Transcript Document
Getting Help For
Yourself Or Your Friend
EMOTIONAL HEALTH 101
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FIRST RULES
You don’t need to know exactly what is wrong just that there is a problem
It is courageous and sensible to ask for help
when it is needed
Trust your gut - if you think there is a problem,
discuss it with someone
Trust your friends - if they are telling you they
are worried about you, listen to them
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WE ARE ALL HUMAN
People have problems all the time
Many times we can work our troubles out with
help from friends, family or by ourselves
Dealing with problems and personal
challenges provides us with opportunities to
grow, mature, and learn about ourselves and
the world
They are an inevitable part of life
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BUT YOU SHOULD GET
HELP IF…
Problems:
Are severe or intense
Last a long time
Keep getting worse
Seem to be repeating themselves
The usual ways of dealing with things are not
working
You are having thoughts or impulses of harming
yourself or someone else
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THE BIG CATEGORIES
Problems in:
Feeling
Thinking
Behavior
These categories are not exactly exclusive. This is a way of
organizing information to help you understand and
remember
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PROBLEMS IN FEELING
Anxiety
(“I feel really nervous, tense, panicky”)
Depression
(“I feel really sad, down, blue, always tired”)
Mania
(“I feel too good, can’t stop”)
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ANXIETY
Play Video 2
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ANXIETY
Feeling tense, nervous, frightened
(especially if there is nothing
specific to be afraid of)
Also often called “stress”
Constant or frequent worrying or
brooding
Might cause problems in sleep,
concentration or sitting still
Might present as panic (intense,
discrete periods of anxiety)
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DEPRESSION
Play Video 3
7/20/2015
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DEPRESSION
Feelings of sadness, feeling “blue” or “down” all
or most of the time or for an extended period
Sleeping and eating troubles (too much or too
little)
Feeling slowed down or sped up/tense; trouble
concentrating
Lack of interest in usually enjoyable activities
(hobbies, TV or video games, sex, seeing friends)
Social withdrawal
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DEPRESSION
Might have physical complaints (aches, pains) or
worries about health
Poor self care (not bathing, changing clothes, etc.)
Irritable (men often get irritable or angry when they
are depressed)
Feeling worthless, guilty, that life is not worth living
Thoughts or impulses of harming yourself or others
(we’ll discuss this more later on)
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MANIA
Mania is the “up” side of bipolar disorder
It is rare – much less common than anxiety and
depression
Often feel “great” or very revved up
Person may not be aware of a problem
Often show very poor judgment
Impulsive (sexual, spending money) or risk taking
behaviors are common
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BOTTOM LINE
If problematic feelings like
anxiety, depression, or
mania are intense or last a
long time, you should reach
out for help
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PSYCHOSIS
A problem in thinking
Occurs in the context of major psychiatric illnesses
A serious disconnection with reality manifested by either
hallucinations or delusions
• Hallucinations - sensory experiences when there is no real
sensory experience (e.g., hearing voices when no one is
speaking)
• Delusions - strongly held beliefs out of the realm of reason
(e.g., “The FBI is reading my thoughts”)
Often (but not always), people with psychosis will have:
• Disorganized speech and behavior
• Poor Self-Care
It is fairly rare - but in almost all cases requires professional
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treatment
BOTTOM LINE
When anyone has thinking that is:
Severely Disturbed
Disconnected from Reality
It is important to get professional
help as soon as possible (more on
this later)
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PROBLEMS IN BEHAVIOR
Obsessive/Impulsive Behaviors
Substance Abuse
Self Harm
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COMPULSIVE/IMPULSIVE
BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
Often feel like you have an urge to do something
you don’t really want to be doing
Excessive hand washing
Triple+ checking (e.g., door locks,
electrical outlets)
Taking things that don’t belong to you
Problems controlling eating (too much or too
little) or self harm like burning or cutting can be
serious problems
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SUBSTANCE ABUSE
30% of college students report that
substances are interfering with their
school functioning
Alcohol and marijuana are the most
frequent substances abused, but
stimulants (Ritalin and Adderall) have
become more common
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PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Medications like Adderall, Ritalin and similar drugs used to
treat ADHD are safe and effective when used to treat
ADD/ADHD as prescribed
When misused, they might cause acute anxiety or panic,
psychosis, and heart problems for some users
If they are misused regularly, users can suffer severe
depression or physical withdrawal upon stopping them
Narcotic drugs like Vicodin, Oxycontin or Percocet can
be severely addicting and dangerous
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HOW YOU CAN HELP
Play Video 4
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ALCOHOL MISUSE
Alcohol misuse can occur in episodes, such as
binges, or in regular chronic use
People sometimes use alcohol to cover up anxiety or
depression but alcohol can worsen both of these
issues
Episodes of heavy alcohol misuse can lead to coma
and death, along with increased rates of accidents,
fights, and sexual assaults on campus
Regular misuse is associated with poorer school
performance and increased rates of drop-outs
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INTOXICATION
Results from use of:
• Alcohol
• Hallucinogens
(LSD, Mushrooms)
• Stimulants
(Cocaine, Ecstasy)
•
•
•
•
Thinking
Perception
Judgment
Behavior
These problems can resolve when the substance has left the
Can disturb:
system (but might not for some individuals)
Can be dangerous if the intoxicated person is:
• Severely agitated
• Behaving in threatening ways to self or others
• Has a change in consciousness – appears to be passing out
It is important to get help if any of these occur
SUICIDE AND SELF-HARM
Suicide - while rare in college students - most
often occurs among people who are depressed
Factors that increase risk and danger include:
Past history of suicide attempts
Impulsivity
Feeling trapped or hopeless
Withdrawal
Intense guilt
Access to means for self harm
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SUICIDE CONCERNS
Many young people have thoughts of suicide and
it almost always suggests the presence of a
serious problem
If you are having thoughts or impulses
to harm yourself (or others) it is
extremely important to get help as soon
as possible
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GETTING HELP:
KNOW YOUR OPTIONS!
It is important to know where you can get help or support on
campus
Find location of:
Counseling Services
Health Services
Chaplain
Dean of Students
Student Affairs Office
Does your school have emergency services on campus? Find
out and know how to contact - it is often through the campus
security office. Add them to your phone contacts!
In a crisis you can always call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
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HELPING A FRIEND
How do you know when your friend is
in trouble?
Listening Skills
How to Help
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HOW YOU CAN HELP
Play Video 5
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HOW DO YOU KNOW?
Look for CHANGE
Changes in:
Self-care
Dress
Eating
Sleeping
Social interactions
Patterns of substance use
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TOO MUCH OR TOO LONG
Remember what we said about emotional
problems:
If they seem too intense or are lasting too
long…
This could indicate a problem
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LISTENING SKILLS
Just talking to a person and listening is helpful
Listen with an “open mind” – don’t try to fill in the
gaps with your own thoughts or words
If something doesn’t make sense, ask about it
Try to be patient and non-judgmental
Don’t try to solve the problem (if it is difficult or
complicated)
Don’t be afraid to ask about suicidal thoughts
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HOW TO HELP A FRIEND
Play Video 6
7/20/2015
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HOW YOU CAN HELP
Let your friend know that we all go through tough
times
Make sure to convey that it is possible to feel
better! Counseling CAN help
Let them know that it is OK to ask for help when it is
needed
Trust your instincts - if you are worried about your
friend, speak to someone about it
If your friend is thinking of suicide - let campus
counseling or security know right away
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KNOW CAMPUS RESOURCES
If you need to get help for your friend, call the
counseling center
In an emergency, don’t leave him or her alone! Call
campus security or 911
Again, if your friend is talking about wanting to die,
harming himself or someone else, call campus
security or 911 right away
If you are unsure what to do and it may be a crisis,
consult campus security, counseling, or the National
Crisis Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
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FINAL THOUGHTS
1. These Things Happen!
2. Look for Change
3. Ask for Help
Know that you are not alone
and help is available
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MENTAL HEALTH
RESOURCES
For more information on mental health conditions and
substance abuse please consult the following
websites:
ULifeline
http://www.ulifeline.org/
Half of Us
http://www.halfofus.com
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness
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MENTAL HEALTH
RESOURCES
National Institute on Mental Health
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
The Trevor Project
http://www.thetrevorproject.org/
Community Conversations About Mental Health:
Information Brief
http://store.samhsa.gov/product/
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MENTAL HEALTH
RESOURCES
The Partnership for DrugFree.org
http://www.drugfree.org/
National Institute of Drug Abuse
http://www.drugabuse.gov/
College Drinking—Changing the Culture
http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/
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