Created April 2015

DO YOU KNOW THE SYMPTOMS?

#B4Stage4

Presented by NAMI PA, Main Line, an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness

May is Mental Health Month, 2015Content for this presentation is provided by National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Please view the final slide for NAMI PA, Main Line contact information and a list of all links embedded within this presentation.

MENTAL HEALTH MONTH #B4Stage4

Mental Health Month is a time for education about mental illness such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety and other medical conditions that affect a person's thinking,

feelings, moods, ability to relate to others and daily functioning.

WHAT IS MENTAL ILLNESS?

A medical condition that disrupts a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning.

Mental illness often results in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life.

Mental illness can affect persons of any age, race, religion or income.

Mental illness is not the result of personal weakness, lack of character or poor upbringing.

Mental illness is treatable. Most people diagnosed with a serious mental illness can experience relief from

their symptoms by actively participating in an individual treatment plan.

#B4Stage4 GOALS

Addressing mental health before Stage 4—this year’s theme for May is Mental Health Month—calls attention to the importance addressing mental health symptoms early, identifying potential underlying diseases, and planning an appropriate course of action on a path towards overall health.

Community leaders should learn the facts about mental illness for public dialogue about mental healthcare, especially in an election year.

Mental Health Month: Screening National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day

WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL OR FAMILY HAS A MENTAL HEALTH CONCERN:

Discuss it with a doctor, who may refer the person to a mental health professional. Information is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness

(NAMI) at www.nami.org or its HelpLine at 1-800-950-6264.

NAMI also provides free education classes and support groups.

In Southeastern PA, the greater Philadelphia area, visit www.NAMIpaMainLine.org for local resources.

Visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness website for detailed information about the full range of mental illness diagnoses.

MAJOR MENTAL ILLNESSES INCLUDE:

Depression Symptoms: Changes in sleep

Changes in appetite Some people may experience a decrease in appetite and noticeable weight loss;

other people may eat more, sometimes resulting in weight gain

Poor concentration or ability to make decisions Loss of energy Lack of interest in usual activities. Low self-esteem; dwelling on losses or failures Feelings of hopelessness or guilt—including thoughts of suicide

MAJOR MENTAL ILLNESSES INCLUDE:

Bipolar disorder Symptoms: Alternating, recurring cycles of depression (lows) and mania (highs).During a

low cycle, symptoms mirror depression (above). Symptoms of manias include: Anxiety Difficulties with sleep High level of energy and activity Hypersensitivity Irritability Intense imagination Risk-taking; often with poor judgment

MAJOR MENTAL ILLNESSES INCLUDE:

SchizophreniaSchizophrenia involves a combination of symptoms falling

into three categories: positive, negative and cognitive. Positive Symptoms, also known as "psychotic symptoms," involve a

loss of contact with reality. Negative systems "take away" a person's usual ways of interacting

with other people. Cognitive symptoms affect thinking, reasoning, memory and

perception.

Schizophrenia, symptoms continued

Positive Symptoms

Delusions—a person believes ideas that are clearly false (e.g. people are reading their thoughts)

Hallucinations—images or voices that others cannot see or hear

Negative Symptoms

Emotional flatness

Inability to start or follow through with activities

Lack of content in speech

Inability to experience pleasure

MAJOR MENTAL ILLNESS INCLUDE:

MAJOR MENTAL ILLNESSES CONTINUED

Schizophrenia, symptoms continued

Cognitive Symptoms Difficulty in organizing thoughts

Difficulty in remembering

Inability to recognize their illness (anosognosia)

MAJOR MENTAL ILLNESSES INCLUDE:

Anxiety Disorders Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in America; they affect around

20 percent of the population at any given time.

Anxiety disorders include: Panic disorders Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Phobias Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Social Anxiety Disorder

Some people with other mental illnesses, such as depression or schizophrenia, may have symptoms of severe anxiety.

Fortunately there are many good treatments for anxiety disorders. http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=142543

Created April 2015

Presented by NAMI PA, Main Line an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

NAMI is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

Visit NAMI online at www.nami.org

Visit www.NAMIpaMainLine.org for resources, including support and education resources for the Greater Philadelphia area.

info@NAMIpaMainLine.org267-251-6240

Links and resources embedded within the presentation:• http://www.nami.org/factsheets/mentalillness_factsheet.pdf

• http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/events/national-depression-screening-day.aspx• http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/childrens-depression-checklist

• http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness• http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=149098• http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=142543

All information is current as of publication date; please let us know if you encounter broken hyperlinks.