  • irritability

• Changes in perception and thinking

  • difficulties with concentration or attention

  • sense of altered self, others, or the outside world

  • unusual perceptual experiences (senses)

• Changes in behavior

  • sleep disturbances

  • social isolation or withdrawl

  • reduced ability to carry work and social roles

Types of Psychotic Disorders

• Schizophrenia

• Bipolar Disorder

• Psychoactive Depression: depression so intense it has psychotic features

• Schizoaffective Disorder: Schizophrenia and Bipolar symptoms

• Drug-induced psychosis: either by the intoxication or withdrawl from drugs

Schizophrenia

• derived from the Greek word for “fractured mind” and refers to the changes in mental function where thoughts and perceptions become disordered

• most common disorder where psychosis is a symptom

Symptoms:

• delusions and hallucinations

• thinking difficulties

• loss of drive

• blunt emotions

• social withdrawN

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

The inentional destruction of one’s own body tissue without suicidal intent

• is a complex behavior and symptoms that result from a variety of factors

Reasons for NSSI

• escape unbearable anguish

• change the behavior of others

• escape a situation

• gain relief from tension

• seek help

How to help a person who self injures

• seek emergency medical help when someone has:

  • taken an overdose of medication or ellicit drugs

  • sustained a life-threatening injury

  • is confused, disoriented, or unconcious

• recognize that NSSI is a mental health disorder

• discuss the situation calmly

• focus on ways to stop the distress

DO NOT

• focus on stopping the self injury UNLESS it is life threatening

• trivialize the feelings or situations that have lead to self-injury

• punish the individual

• threaten to withdraw care