MENTAL ILLNESS

The term mental illness/disorder is used to

describe many different types of emotional & mental

problems.

ORGANIC DISORDERS

Disorders that are caused by a physical illness or injury that affects

the brain.

Examples:• Meningitis• Syphilis• Traumatic brain injury

FUNCTIONAL DISORDERS

Disorder that occurs as a

result of psychological

causes/trauma in which no

brain damage is involved

Four Categories:

• Anxiety• Somatoform• Affective• Personality

ANXIETY• Disorder in which real or imagined

fears prevent a person from enjoying life– Phobia: when a person goes to extreme

measures to avoid a fear– General anxiety disorder: feels anxious,

fearful, and upset most of the time, but for no specific reason. (panic attacks)

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE

DISORDER (OCD)

Unreasonable need to act & think in a certain way

OBSESSIVE: Persistent thoughts/ideas/voices that cause a

great deal of anxietyCOMPULSIVE:

Urgent/repeated behaviors that when done, give a brief feeling of relief.

Common Obsessions

• Washing – hands, house cleaning, etc…

• Repeating – actions: locking door, turning lights on & off, etc…

• Checking – power of appliances, locks, lights, etc…

• Counting – generally in multiples of 5, but not always

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

(PTSD)A person has experienced an

extremely traumatic event & feels severe

and long lasting after effects

(i.e. flashbacks)

Examples of causes:• War • Rape• Child Abuse• Witnessing a car

accident (or anything in which a person is severely injured or killed)

SOMATOFORMDescribes a condition in which a

person complains of disease symptoms, but no physical cause

can be found.

Example:• Hypochondria

AFFECTIVE DISORDERS

DEPRESSION• Feelings of

hopelessness last for more than a few weeks and interfere with daily living

• #1 cause of suicide is untreated depression

MANIC DEPRESSION• A person “sways”

from a depressed state to a manic state

• “Cycling” is unique to each person…for some it happens in weeks, some, years