Psychological Health
Chapter Three
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Psychological Health• What Psychological health is not..
– Not the same as psychological normality– Conforming to social norms– Never seeking help for personal problems– “Mentally ill”– Peoples appearance
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Defining Psychological Health• Negative definition• Positive definition• Abraham Maslow’s “Toward a Psychology of
Being”– Hierarchy of needs
• Studied very successful people (Self-actualization)– Abraham Lincoln, Henry David Thoreau, Ludwig van Beethoven,
Eleanor Roosevelt, and Albert Einstein
• Realism• Acceptance• Autonomy• Intimacy• Creativity
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Meeting Life’s Challenges• Growing Up Psychologically
– Adult identity– Intimacy– Values and Purpose
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Achieving Healthy Self-Esteem• Developing a Positive Self-Concept
– Begins in childhood– Integration– Stability
• Meeting Challenges to Self-Esteem– Challenge is your self-concept
• Acknowledge that something has gone wrong
– Notice your patterns of thinking– Develop realistic self-talk
• Being less defensive• Being optimistic
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Achieving Healthy Self-Esteem (continue)
• Maintaining honest communication
• Dealing with loneliness
• Dealing with anger
• Managing your own anger
• Dealing with anger in other people
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Psychological Disorders• Anxiety Disorders
– Simple phobia or Specific phobia• Fear of something definite• Most common and most understandable
– Social phobia• Fear of humiliation or embarrassment while being
observed by others
– Panic disorders• Sudden unexpected surges in anxiety
– Rapid and strong heart beat– Shortness of breath– Loss of physical equilibrium– Feeling of losing mental control
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Psychological Disorders• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
– Reaction to future threats is to worry – Worries have taken over
• Obsessive-Compulsive disorder (OCD)– Obsessions – recurrent, unwanted thoughts– Compulsions – repetitive, difficult-to-resist actions
• Post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD)– Reaction to a severely traumatic event
• Treatment for anxiety disorders
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Mood Disorders• Depression
– Demoralization• Feeling of sadness and hopelessness• Loss of pleasure• Poor appetite• Insomnia• Restlessness• Thoughts of worthlessness• Trouble concentrating• Thoughts of death or suicide
– Dysthymic disorder– Suicide
• Warning signs• Treatment
– Electroconvulsive therapy– Seasonal affective disorder
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Recognizing the Warning Signs of Suicide
• Expressing the ‘wish’ to be dead
• Increasing social withdrawal/isolation
• Sudden inexplicable lightening of mood
• Previous history of attempts
• Suicide by a family member or friend
• Readily available means of committing suicide
• History of substance abuse or eating disorders
• Serious medical problems
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Psychological Disorders• Mania and Bipolar Disorder
– Gender differences• Equal numbers of men and women suffer, women are nearly twice as
likely as men to be clinically depressed
• Schizophrenia– Uncertain about what causes it– General characteristics
• Disorganized thoughts• Inappropriate emotions• Delusions• Auditory hallucinations• Deteriorating social and work function
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Getting Help• Self Help
– Books– Writing a journal– Religious– Social groups– Peer counseling and support groups– Professional
• Determine the need • Choosing a mental health professional
– Psychiatrists– Clinical psychologists– Social workers– Licensed Counselors– Clergy– Treatment Team
Psychological Health
Chapter Three