This chapter discusses characteristics of psychological health such as cognitive functioning, expressing emotions, coping with stress, and adapting to changes. It also discusses self-esteem, emotional intelligence, and enhancing psychological health through humor, communication skills, and conflict management. The chapter addresses proactive approaches to life, challenges to psychological health, mood disorders, suicide intervention, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

1. Chapter Two: Achieving Psychological Health

2. Psychological Health Cognitive functioning of the following: Expressing emotions Coping with stress Dealing with adversity and/or success Adapting to changes

3. Characteristics of Psychologically Healthy People Accept themselves and others Like themselves Give and receive care, love, and support Accepts life’s disappointments Accept their mistakes Express full range of emotions (positive and negative)

4. Characteristics of Psychologically Healthy People Feels empathy and concern for others Take care of themselves Can function both independently Generally trusts others Involves exercise, sound nutritional habits, and sleep into lifestyle Establishes goals (cont’d)

5. What is Self-Esteem? Having pride in yourself Treating yourself with respect Considering yourself valuable Feeling good about yourself Having self-assurance and accepting yourself People with low self esteem have a poor self concept : how they view themselves

6. Emotional Intelligence Ability to understand others and act wisely in human relations Know your emotions Manage your emotions Motivate yourself Recognize emotions in others Handle relationships

7. Enhancing Psychological Health Sense of Humor : critical component of emotional health – results in a positive outlook upon life Communication Skills : increased verbal and non-verbal skills will produce better comfort levels with themselves (self-concept) and others (self-esteem) Conflict Management Skills : listen, learn “how” to say it, as well as use assertive communication * Learn to be more optimistic and in control

8. Proactive Approach to Life Proactive Approaches – actively taking charge of your psychological health: Construct mental pictures Accept these perceptions Test these perceptions (new experiences) Modify these experiences/outcomes (reframe)

9. Challenges to Psychological Health Two factors that can affect control 1) Nature (innate factors) 2) Nurture (environmental factors)

10. Mood Disorders Primary symptom is a disturbance in mood. Clinical depression (feeling down for a lengthy period) S.A.D (seasonal affective disorder) Bi-polar disorder (a.k.a., manic depression)

11. Suicide Intervention Remain calm Offer support and assistance Encourage problem solving Emphasize the temporary nature of the problem Seek help Stay with the person

12. Suicide Intervention, cont’d Talk about it Assume they are serious Tell someone about this Don’t argue Don’t be judgmental

13. Anxiety Disorders GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) Social phobia Panic disorder Obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD’s ) Treatment involves a combination of medication, counseling and lifestyle modification.

14. Schizophrenia Personality deterioration (biological and environmental) – characteristics are: delusions hallucinations disorganized speech catatonic behavior dysfunction in everyday routines

15. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

16. Chapter Two: Achieving Psychological Health