Mental Health and Suicide

1. Mental Health and Suicide

2. Anxiety and Depression • What are some common mental health problems? • When you start to get anxiety how do you feel and what are you feeling? • What are some events that could cause a teenage to feel depressed?

3. Anxiety • Anxiety: condition of feeling uneasy or worried about what may happen. • Occasional anxiety is normal, manageable reaction to many short-term, stressful situations. • Reasons for anxiety • Hormonal changes • Relationship issues • Grief • stress

4. Anxiety • Occasional anxiety is a natural response to life events. • Brief feelings of worry, insecurity, fear, self-consciousness and common responses to stress. • Usually, once the stressful situation is over the anxiety that created the stress is also gone. • Use your stress management techniques to try and reduce your anxiety. Avoid alcohol and other drugs.

5. Depression • Depression: A prolonged feeling of helplessness, hopelessness, and sadness. • Depression is a prolonged feeling that can interfere with daily life. • Feelings of sadness affect everybody, but depression usually lasts longer and produce symptoms that do not go away. • What do you think some of the symptoms of depression are?

6. Types of Depression • Major Depression: Is intense and can last for weeks or months. • Mild Depression: Less severe symptoms but can last for years. • Adjustment Disorder: Reaction to specific life event (death, moving schools, etc.)

7. Signs of Depression • Always sad or irritable mood • Loss of interest in activities once loved • Change in appetite or body weight • Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping • Loss of energy • Feelings or worthlessness • Difficulty concentrating • Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide SIGNS OF DEPRESSION

8. Causes and Effects of Depression • Depression can be caused by physical, psychological, or social reasons. • Physical may be a medical condition or illness • Psychological reasons might be surviving a traumatic life event. • Social reason could be living in poverty or in bad home environment.

9. Getting Help with Depression Depression is a treatable illness If you recognize signs of depression in yourself or a friend, discuss your concerns with a trusted adult. Treating Depression

10. Mental Disorders • Mental Disorders: An illness of the mind that can affect the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of a person, preventing them from leading a happy, healthful, and productive life. • Anxiety Disorders: A condition in which real or imagined fears are difficult to control. • Can you name any anxiety disorders?

11. Anxiety Disorders • Phobia: Strong, irrational fear of something specific (dark, heights, etc.) • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: OCD persistent thoughts, fears, or urges leading to uncontrollable repetitive behaviors. • Panic Disorder: Attacks of sudden, unexplained feelings or terror. • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Condition that may develop after a terrifying event.

12. Impulse Control Disorders • People with impulse control disorders cannot resist the urge to hurt themselves or others. • May begin in childhood or teen years and continue throughout life. • Can be physical or financial harm. • Can you name any Impulse Disorders

13. Impulse Control Disorders • Kleptomania: Unplanned theft of objects • Cutting: Repetitive cutting on parts of the body that can be hidden. • Pyromania: Setting fires to feel pleasure or release tension. • Excessive Gambling: Continuing to gamble despite heavy losses • Compulsive Shopping: Spending money on items that you can’t afford and don’t need.

14. Eating Disorders • Commonly occur during teen years. They are more common amongst girls, but can effect boys too. • Eating Disorders can lead to unhealthy weight loss and death. • What are the 2 main eating disorders? Compare and contrast the difference between the 2.

15. Eating Disorders • Anorexia: When an individual starves themselves. • Bulimia: When a person eats and then purges (throws-up). Eating Disorders

16. Other Disorders • Mood Disorders: An illness that involves mood extremes that interfere with everyday life. • Bipolar Disorder (on the test) • Conduct Disorder: Engaging in patterns of behavior in which the rights of others or basic social rules are violated (stealing, lying, aggression, arson, vandalism). • Schizophrenia: Person loses contact with reality (delusions, hallucinations, and thought disorders).

17. Suicide Prevention • Certain risk factors increase thoughts of suicide an suicide attempts. • What events or situations might increase the risk of suicide?

18. Suicide Facts • Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of teenage deaths. • Girls will attempt suicide more • Boys are more successful • Choice of means Youth Suicide Rates

19. Definitions • Alienation: Feeling isolated and separated from everyone else. • Suicide: The act of intentionally taking one’s life. • Cluster suicides: A series of suicides occurring within a short period of time and involving several people in the same school or community

20. Myths vs. Reality • Myth: People who talk about suicide won’t really attempt it • Fact: People who talk about it are usually considering it and should be taken serious • Myth: When people are determined to commit suicide there is not stopping them • Fact: Getting help for suicidal people can prevent them from taking their lives. • Myth: Talking about suicide may give others the idea to attempt suicide. • Fact: Talking about suicide and where to go for help may prevent someone from attempting suicide.

21. Suicide Risk Factors • More than 90% of people are suffering from depression or another mental disorder. • Or they have a history of abusing alcohol and other drugs. • Some people use alcohol and other drugs to escape their depression, however, alcohol and some drugs have depressants which only make the problem worse. • What are some of the warning signs of a person thinking about committing suicide?

22. Warning Signs • Statements like “I wish I were dead” or “I can’t take it anymore” • Writing poems or journal entries that deal with death. • Direct or indirect suicide threats • Withdrawal from friends • Dramatic change in personality, hygiene, or appearance • Impulsive, irrational, or unusuall behavior

23. Warning Signs • A sense of guilt, shame, rejection, and negative self-evaluation. • Poor school work • Giving away prized possessions • Substance abuse • Persistent boredom • Intolerance for praise or rewards Teen Suicide Signs

24. How Can You Help • Initiate a meaningful conversation; show interest, compassion, patience, and understanding • Show support and ask questions; Remind them that all problems have solutions and suicide is not one. • Try to persuade the person to seek help; Encourage the person to talk with a parent, counselor, or other trusted adult. Offer to go with him to get help

25. Where to go for Help • Talking with a trusted adult, such as parent, guardian, teacher, school nurse, or counselor • Other options for community health include clergy or crisis hotlines. • Crisis hotlines allow people to talk anonymously • Help is available from a variety of professionals who work in your community’s schools, clinics, hospitals, and family agencies.