GROUP 1/A

Anxiety Disorders

MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
ADHD is pretty common and can make it hard to focus and sit still. ADHD makes it hard
to finish things, and makes thoughts jump around. Kids who have ADHD can learn to
control their thoughts and bodies by figuring out what helps them focus, or by talking to a
doctor or mental health professional. Some kids with ADHD do better in school if they
can do their work in a quiet room. Sometimes medicine can help too. Even though
having ADHD can make some things harder, people who have ADHD are just as smart
as other people. They can still do well in school and in life.

Anxiety (Panic Disorder)

Have you ever been really nervous? Maybe from a test, a speech, or a big game? When
you’re nervous, your heart starts pounding, you breathe fast, or your stomach might feel
funny. Feeling anxious and nervous is common. But a person diagnosed with an Anxiety
Disorder will have these feelings suddenly and often. These strong, sudden feelings of
stress or fear are called “panic attacks.” A panic attack can make your chest or stomach
hurt, your heart speed up, make you feel afraid, dizzy, or feel like you can’t breathe.
Even kids can have panic attacks. People who have panic attacks sometimes feel scared
to go places because they are afraid of having an attack. Their daily life can be scary, but
they can get help, get better and be okay.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder changes the way the brain understands the world. People
diagnosed with autism can have a hard time talking about their feelings, understanding
people’s actions, and being social. They can also be very sensitive about being touched.
To a person diagnosed with autism, being hugged can be scary and uncomfortable. Kids
who have autism are just as smart as other kids. They can be very good at things like
math or music. Just because some things are hard for kids with autism, they are not
acting mean or weird. Their brains just work in a different way. They still make friends
and learn how to work and play with others.

Bi-Polar Disorder
Everybody has feelings that change. When something good happens, you feel happy. If
something bad happens, you feel sad. Bi-polar disorder changes the way people feel
emotions. If people have bi-polar disorder, their emotions can go from happy to sad very
quickly. They can be very cheerful one moment, and very angry, sad and tired the next
moment. When people with bi-polar disorder experience intense feelings of happiness it
is called “mania.” They can’t think clearly or sleep well, and they might do things without
thinking about them first. When people with bi-polar disorder feel intense sadness and
tiredness, it is called “depression.” Having bi-polar disorder can be very tiring and
stressful. Medication can help. Talking to a mental health professional, friends and family
can also help someone with bi-polar disorder learn how to manage feelings and live a
healthy life.

Depression
Depression is a mental health challenge that makes people feel very sad all the time. It
can change how you think, feel, and act. It can even make your body feel sick too. A
person diagnosed with depression can feel so sad that it makes it hard to think clearly.
Someone diagnosed with depression might feel very sad every day, or feel that nobody
loves them. They might not want to do things they used to think were fun. People
diagnosed with depression may not know why they feel so sad. Even if you have a good
life, you can struggle with depression. It is good to have family and close friends to talk to
and help when things are bad, and talking to a mental health professional about these
strong feelings can help. Depression can be very hard, but people with depression can
get better too, and learn how to enjoy life.

Eating Disorders
An eating disorder exists when a person's thoughts and behaviors are focused too much
on food and body weight. The person may worry about being "too fat." The person may
have a big fear of becoming obese. Yet, the person's weight may be quite healthy. Three
of the most common types of eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and extreme
overeating.
Anorexia refers to weight loss that occurs from not eating.
Bulimia refers to eating large amounts of food over a short period of time
followed by an attempt to get rid of the food. This getting rid of food is called
"purging."
Extreme overeating is marked by eating, and eating, and eating and then having
feelings of guilt and shame.

The important thing to remember is that having an eating disorder is about more than
body weight and food. Behind the problem we see is something bigger – a person's
sense of self-esteem, relationships, feelings, and how the person handles the stresses of
life. A medical doctor, a mental health professional and a nutritionist are important
helpers for this type of problem.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Sometimes if you see or live through something very scary, you can keep feeling afraid
even after the scary part is over. It is normal to feel afraid sometimes, but people with
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) feel scared even if they are safe and there is
nothing to be afraid of. Kids with PTSD might have very bad dreams that seem real, or
think something bad is going to happen again. Even when they are safe, the feelings of
fear are very real. Talking to a mental health professional or friends and family can help.
It takes time and hard work, but kids who are diagnosed with PTSD can learn ways to
handle their fears and can live healthy, happy lives.

Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia makes it hard for people to know what is real and what is not real.
Schizophrenia can make the brain think it sees or hears things that aren’t really there. A
person diagnosed with schizophrenia can also start to think that people are trying to
control them or read their minds. Even though the things they see, hear, believe or feel
might not be true, their brains think they are real and true, and that can be very scary.
Having schizophrenia does not mean a person is violent or bad. Usually people do not
get this illness until their late teens or early adulthood, and there are ways to make their
lives better, like therapy and medication.
GROUP 2/B
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Having access to reliable information on positive mental health and mental illness
is crucial for adolescents for a number of reasons. Mental and emotional problems need
to be addressed, just like student’s physical health problems. Even if students have not
experienced mental illness, it is very likely that they will know someone who has.
Consider the following statistics:
• Mental health problems affect one in five young people at any given time.
• Mental illness is second only to heart disease as the leading cause of disability
worldwide.
• The first symptoms of mental illness generally appear between the ages of 15
24.
• An estimated 50% of young people with mental illness are not getting help.
• Fear of stigma and the resulting discrimination discourages individuals and
families from getting the help they need.

An interesting fact is that 30% of people diagnosed with mental illness will also
have a substance use disorder. When people have both, we call it a concurrent disorder.
It is often difficult to predict why someone with a mental health problem is “using”.
Sometimes drug use is a form of self-medication for mental health problems, other times
the substance use might have caused the mental health problem. Regardless what the
reason, using drugs is not a good thing to do!

The cause of mental illness is often very complex. The stress-vulnerability theory
explains why someone develops a mental illness:

Vulnerability: There is a genetic characteristic to mental illness, but just

because a family member has a mental health problem, it doesn’t mean that you will too.
Sometimes mental illness happens right “out of the blue”.

Stress: Stress can trigger the development of a mental illness, but stress alone
doesn’t cause the mental illness unless you have a vulnerability gene. Causes of stress
can be varied, sometimes a change in environment, e.g., where you live or the school you
attend, or even psychological trauma, e.g., exposure to teasing/bullying, other
violence or abuse.
GROUP 3/M
Healthy Living and Mental Health
HEALTHY EATING AND MENTAL HEALTH
Healthy eating nourishes the body, including the brain, and supports mental
health through:
Improved overall health and vitality
Increased ability to concentrate
Reduced irritability and mood swings
Lowered risk of mental illness

There is some evidence that healthy eating may be a factor in lowered risk of
depression and improved ability to deal with stress and anxiety (Healthy U Alberta,
2009).

Physical Activity and Mental Health:

Physical activity can make you feel good physically and build confidence.
Evidence suggests that physical activity may contribute to improved mood and increased
self-esteem, self-confidence and sense of control.
Some types of physical activity may provide an opportunity to connect with others and
develop supportive relationships. Getting physically active may (CSEP, 2011):
Make you feel better physically and feel better about yourself.
Improve your mood.
Improve self-esteem
Reduce physical reactions to stress.
Help you sleep better.
Give you more energy.

Physical activity may be effective in preventing or reducing symptoms associated with

anxiety and depression. How physical activity improves mood and relieves anxiety is not
yet clear. Some theories propose that physical activity (UK Dept of Health, 2004; Fox,
1999):
Increases body temperature, thus relaxing muscle tension.
Releases feel-good chemicals that improve mood.
Offers a “time-out” from worries and depressing thoughts.
Increases self confidence, feeling of competence and a sense of
mastery.
Provides a sense of belonging and mutual support when participating
with others.
Sleep and Mental Health
Most teens need 9-11 hours of sleep every night. Problems from not being fully
rested include:
Irritability
Difficulty concentrating and learning
Don’t move information from short-term to long-term memory as well
Falling asleep in class
Mood swings and behavior problems
More accident prone
More prone to depression
Suggestions for getting a good night sleep:
Stay away from stimulants like caffeine in the evening, including
chocolate, colas, and other caffeinated beverages. These delay sleep
and increase night waking.
Do not go to bed hungry, have a light snack.
Turn off any TV’s, computes, or cellphones, or just do not have
electronics in the bedroom.
Disengage from any stimulating activities like exercise, computer games
or talking on the phone for at least 30 minutes prior to bedtime. Reading
is much more relaxing and may help you fall asleep.
Taking a warm bath or shower helps prepare the body for sleep.
If you are not feeling rested and functioning at your best most days, talk
to your parents. You may need to speak to a doctor if you are having
problems sleeping in spite of trying the above tips.
Try a cup of hot milk.

GROUP 1/A
EMOTIONS

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
More Than One Kind of Intelligence
You may have heard people mention "IQ" when talking about intellect and how
smart someone is. (For example, "My brother doesn't need to study as much as I do
because he has a really high IQ.") IQ stands for "intellectual quotient." It can help predict
how well someone may do academically. IQ is just one measure of our abilities, though.
There are many other kinds of intelligence in addition to intellect. For example,
spatial intelligence is the ability to think in 3D. Musical intelligence is the ability to
recognize rhythm, cadence, and tone. Athletic, artistic, and mechanical abilities are other
types of intelligence.
One important type of intelligence is emotional intelligence.

What Is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, use, and manage our
emotions.
Emotional intelligence is sometimes called EQ (or EI) for short. Just as a high IQ
can predict top test scores, a high EQ can predict success in social and emotional
situations. EQ helps us build strong relationships, make good decisions, and deal with
difficult situations.
One way to think about EQ is that it's part of being people-smart. Understanding
and getting along with people helps us be successful in almost any area of life. In fact,
some studies show that EQ is more important than IQ when it comes to doing well in
school or being successful at work.
Improving Your EQ
Emotional intelligence is a combination of several different skills:
Being Aware of Your Emotions
Most people feel many different emotions throughout the day. Some feelings (like
surprise) last just a few seconds. Others may stay longer, creating a mood like
happiness or sadness. Being able to notice and accurately label these everyday feelings
is the most basic of all the EQ skills. Being aware of emotions as we feel them — helps us
manage our own emotions. It also helps us understand how
other people feel. But some people might go through the entire day without really
noticing their emotions. Practice recognizing emotions as you feel them. Label them in
your mind (for example, by saying to yourself "I feel grateful," "I feel frustrated," etc.).
Make it a daily habit to be aware of your emotions.
Understanding How Others Feel and Why
People are naturally designed to try to understand others
. Part of EQ is being
able to imagine how other people might feel in certain situations. It is also about
understanding why they feel the way they do. Being able to imagine what emotions a
person is likely to be feeling (even when you don't actually know) is
called empathy. Empathy helps us care about others and build good friendships and
relationships. It guides us on what to say and how to behave around someone who is
feeling strong emotions.
Managing Emotional Reactions
We all get angry. We all have disappointments. Often it's important to express
how you feel. But managing your reaction
means knowing when, where, and how to
express yourself. When you understand your emotions and know how to manage them,
you can use self-control to hold a reaction if now is not the right time or place to express
it. Someone who has good EQ knows it can damage relationships to react to emotions in
a way that's disrespectful, too intense, too impulsive, or harmful.
Choosing Your Mood
Part of managing emotions is choosing our moods
. Moods are emotional states
that last a bit. We have the power to decide what mood is right for a situation, and then to
get into that mood. Choosing the right mood can help someone get motivated,
concentrate on a task, or try again instead of giving up. People with good EQ know that
moods aren't just things that happen to us. We can control them by knowing which mood
is best for a particular situation and how to get into that mood.
EQ: Under Construction
Emotional intelligence is something that develops as we get older. If it didn't, all
adults would act like little kids, expressing their emotions physically through stomping,
crying, hitting, yelling, and losing control!
Some of the skills that make up emotional intelligence develop earlier. They may
seem easier: For example, recognizing emotions seems easy once we know what to pay
attention to. But the EQ skill of managing emotional reactions and choosing a mood
might seem harder to master. That's because the part of the brain that's responsible for
self-management continues to mature beyond our teen years. But practice helps those
brain pathways develop.
We can all work to build even stronger emotional intelligence skills just by
recognizing what we feel, understanding how we got there, understanding how others
feel and why, and putting our emotions into heartfelt words when we need to.