ARTS289_Project01_DafnaMackliff

MENTAL
ILLNESS

BY DAFNA MACKLIFF

YOU
ARE
NOT
ALONE

1 in 5

U.S. adults experience a
mental illness each year

1 in 20

U.S. adults experience serious
mental illness each year

50%

of all lifetime mental illness
begins by age 14, and 75% by age

24

WHAT’S A
MENTAL
ILLNESS?

Mental illness, also called mental health
disorders, refers to a wide range of mental
health conditions — disorders that affect your
mood, thinking and behavior.

Many people have mental health concerns from
time to time. But a mental health concern
becomes a mental illness when ongoing signs
and symptoms cause frequent stress and affect
your ability to function.

A mental illness can make you miserable and
can cause problems in your daily life, such as at
school or work or in relationships. In most
cases, symptoms can be managed with a
combination of medications and talk therapy
(psychotherapy).

COMMON
•AnxietyDisorders

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Bipolar Disorder
• Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
• Depression
• Dissociative Disorders
• Dual Diagnosis/Co-Occurring Disorders (Substance Abuse
and Mental Illness)
• Early Psychosis and Psychosis

MENTAL
ILLNESS

• Eating Disorders
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Panic Disorder
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Schizoaffective Disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

ANXIETY
DISORDERS

People with anxiety disorders respond to certain objects
or situations with fear and dread, as well as with phys-
ical signs of anxiety or panic, such as a rapid heartbeat
and sweating. An anxiety disorder is diagnosed if the
person’s response is not appropriate for the situation,
if the person cannot control the response, or if the anx-
iety interferes with normal functioning. Anxiety disor-
ders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic dis-
order, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias.



Attention
Deficit
Hyperactivity
Disorder
(ADHD)

Attention deficit hyperac- With treatment, people with
tivity disorder (ADHD) is a ADHD can be successful in
condition in which charac- school, work and lead pro-
terized by inattention, hy- ductive lives. Researchers
peractivity and impulsivity. are using new tools such as
ADHD is most commonly brain imaging to better un-
diagnosed in young people. derstand the condition and
An estimated 8.8% of chil- to find more effective ways
dren aged 4-17 have ADHD. to treat and prevent ADHD.
While ADHD is usually diag-
nosed in childhood, it does
not only affect children. An
estimated 4.4% of adults
aged 18-44 have ADHD.

Four Types Of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar I Disorder is an illness in which people have experienced
one or more episodes of mania. Most people diagnosed with bi-
polar I will have episodes of both mania and depression, though
an episode of depression is not necessary for a diagnosis. To be
diagnosed with bipolar I, a person’s manic episodes must last at
least seven days or be so severe that hospitalization is required.

Bipolar II Disorder is a subset of bipolar disorder in which peo-
ple experience depressive episodes shifting back and forth with
hypomanic episodes, but never a “full” manic episode.

Cyclothymic Disorder or Cyclothymia is a chronically unstable
mood state in which people experience hypomania and mild
depression for at least two years. People with cyclothymia may
have brief periods of normal mood, but these periods last less
than eight weeks.

Bipolar Disorder, “other specified” and “unspecified” is when a
person does not meet the criteria for bipolar I, II or cyclothymia
but has still experienced periods of clinically significant abnor-
mal mood elevation.

BIPOLAR
DISORDER

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes dramat-
ic shifts in a person’s mood, energy and ability to think
clearly. People with bipolar experience high and low
moods—known as mania and depression—which differ
from the typical ups-and-downs most people experience.

The average age-of-onset is about 25, but it can occur in
the teens, or more uncommonly, in childhood. The condi-
tion affects men and women equally, with about 2.8% of
the U.S. population diagnosed with bipolar disorder and
nearly 83% of cases classified as severe.

If left untreated, bipolar disorder usually worsens. How-
ever, with a good treatment plan including psychother-
apy, medications, a healthy lifestyle, a regular schedule
and early identification of symptoms, many people live
well with the condition.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a condition
characterized by difficulties regulating emotion. This
means that people who experience BPD feel emotions
intensely and for extended periods of time, and it is
harder for them to return to a stable baseline after an
emotionally triggering event.

This difficulty can lead to impulsivity, poor self-im-
age, stormy relationships and intense emotional re-
sponses to stressors. Struggling with self-regulation
can also result in dangerous behaviors such as self-
harm (e.g. cutting).

It’s estimated that 1.4% of the adult U.S. population
experiences BPD. Nearly 75% of people diagnosed
with BPD are women. Recent research suggests that
men may be equally affected by BPD, but are com-
monly misdiagnosed with PTSD or depression.

BORDERLINE
DISRODER

PERSONALITY

DEPRESSION

Depressive disorder, frequently referred to simply
as depression, is more than just feeling sad or going
through a rough patch. It’s a serious mental health
condition that requires understanding and medical
care. Left untreated, depression can be devastating
for those who have it and their families. Fortunately,
with early detection, diagnosis and a treatment plan
consisting of medication, psychotherapy and healthy
lifestyle choices, many people can and do get better.

Some will only experience one depressive episode in a
lifetime, but for most, depressive disorder recurs. Without
treatment, episodes may last a few months to several years.
More than 19 million U.S. adults—nearly 8% of the pop-
ulation—had at least one major depressive episode in
the past year. People of all ages and all racial, ethnic
and socioeconomic backgrounds experience depres-
sion, but it does affect some groups more than others

EATING
DISORDERS

When you become so preoccupied with food and weight is-
sues that you find it harder and harder to focus on other as-
pects of your life, it may be an early sign of an eating dis-
order. Without treatment, eating disorders can take over a
person’s life and lead to serious, potentially fatal medical
complications. Eating disorders can affect people of any age
or gender, but rates are higher among women. Symptoms
commonly appear in adolescence and young adulthood.
Anorexia Nervosa. Peo- The emotional symptoms of
ple with anorexia will deny anorexia include irritability, so-
themselves food to the point of cial withdrawal, lack of mood or
self-starvation as they obsesses emotion, not able to understand
about weight loss. With anorex- the seriousness of the situation,
ia, a person will deny hunger fear of eating in public and ob-
and refuse to eat, practice binge sessions with food and exercise.
eating and purging behaviors or Often food rituals are developed
exercise to the point of exhaus- or whole categories of food are
tion as they attempts to lim- eliminated from the person’s
it, eliminate or “burn” calories. diet, out of fear of being “fat”.

Anorexia can take a heavy ative effect both emotionally and
physical toll. Very low food in- physically. People living with bu-
take and inadequate nutrition limia are usually normal weight
causes a person to become or even a bit overweight.
very thin. The body is forced to
slow down to conserve energy Binge Eating Disorder (BED).
causing irregularities or loss of A person with BED losses control
menstruation, constipation and over their eating and eats a very
abdominal pain, irregular heart large amount of food in a short
rhythms, low blood pressure, de- period of time. They may also
hydration and trouble sleeping. eat large amounts of food even
when he isn’t hungry or after he
Bulimia Nervosa. People is uncomfortably full. This caus-
living with bulimia will feel out es them to feel embarrassed, dis-
of control when binging on very gusted, depressed or guilty about
large amounts of food during their behavior. A person with BED,
short periods of time, and then after an episode of binge eating,
desperately try to rid themselves does not attempt to purge or ex-
of the extra calories using forced ercise excessively like someone
vomiting, abusing laxatives or living with anorexia or bulimia
excessive exercise. This be- would. A person with binge eat-
comes a repeating cycle that ing disorder may be normal
controls many aspects of the weight, overweight or obese.
person’s life and has a very neg-

CURRENT PEER
Asked through instagram, here are a few anonymous
testimonials of people who have beel dealing with mental
issues.

All started about 3 years ago after Got sick in the summer, started throwing
my break up with my ex boyfriend up for 2 weeks, bc of covid my anxiety
for 7 years. I went through ups sky rocketed, Cause I was afraid to get
and downs. Since then, I have sick, I would cry b4 leaving my house for
to admit I have several anxious weeks. Now Whenever i feel nervous I
moments where I just freak out get those symptoms as if I’m physically
about little things I can’t control. sick but not.
The anxiety mostly occurs after - Anonymous
overthinking about those issues.
I tend to go through different
(random) scenarios of how that
issue can end. Most of the times
my brain focuses on the bad
ones and that’s when I start to
feel overly nervous and anxious.
I have my ways to get over them
but they come back here and
there. It’s an on going process.
-Anonymous

R TESTIMONIES
After leaving the race I got de- worse when the pandemic arrived,
pressed, I started attacking myself, I couldn’t, my mother took it out
my family relationships got worse, on me, because she wasn’t there
I was completely isolated, I was studying, he said things to me, I
alone, I did not want to talk to my thought about killing myself during
friends, they took me to the psy- the pandemic, 2 years ago I tried to
chiatrist He made me understand kill myself with antidepressants. But
some things, I stopped going and I started studying, exercising, that’s
I got worse, a Boy I was sexually good when you’re sad. I would have
harassed by messages but I stopped liked to go to therapy as a child be-
because I faced it, but I was afraid cause my problems began there but
I thought he was going to look for my parents did not accept what they
me I felt anxiety, I cried all the time, will say, I have been hurt since I was
I met a boy I went out with him for a child when nothing goes well or I
a while I thought my self-esteem get angry.
could improve but it got worse due -Anonymous
to abuse, I left him with the help of
my friends (I was becoming depen-
dent on him) now I am very sus-
picious of men (I feel like they are
going to hurt me), everything got

THE IMPORTANCE OF

TREATING YOUR MENTAL

At the beginning of the pandemic with him) would hear screaming in the
I spent more time than usual playing background from time to time
video games with friends, during these And he would apologize for it every
times, I got closer to someone I went time, it was clear that the worst of his
to highschool with, his name was Jus- problems came from home. But at a
tin, he was part of the group of kids in time like that, there was nowhere else
school who thought it was amazing to to go. All he had was a few friends he
do drugs, just to give them a break from would speak to playing games and the
their anxiety for a bit and get things drugs to help him cope and escape the
off their mind. As we got closer over awful reality he was forced into. Eventu-
the months I noticed that he started ally, his job fired him, and he had noth-
doing less with ppl and stayed more to ing else to do but to stay home during
himself, he already had a slight drug the peak of the pandemic. Being home
problem, but he started telling me about more, the problem got worse, and he
stories of him going to work while he took more drugs, becoming someone
was taking xans and other pills/drugs. I who he wasn’t. And it caught up with
told him numerous times he should stop him one night, his step father gave him
and at times he even agreed, he knew it the task of driving their family gun from
was unhealthy. one house to another. Justin was al-
ready high at this time. He somehow got
However during this time COVID angry and took a detour to a local park
got to it’s peak in our area and barely where he had a mental breakdown. The
anything was open. Day in and day out stress, anxiety, drugs and loneliness got
he grew more depressed and stopped to him. He committed suicide that night
caring about his own health. We (me October 4th 2020.
and our friends playing video games -Anonymous

WHAT CAN
YOU DO?

•Keep active.

•Eat well.

•Keep in touch.

•Ask for help.

•Take a break.

•Do something you’re good at.

•Talk about your feelings. Talking about your feelings can help
you stay in good mental health and deal with times when you

feel troubled.

YOU
ARE
NOT
ALONE.