Personal Development Unit 7 - Psychological Health PDF

UNIT 7: Focusing on the Psychological Health Table of Contents Introduction 3 Lesson 1: Psychological Well-Being Jump Start 5 Learn about It!...

UNIT 7: Focusing on the Psychological Health Table of Contents Introduction 3 Lesson 1: Psychological Well-Being Jump Start 5 Learn about It! 6 Check Your Understanding 14 Explore Your World! 17 Lesson 2: Mental Health Check and Dangers Jump Start 22 Learn about It! 23 Check Your Understanding 35 Explore Your World! 38 Lesson 3: Coping with Mental Health Issues Jump Start 42 Learn about It! 44 Check Your Understanding 56 Explore Your World! 60 Lesson 4: Planning for Mental Health Jump Start 64 Learn about It! 65 Check Your Understanding 75 Explore Your World! 78 1 Real-world Challenge 82 My Reflection 84 Wrap Up 85 Answers to Check Your Understanding 87 Bibliography 95 Glossary 100 2 GRADE 11/12 | Personal Development UNIT # 7 Focusing on the Psychological Health “The good life is a process…It is a direction, not a destination.” - Carl Rogers, On Becoming A Person In this unit, the importance of psychological health and its factors will be discussed. Another part is dedicated to provide information regarding the many challenges that affect psychological well-being. The unit will also explore mental health issues and coping strategies. Lastly, you will develop your plan to achieve your psychological well-being. Kirsten and Her New Environment It was a month before the end of the school year. Students were planning vacations to different places. Kirsten is going to another place much earlier—she is transferring school. Being an aspiring musician, with the help of her parents, she received a scholarship from a prestigious music school in the country. However, she needs to transfer before the school year ends. 3 In her new school, Kirsten saw how well-versed her classmates were already playing complex pieces. Their skills are advanced and obviously honed through years of practice. Some of her classmates were even younger than her. Her performance was consistent bottom. She also felt alone with no one to talk to. Kirsten began to feel sad in her new environment. One lunch time, Kirsten sat at the back of the school building where no one goes. She sat on the concrete bench with the shadow of overgrown canopy of a santol tree cast over her. She is alone. Feeling melancholic, she asked herself loudly, “Why is it so hard to pursue this passion?” Then, she was surprised when she heard a person speak, “Maybe our passion is worth all these hardships.” It was Ms. Medina who saw Kirsten on his way to the back of the building. Essential Questions: 1. What are the factors that contribute to positive state of well-being? 2. What are the hindrances in achieving mental health? 3. What are some psychological or mental issues that an adolescent may encounter? 4. What are some of the coping strategies in achieving psychological well-being? Learning Targets In this unit, you should be able to:  Interpret the concepts of mental health and psychological well-being in everyday observations about mental health problems during adolescence;  Identify his/her own vulnerabilities;  Make a mind map on ways of achieving psychological well-being; and  Create a plan to stay mentally healthy during adolescence. 4  Lesson 1: Psychological Well-Being What makes you happy? When are you happy? Jump Start Materials: paper (minimum size is ½ sheet of paper), pen (colored pen, ballpen, or pentel pen). Instructions: On a piece of paper, make two columns. On the first column, write down the things that make you happy. On the other column, write down the times when you were happy. List down as many items as you can. You have 3 minutes. After answering, you are encouraged to share your answers. The sharing can be done in plenary for 5 minutes. The teacher facilitates the discussion and collects the answer sheets. Note: Depending on the class size and time, not all of you may be able to share your work. Motivational Question: How do you know that these things and moments make you happy? 5  Learn about It! Happiness and wellness are major concepts that caught the interest of researchers, psychologists, and philosophers across centuries. In this pursuit, researchers found that happiness and wellness (a good life) are only parts of a bigger concept: well-being. In understanding well-being, there were two approaches that emerged. They are listed below: 1. Hedonic well-being. The basic premise for hedonic well-being is that happiness could be achieved through decreased pain and with a consequent increase in pleasure. “Hedonism” came from a Greek word meaning “pleasure”. In a straightforward manner, happiness is about maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain. It is also known as Subjective Well-Being (SWB). Subjective Well- Being has three main components that define it. They are as follows: a. Life satisfaction. b. High positive feelings. c. Low negative feelings. 2. Eudaimonic well-being. From the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, came the concept of eudaimonia. It is rooted from the word daimon, which means true nature. Aristotle theorized that happiness is more than the pursuit of pleasure. Man’s happiness is found by discovering one’s meaning in life or daimon. In eudaimonic well-being, happiness is attained when people have discovered and experienced their purpose in life. Also, they are reflective of the challenges and 6 growth they have experienced. Eudaimonic well-being is also referred to as Psychological Well-Being (PWB). REMEMBER ME! Hedonic Well-Being: Happiness is about increasing pleasure and minimizing pain. Eudaimonic Well-Being: Happiness is about finding your purpose in life. For the purposes of this lesson, focus will be given on eudaimonic well-being or psychological well-being. This approach of pursuing happiness by finding your meaning in life is believed to be more relevant and more beneficial for you in the long run. Psychological Well-Being Psychological well-being is influenced by self-actualization. The self-actualization theory indicates that you have an innate tendency to be at your best – in terms of how you communicate, work, pursue your passions, and relate with the world around you. It means that in your every journey of finding your purpose, you are also in the process of becoming the best person that you can be. In all aspects of your life, you are on the path of living and realizing your fullest potential. 7 There are different factors that affect your journey towards self-actualization. To find your purpose in order to be happy, you must possess certain characteristics. Dr. Carol Ryff defined TIP! the six facets or components of psychological well-being: 6 Facets of PWB: S–elf-acceptance. 1. Self-acceptance. This facet of P–ositive relations with others. psychological well-being refers to the A–utonomy. level of positive opinion and E–nvironmental mastery. acceptance towards yourself. P–urpose in life. P–ersonal growth. 2. Positive relations with other people. In this facet, the importance of a healthy relationship (loving, open, and intimate) with others is emphasized. 3. Autonomy. This facet refers to your capacity to decide, pursue and take action to personal beliefs, convictions, and goals. 4. Environmental mastery. This facet refers to your ability to be able to adapt, manage, and change your environment effectively for your benefit and for those around you. 5. Purpose in life. In this facet, your ability to define, pursue, and act on your life purpose is the main focus. Related to this is making sense of your experiences (positive or negative), characteristics, and current situation and finding its connection and meaning in your life. 8  6. Personal growth. Lastly, this facet emphasizes on your ability to develop and realize your potentials, passions, and talents. The six facets of Dr. Ryff’s study are used as reference in research dealing with psychological well-being. In fact, Dr. Ryff herself used these concepts to develop the Psychological Well-Being Scale. It is a tool that has been created to check the level of psychological well-being of a person. The table below illustrates a description of a person who scored high and low in the said facet or test dimension. Psychological Characteristics of the individual according to score per Well-Being dimension dimension 1. Self- High scorer: The person displays positive attitude towards Acceptance self. He/she is able to acknowledge and accept the self completely (strengths and weaknesses). Along with this, he/she views past experiences in a more accepting manner. Low scorer: The person is dissatisfied with his/her self and disappointed with his/her experiences. There is anxiety with some qualities and constantly wish to change. 9 2. Positive High scorer: The person has loving relationships that provide relations comfort and create a trusting environment. Also, the individual with other feels strong concern about the welfare of others and his/her people surroundings (environment and society). He is able to display strong empathy and affection. Also, the high scorer is able to maintain healthy relationships. Low scorer: The person has not developed close and trusting relationships with others. Difficulty in opening up and being concerned with others is observed. Often, the person is isolated and frustrated with his/her interpersonal relationships. The person does not like to compromise to sustain relationships. 3. Autonomy High scorer: The person is able to make decisions and set directions for himself without the influence of others. There is a display of independence and is able to resist social pressure that dictates certain actions and thinking. The high scorer is able to assess his/her actions based on their personal standards. Low scorer: The person shows more concern on the expectations and evaluations of other people over his own. Often, the person conforms to social pressures in both thought and behavior. 10 4. Environmen High scorer: The person displays mastery and competence in tal mastery managing the environment. This mastery allows him/her to control a variety of external activities (various complexities). The person is also able to choose or create the context appropriate to his personal values and needs. Low scorer: The person is unable to change the environment. He/she experience difficulty in managing daily affairs and exhibits lack of control over the external world. 5. Purpose in High scorer: The person has a sense of directedness and has life established goals. He believes in the purpose of life, through both present and past experiences. Low scorer: The person lacks a sense of purpose in life and has minimal goals set. He/she does not see the purpose of past experiences and lacks beliefs that provide meaning to life. 6. Personal High scorer: The person places importance in continued Growth development. He/she views the self as constantly growing and expanding. Hence, the individual is open to new experiences. He/she is constantly assessing to improve and/or change self- knowledge, beliefs, and efficacy. Low scorer: The person lacks a sense of improvement or development (new skills, behavior, cognition, etc.). He/she easily experiences boredom in daily life. 11 The psychological well-being and its facets can be influenced by a variety of PAUSE FOR A THOUGHT factors. This may affect the level of the facets mentioned. It is important to After reading the scale, how would know some of these factors to help you you rate yourself in all dimensions? understand yourself and other Which Psychological well-being individuals too. dimension do you thrive in? Which one needs more improvement? Below are some factors that may affect psychological well-being: 1. Sociodemographic factors. These are the factors that refer to your external surroundings and its cultural conditions. This is determined by the culture’s belief systems, values, and social rules. EXAMPLE In Western cultures, most young adults are expected to live independently once they turn 18 years old. While in Asian cultures, an individual may live with their families even until their 30’s or older. This can affect the autonomy facet of an individual – his decision-making abilities specifically. 2. Age. This factor plays a role in determining standards towards your growth and development. Also, the psychological development through age is considered. Gender. In a society, gender plays various roles in determining standards for your behavior, actions, jobs, and set of beliefs. In this factor, along with cultural aspects, role designation in accordance to gender may affect your well-being. 12  EXAMPLE Females are still expected by most societies to take care of the chores at home. However, some females may want to work instead of staying at home. This conflict affects their well-being. 3. Socioeconomic level. Your socioeconomic status plays an important part in your psychological well-being. It determines educational level, employment, recreational activities, and goals that you could set. 4. Health. One of the determinants of psychological well-being is focused on your physical condition. It is perceived that with decreasing health condition will likely impact you regarding your ability to foster relationships, fulfil tasks, and other capacities. 5. Biological factor. This refers to your functioning body that may limit you to pursue certain goals and or actions. This can be caused by genetic influence which is hard to avoid or brush aside. EXAMPLE For example, an individual may have set a goal of playing basketball. This could pose as a challenge if the person is smaller than teenagers of his age. However, this does not mean that the individual will not be able to attain their goals. Rather it may affect the person’s self-esteem and well-being. 13 6. Personality factor. Your personality may affect how you pursue or develop certain areas or dimensions of your well-being. For example, someone who is more introverted may have less close relationships compared to a more extroverted colleague. All of these factors mentioned affect your development. You may have different levels of well-being in accordance to how these factors have affected you. Truly, you are unique. Check Your Understanding A. Recall / Comprehension Questions. The following items are multiple choice type of question. Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 1. This is the facet of psychological well-being that emphasizes on the positive opinion of one’s self? a. Positive relations with other people b. Purpose in life c. Self-acceptance d. Personal growth 2. A low scorer in this psychological well-being dimension has problems developing close and trusting relationships with other people. What psychological well- being facet/dimension is this? a. Autonomy b. Purpose in life c. Positive relations with other people d. Self-acceptance 14 3. A high scorer in this psychological well-being dimension places importance on openness to new experiences and expansion of knowledge. What psychological well-being facet/dimension is this? a. Environmental Mastery b. Sociodemographic factor c. Positive relations with other people d. Personal growth 4. What type of approach on well-being interprets happiness as maximization of pleasure and minimization of pain? a. Hedonic approach b. Eudaimonic approach c. Environmental mastery d. Purpose in life 5. This is a type of well-being that is influenced by self-actualization and importance towards personal growth. What type of well-being is it? a. Autonomy b. Psychological well-being c. Subjective well-being d. Environmental Mastery B. Application. Write your answers on the space provided below the questions. 1. Using the hedonic approach to well-being, give an example on how a person can achieve happiness? ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 15 2. Describe a person who has scored low in the facet of autonomy in psychological well-being. ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 3. What characteristics, traits or attitudes does a person exhibit if he has scored high in mastery facet of environmental in psychological well-being? ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ C. Synthesis, Analysis Questions. Write your answers on the space provided below the questions. 1. Diane is living out Aristotle’s concept of daimon or “true self” in her everyday life. She does not pretend to be someone she’s not. What can you say about her psychological well-being? ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Richard spends so much time browsing through the internet, going through social media sites and following celebrities during the day. Because of this, he hardly gets any work done for school. Why do you think this falls under hedonism and how is his subjective well-being affected? ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 16 3. Lisa is a student who works hard and sleeps late just to make sure she has mastered the lessons for the next day. Paolo, on the other hand would rather watch TV and play basketball than review for class. How are their well-beings different? ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ Explore Your World! Task 1: Discovering Psychological Well-Being Instructions: Copy the Psychological Well-Being Checklist provided below on a separate sheet of paper. The table has four columns. The first column contains the six facets of psychological well-being. Columns 2 and 3 are labelled as “Strength” and “Challenge” respectively. If a certain facet is your strength, you must put a check in the “Strength” box beside it. But if you consider it otherwise, you must check the “Challenge” box instead. Lastly, the 4th column is labelled “Why?” In this column, you will explain your answer. You can only tick one box for each facet. In this activity, there are no right or wrong answers. Below is the rubric for scoring. RUBRIC FOR SCORING Copying of content and answering 20% Content response 30% Ability to justify response 50% 17  Psychological Well-Being Checklist Psychological Strength Challenge Why? Well-Being Facet Self- Acceptance Positive Relations with Others Autonomy Environmental Mastery Personal Growth Purpose in Life Task 2: Identifying the Factors that Affect Psychological Well-Being Instructions: Copy the Factors for Psychological Well-Being Checklist provided below on a separate paper and answer on it. The checklist has three columns. The first column identifies various factors affecting psychological well-being. Notice that there is a section labelled “others”, this is for a factor not listed but you wanted to include. 18 The second column is the check box where you put a checkmark (√) if the specific factor is positively or negatively affecting your psychological well-being. And finally, the third column is reserved for you to explain how your well-being is affected by that specific factor. Share your answers with a partner. In this activity, there are no right or wrong answers. Below is the rubric for scoring. RUBRIC FOR SCORING Copying of content and answering 20% Content response 30% Ability to justify response 50% Factors for Psychological Well-Being Checklist Factors Check if Explanation Applies (√) Sociodemographic Age Gender Socioeconomic Health Biological Personality Others Task 3: Discovering Psychological Well-Being of Others Instructions: Copy the Psychological Well-Being Checklist provided below on a separate sheet. This activity is a replication of Task 1. But this time, you will interview someone from your family or community. You will be the one to answer 19 the checklist for your interviewee. Take note that you should briefly explain each facet of well-being to the interviewee. The table has four columns. The first column contains the six facets of psychological well-being. Columns 2 and 3 represent boxes to be answered: 2nd column is labelled “Strength” in which you will put an X if the specific facet is your strength; and the 3rd column is labelled challenge in which you will put an X if the specific facet is not your strong points. Lastly, the 4th column is labelled “Why?” In this column, you will explain your answer. You could only tick one box for each facet. Then, on the space provided you will explain the answer. You will collate your work as a group. In this activity, there is no right or wrong answers. Below is the rubric for scoring. RUBRIC FOR SCORING Copying of content and answering 20% Content response 30% Ability to justify response 50% Psychological Well-Being Checklist Psychological Strength Challenge Why? Well-Being Facet Self- Acceptance Positive Relations with Others 20 Autonomy Environmental Mastery Personal Growth Purpose in Life In a study conducted by Diener and Seligman in 2004, they found that a certain amount of income is needed for optimal living and that being economically disadvantaged may lead to dissatisfaction in life. However, they also found out that the higher the income of an individual, the less and less it matters in making them happy. They concluded that money helps people have satisfying lives. However, pursuing wealth in excess may lead to sacrificing other factors in life that matter – which leads to unhappiness. 21  Lesson 2: Mental Health Check and Dangers Part of being an adolescent means growing up with different experiences that make you feel extreme emotions, including sadness and anger. Do you know what makes you feel sad or angry? How does your sadness and anger affect your development as a person? Jump Start Materials: pen and a sheet of paper. Instructions: Divide the sheet of paper into two columns. On the first column, write down the times when you felt angry and/or sad. List at least 3 items. On the second column, write down the things that you did when you felt angry and/or sad. You will be given 3-5 minutes to answer. Sad or Angry Experience Actions Taken 1) 2) 3) 22  Learn about It! There are factors that affect your personal growth. Some of the problems that affect your well-being are progressing yet often unseen. One of these concerns is your mental health condition. According to United Nations report of 2014, 20% of 1.2 billion youth around the world, with an age range of 15-24 years old, experience a mental health condition. With this growing number, it is a necessity to know more about it and how it affects you. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is the state of comprehensive physical, mental, and social well-being of an individual. Mental health is not merely determined by the absence of illness whether mental and/or physical. Furthermore, mental health can be seen as: 1. A state of well-being where you discover and develop your abilities; 2. Capacity to cope with life’s normal stresses; 3. Ability to work productively; and 4. Capacity to contribute to the community. Looking back in the previous lesson, there are evident connections between psychological well-being and mental health - primarily on personal growth and development. In fact, the level of a person’s psychological well-being is considered in mental health. Consequently, mental health is a foundation of a person’s well- being. REMEMBER ME! Mental Health is the state of comprehensive physical, mental, and social well-being of an individual. 23 The Risk Factors that Affect Mental Health Adolescence, with all the changes that it brings, is a time for discovering individual roles and developing a sense of identity. It is also a period where you are vulnerable to various risk factors that affect your mental health. To understand mental health further, let’s examine these factors. Some of these factors may affect each person differently. In other cases, a variety of factors may affect and contribute to certain mental health conditions or poor mental health. Nevertheless, it is important to develop awareness in recognizing and understanding some of these factors. Being knowledgeable in this area can help your development and practice of mental health. Listed below are 6 factors that may cause or contribute to poor or decreased mental health condition in adolescents: 1. Peer rejection. Peer rejection happens when your perceived peers have declined or accepted you or a set of your beliefs, behavior, attitude, physical features, and/or other characteristics. In some studies, peer rejection may lead to loneliness, acts of violence or aggression, and delinquency. These may cause various psychological distresses to the person. 24 2. Bullying. It is probably one of the most well-known occurrences in school settings and even at work. In the Philippines, it is estimated that 50% of Filipino students or every 1 of 2 students are bullied at school. Bullying is a distinct pattern of deliberately causing harm and humiliation towards others. Often the bullied are smaller, weaker, or younger. There are often a larger number of bullies against the bullied, or the bullied is more vulnerable than the bully. 25 There are two components of bullying behavior: a. Imbalance of power – The bullies use their power such as physical strength, knowledge, access to humiliating information or data, Have you bullied anyone in popularity, and number (done in class, at home, or in the group) to inflict harm to others. neighborhood? If yes, what can The control that the bully has you do to correct it? leads to the breakdown of the bullied. b. Repetition – Bullying behavior often happens in varying intensity and it is built up through time due to the different elements that boost the behavior. This makes bullying a repetitive cycle as they find some form of gratification in doing so. Bullying has a variety of forms in which it can be executed. All of these types are equally distressing to the person being bullied. Below are the three types of bullying: a. Verbal bullying – done by using spoken or written words. Verbal bullying types are listed below:  Teasing.  Name-calling.  Inappropriate sexual comments.  Taunting.  Threatening to cause harm. 26 b. Social bullying – is also referred to as relational bullying. As with its name, it involves damaging or inflicting harm towards a person’s reputation and/or reputation. Various forms in which social bullying can occur are:  Leaving someone out deliberately.  Telling other children not to talk or befriend someone.  Spreading rumors about someone.  Embarrassing a person in public. c. Physical bullying – is a type of bullying that involves inflicting physical pain or damaging possessions of a person. Physical bullying are as follows:  Hitting, kicking, and punching.  Spitting.  Tripping and/or pushing.  Destroying other people’s properties.  Making mean or rude hand measures. 27 d. Cyberbullying – is the type of bullying that is done over digital platforms. It occurs by using cell phones, computers, laptops, tablets, and other form of electronic devices. Cyberbullying can occur through various media outlets and formats such as SMS, text, applications, software, social media sites, forums, chats, social gaming, and through shareable contents where others can participate. Acts of cyberbullying can be sending, posting, sharing, or chatting about negative, harmful, false, malicious content about someone else. This is done by sharing personal or private data of a person. Cyberbullying is characterized by the following:  Persistency – the capacity to communicate with continuously through various platforms over an extensive period of time. Here, the victim has a hard time finding relief or rest from the bullying.  Permanency – the information that Concerns with cyber you course through electronically has bullying: the capacity to last permanently and publicly. Hence, the extent of  Persistent. humiliation and distress that it causes  Permanent. you is more lasting and affecting you  Hard to notice. life. 28   Hard to notice – cyberbullying occurs in the cyber world where bullies have the capacity to Types of Bullying: conceal themselves from others through fake names, fake 1. Verbal Bullying. accounts and special 2. Social Bullying. technological features that 3. Physical Bullying. delete traces of the experience. 4. Cyber bullying. Hence, authorities find it more challenging to address. 3. Adverse, traumatic events in childhood. Adverse, traumatic events may refer to verbal and physical abuse that you encountered during childhood. These may be inflicted by family members, neighbors, and other individuals that you had come in contact with. The experiences may have caused severe stress and trauma to you. These can often lead to low mental health if not properly addressed. EXAMPLE If a 3 year old child grew up in a family where verbal abuse is prevalent, this might affect his/her mental health as he/she grows up. 29  Conflict and post-conflict scenarios. Survivors of violence in the community such as war and disasters (natural or man-made) may affect the mental health of an individual. Memories of these events may remain in a young person’s mind that results to distress and poor mental health. 4. Death of someone close to you. For anyone, especially for you, the passing of someone with close affinity may impact your mental health. It can affect you in various aspects psychologically. However, grieving is a normal process. 5. Socio-economic factor. Experiencing financial difficulties has been found to affect your mental health. In relation to this, various facets of your life are also directly affected such as nutrition, education, and the ability to afford treatment and medication. REMEMBER ME! Note: there can be Six factors that may affect mental health: more factors that 1. Peer rejection. may affect the levels 2. Bullying. of mental health of 3. Adverse, traumatic events. an individual aside 4. Conflict and post-conflict scenarios. from the six factors 5. Death of someone close to you. mentioned. 6. Socio-economic factor. 30 Signs of Poor Mental Health The effects of low levels of mental health may often be unperceived even by closest friends and family members. However, there are some that can manifest and reflect in your behavior and attitude in your daily activities. These behaviors may range from mild irritation to varying levels of anxiety and depression. Below are some signs of poor mental health that one should be vigilant of: a. Personality changes. One source of concern is the sudden change of your personality. This can manifest in observable behaviors that has not been done or is not usually exhibited, and/or if you are not acting or feeling the same. EXAMPLE June is a very outgoing 17-year old kid. He enjoys talking to people. One day her mother noticed that June was only talking to her 3-year old sister. When he talks to others now, he would simply nod or shake his head. Occasionally, he would reply but in a very limited way. b. Emotional changes. The extreme shifting or change of your emotions are one cause of concern. Observable forms of anxiety, anger (aggressive behaviors) and prolonged sadness that are uncharacteristic to you are cause of alarm that may be due to your low mental health condition. EXAMPLE Mark has noticed that his sister, Monette, has had a very short temper for the last two weeks. She would often storm out of the house when asked to do chores. She also gets angry easily when asked about questions she normally would have responded. 31 c. Social withdrawal and isolation. You have an innate tendency to socialize. Socialization may be varied depending on your preference and opportunities to do so. However, it becomes a concern if you have been withdrawing or isolating more than the usual and for an extended period of time. This is a warning sign of a very low mental health or a pressing emotional and/or mental health issues. Development of negative attitudes and opinions towards others can also be observed. EXAMPLE One afternoon after school, Delfin went past her mother very quickly in the living room and went straight to his room. Since then, Delfin refused to go to school and would often lock himself in his room. He claimed that he is doing fine when his mother asked how he is feeling. d. Lack of self-care. One indicator of low mental health is the observable diminished attention on your personal hygiene. Included here is lack of concern over physical appearance (not combing, taking a bath, dishevelled appearance, etc.) which were not previously observable. EXAMPLE Two weeks have passed and Lisa’s friends noticed that her long black hair was often dishevelled, covering her face. Normally, it was neatly tied with colourful ribbons. Her friends sensed something must be bothering Lisa. 32 e. Problem with sleep. Sleep routine is also part of self- care. It pertains to the rest and sleep that you get. Sleep concerns might be caused by conscious or unconscious factors that prevent you to get the necessary rest and sleep needed. This can be manifested in the inability to sleep, waking up in the middle of the night (often multiple times), insomnia (not being able to sleep) and/or hypersomnia (sleeping too much). f. Risky behaviors. Risky behaviors may be indicative of lack of concern of your health and well-being. These risky behaviors can be excessive drinking and smoking, drug use, and doing self-injurious activities. Risky behaviors may also endanger other individuals, such as over speeding. g. Sense of hopelessness or feeling overwhelmed. Lack of hope or giving-up in life is a major cause of concern. This may indicate various emotional and psychological disturbances which should be closely looked at. At the extreme, talk about ending your life is prominent. h. Prominent physical symptoms. Emotional and psychological problems can also be manifested in the body. As mentioned in previous lessons, health is comprised of physical and mental health. And so, some mental health concerns may manifest in the body as well. This can be in the form of unexplained headaches, dizziness, digestive problems, palpitations, and other unexplained symptoms. Sudden weight gain and weight loss can also be an indicator as well. 33 i. Decline in academic performance. Low mental health can also be reflected on your academic performance. A sudden decline in academic performance is a warning sign. The signs of low mental health mentioned above are not permanent conditions or indicative of a mental illness right away. However, these observable behaviors, attitudes, and situations can help you to reach out. The knowledge of low mental health signs can also help you who is undergoing some form of distress to be aware of the changes that you are experiencing. With this knowledge, you will be able to seek help or assistance. Below are some tips that will help you address disturbing signs and concerns regarding mental health: 1. Good communication. An open and non-judgemental tone of conversation is crucial for communicating effectively. This allows you to open-up and share your sentiments. Maintaining open communication allows you to share and talk about even negative experiences that might emotionally burden you. Talking about one’s problem may help you reflect and ease one’s tension. 2. Understanding of mental health disorders. As strongly emphasized in this lesson, knowledge of causes and symptoms of some mental health conditions might help you understand the other. Being well-informed, you understand that mental health conditions are not permanent and can be addressed properly and attended to over time. 34 3. Be sensitive and attentive to others. The practice of sensitivity towards others will allow you to become more aware of your behaviors and patterns of action. By doing so, you can recognize if there are any unusual behaviors or sudden changes that occur to you. This allows you to react and respond appropriately. On the other hand, if these signs are ignored and the causes of disturbing behavior are prolonged, these signs can escalate into serious psychological conditions. It is necessary that you become vigilant and sensitive to the people around you, especially those you care about. In the next lesson, you will discuss the possible psychological conditions that you are prone to and the means to prevent and address them. Check Your Understanding A. Recall / Comprehension Questions. The following items are multiple choice type of question. Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 1. What is this sign of poor mental health that is characterized by sudden changes in emotions or mood swings? a. Personality change b. Social withdrawal and isolation c. Lack of self-care d. Emotional changes 2. What special concern in cyberbullying refers to continuous communication through various platforms over an extensive period of time? 35  a. Permanent b. Persistent c. Lack of self-care d. Hard to notice 3. What is the sign of poor mental health that is characterized by the individual’s insomnia or hypersomnia? a. Problem with sleep b. Sociodemographic factor c. Positive relations with other people d. Personal growth 4. This is a sign of poor mental health that is characterized by poor personal hygiene. What is it? a. Social withdrawal and isolation b. Lack of self-care c. Problem with sleep d. Risky behavior 5. This is one of the risk factors that affects mental health which involves verbal and physical abuse encountered during childhood. What risk factor is it? a. Adverse traumatic events in childhood b. Peer rejection c. Conflict and post-conflict scenarios d. Death of someone close to you 36 B. Application. Write your answers on the space provided for below the questions. 1. How can social withdrawal and isolation be manifested in a person’s behavior that is indicative of poor mental health? ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 2. How can risky behavior be manifested in a person’s behavior to indicate an individual’s poor mental health? ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Explain the two components of bullying (imbalance of power and repetition)? How do these two components function? ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ C. Synthesis, Analysis Questions. Write your answers on the space provided below the questions. 1. Mike is a victim of cyberbullying by his classmates. They have been talking behind his back using a social media application to talk to each other. Through this medium, his classmates exchange derogative comments and false stories about him. Explain the difficulties Mike is encountering using the three special concerns regarding Cyber bullying (persistent, permanent, and hard to notice). _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ 37 2. Sheila has been verbally bullied in her new school. Explain the concept of verbal bullying. Provide some examples that show Sheila in this situation. _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Phil has observed that her sister is unusually aggressive over the past two weeks. Why is this a concern to be worried about? _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ Explore Your World! Task 1: Knowing one’s Vulnerabilities Materials: pen, paper Instructions: On a piece of paper, write down the factors that affected your mental health in the past or you think will affect your mental health. List at least three factors. Provide a brief explanation on the factors listed. Below are the rubric for scoring and a reference of the possible output: RUBRIC FOR SCORING Copying of content and answering 20% Ability to provide factors 30% Depth of explanation 50% 38  Knowing one’s vulnerabilities 1. (Answer) Explanation: 2. (Answer) Explanation: 3. (Answer) Explanation: Task 2: Knowing Someone’s Challenges Materials: pen, paper Instructions: Interview a classmate. On a piece of paper, write down his experiences or the experiences of someone close to him that has affected their mental health (emotionally, psychologically, etc.). Ask the chosen individual on what they or the affected person did to address the challenge or experience. Also, if possible, write down what kind of factor was enumerated. Note: Ask for permission from the person interviewed if his answer could be revealed as well as his identity. Below is the rubric for scoring and a reference of the possible output: RUBRIC FOR SCORING Copying of content and answering 20% Content response 30% Ability to justify response 50% 39  Knowing the challenges of others 1. (Answer) Action taken: 2. (Answer) Action taken: Task 3: Understanding the Vulnerabilities of Adolescents Materials: marker, Manila (craft) paper Instructions: Group the class evenly. Discuss and write down the common factors that affected the mental health of the youth in your social circle. Make sure factors and experiences have happened to adolescents you know. List at least three factors. Provide an explanation how the individuals you know were able to overcome or are currently trying to overcome the challenges brought about by the factors. Below are the rubric for scoring and a reference of the possible output: RUBRIC FOR SCORING Copying of content and answering 10% Correctness of factors 20% Group participation 30% Depth of explanation 40% 40  Challenges of the Youth Factors How It Was Addressed 1. (Answer) 3. (Answer) 4. (Answer) According to a survey conducted by Stairway Foundation, Inc., as per report of GMA News Online, 80% of teenagers aged 13 to 16 years old have experienced cyberbullying. The survey also saw that three 3 out of 10 children (7-12 years old) were bullied in the form of threats, photo editing, exposure of private conversations, and exclusion or impersonation through fake accounts. In the survey, 50% have expressed confidence in letting their parents know, while the rest did not. 41  Lesson 3: Coping with Mental Health Issues It cannot be said enough that you undergo many changes and challenges that affect different areas of your being, most especially your mental health. And just like with anything, the first step to dealing with difficulties would be to develop an awareness and understanding of them to be able to cope well. Are you aware of your thoughts and how it affects you? Jump Start Materials: ball pen, sheet of paper Instructions: 1. You need to divide the sheet of paper into two columns. The first column is marked feelings and the second column is marked actions. See example below: Feelings Actions 2. You will be presented with the following scenarios: a. You are walking on your way to school. You looked down and saw a 100-peso bill. 42  b. In class, you saw someone sitting on your chair. c. In the canteen, your food fell on the floor because someone bumped into you accidentally. d. You are walking on the street one afternoon. In front of you, a bag was snatched from an old lady. 3. You will be given two minutes each to answer what you felt (in the feelings column) and what you would do (in the actions column). 4. After the activity, you will be asked about your responses for each item. Note the differences and similarities. You may just ask for 3 to 4 responses per item. Processing:  While your classmates are sharing their answers, you need to be aware of the similarities and differences of your responses with theirs.  You need to identify which are the effective and ineffective responses. 43  Learn about It! When Signs are Disregarded The previous lesson mentioned the signs or red flag behaviors and indicators of low mental health levels. It was also mentioned that if these red flags were unchecked, it might progress into a more serious mental health concern. Mental health problems are prevalent in human society around the world. You too are prone to these mental health problems. Hence, it is important to know some of these mental health conditions. In doing so, you are more aware on how they manifest and how they affect people. Before you will be introduced with some mental health conditions that you commonly experience, you should keep in mind that What do you think will happen emotional changes and mood swings are to a student who is continuously normal occurrences especially to a teenager. isolated and bullied at school? The mental health condition that will be What can you do to help? discussed in this section is meant to supplement understanding and is not meant for diagnosis. In the prevalence of a mental health condition, mental health professionals should be consulted. 44 Below are some psychological conditions and its general descriptions that the adolescents are prone to: 1. Depression. In the Diagnostic Statistical Manual 5, depression is part of mood disorders, and is clinically known as depressive disorders. Depressive disorder is not a simple passing or fluctuation of mood of a person. It is a combination of persistent feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and the lack of desire to engage in activities that are previously rewarding to the person. Depressive disorders have various categories depending on the presenting symptoms and occurrence. It can be dealt with effectively with therapy and medication. A healthy and supportive environment is also desirable during the course of recovery. 2. Anxiety disorders. Humans respond to stressful situations. One of these responses is the feeling of anxiety or the feeling of fear or nervousness about a possible outcome. It can push you to make a decision in a fight-or-flight situation: to either retreat or face any challenge at hand. In anxiety disorders, the anxiety that you experience in the presence of fear and/or apprehension is not proportional to the situation at hand. The anxiety can manifest in different manners and varying degrees. As a result, anxiety disorders are classified depending on their manifestations. 45  EXAMPLE One type of anxiety disorder is specific phobia. Phobia pertains to the excessive fear that an individual possesses towards a specific object, circumstance, or situation. Specific phobia is initiated by the development of intense anxiety towards a specific feared object or situation upon exposure. This fear eventually interferes with a person’s daily functioning and/or causes noticeable stress. One example of a phobia that has affected adolescents is school phobia. Here, an individual perceived the act of going to school, or the school itself, as anxiety inducing objects. Such phobia may have been developed by traumatic experiences of peer rejection and bullying. 46 3. Substance-related and addictive disorders. This pertains to the abuse of and dependence on any substance. Typical examples of substances of abuse are alcohol, tobacco, and methamphetamine. There are two divisions of substance-related disorders. Two Divisions of Substance-Related Disorders Substance-Induced disorders Substance-Use disorders -these are disorders that refer to - these disorders focus on the the immediate effect of abusing a consequences or effects of using the substance substance  Intoxication.  Continued use of substance amid the  Withdrawal symptoms. problems such as:  Other mental disorders caused by o Inability to perform at the consumption of substance. jobs/school. o Inability to perform duties at home. The mental health conditions mentioned above are some examples of the potential effects of low mental health. Fortunately, the mental health conditions mentioned above are treatable and not permanent. It is important to note, however, that mental health problems are a combination of various factors that makes you more vulnerable to it. So, caution should be observed upon giving negative judgements such as: 47   “You chose that and decided to do it…”  “You have control over yourself…”  “You are just putting up an act…” The examples are only a few of the biases that some people in our society have towards people who have mental health conditions. These biases stem from a variety of reasons: one of these is lack of information. Lack of information towards mental health condition, their causes, treatment, and prevention may lead in obstructing the progress of an individual, or worse, aggravating the individual’s condition. As mentioned, mental health conditions have specific treatments. Such mental health conditions can be prevented and/or managed. On the previous chapter, signs of low mental health were discussed. However, can you detect low mental health if it is happening to you? What are the ways to be mindful of your own mental health? One way to do it is to recognize what you are thinking and feeling. Strategies in Coping with Mental Health Issues There are many ways to view psychological health in the field of psychology. One of these paradigms focuses on how negative thinking can affect how you feel and act. This is Cognitive Behavior Therapy or CBT. In simpler terms, CBT focuses on the assumption that negative cognition affects you in various ways such as your mood, sense of self, behavior, and even the physical state. Here, the goal of CBT is to help you acknowledge negative patterns of thought, evaluate, and if unhealthy, replace with better modes of thinking, and help you develop healthy patterns of behavior. Here, cognitive means how you think and what you think. 48 CBT emphasizes on the role of thoughts. Basically, it helps you describe experiences, emotions, and determine actions. However, there are unhealthy patterns of thought that convinces you to believe a false reality. Hence, if these thoughts are unhealthy it will reflect on your emotions and actions. These illogical or unreasonable thoughts or patterns of thought are called cognitive distortions. Below are some of the main cognitive distortions that you are most vulnerable to: Filtering. This pertains to the way of thinking that ignores the positive aspects in the experiences, while at the same time, focuses on the negative aspect of experiences. By filtering, it is easier to dwell on the negative experiences regardless of the presence of positive experiences. EXAMPLE Miriam was scolded by her professor by not being able to answer a recitation question correctly. The entire day she felt bad. However, Miriam has not noticed that during the day, she has received some good news too. She has received a high grade in her math subject. She found her missing book. Her mother also cooked her favourite meal. And, she was invited for a try-out in the university’s varsity team. But despite these positive experiences, sadness prevailed for Miriam. She practiced filtering by focusing only on the negative experience she had earlier (being scolded by a professor) to define her day. 49 Overgeneralization. This refers to a way of thinking in which you take a single incident or an experience as a sole piece of evidence in providing broader conclusions. EXAMPLE John’s tooth was in a bad condition. He needed to see a dentist. The dentist performed a necessary operation to extract his tooth. However, this operation was not pain-free. Since then, John has refused to go to the dentist even to the extent of extracting his own tooth. He is convinced that every trip to the dentist would be a painful one because of that one experience. John is risking infection if he does not seek professional help. Fallacy of change. This refers to the way of thinking where you expect other people to change to suit you. Fallacy of change links to the notion that your happiness lies on other people. This mode of thinking is damaging because happiness is not dependent on other person. Here, you are set for unhappiness and disappointment if the other person doesn’t change or perform and act as expected. EXAMPLE For two years, Donna was in a relationship with Roy. However, Donna was unhappy the entire time. She was expecting Roy to be more caring and lessen playing video games. She has expected Roy to change, even telling him to do so. Regardless, Roy still played more video games than ever and is less communicative during the two years they have been together. 50 Catastrophizing. This way of thinking is a distortion that involves expectations that the worst scenario will happen sooner or later. It can work as magnifying an event, and minimizing an accomplishment or a positive quality. It involves overthinking the worst possible things without a clear or strong basis. EXAMPLE Tina was late in school and got reminded of the class hours by her professor. Since then, Tina thought that she will fail in the class since she was already scolded, and that her teacher doesn’t want her in class. Personalization. This is a cognitive distortion that refers to your belief that every action has an impact on external events or other people regardless of facts or irrationality. Personalization results on you believing that you have a role in the bad things that happen. EXAMPLE Before arriving at home, Jacob’s mother is already feeling agitated. She wasn’t able to pay the bills and risk electricity being cut in the house. They do not have enough funds to pay for this month’s bills. When Jacob greeted her mother he noticed that she is angry. Since then, Jacob felt that he has caused the bad mood of her mother. He blamed himself for his mother’s mood. Emotional reasoning. This cognitive distortion pertains to thinking that if you feel 51 a certain way about something or someone, it is objectively true. However, you should know better that your emotions do not always indicate the truth of the situation. EXAMPLE Kiko feels angry towards a neighbor who he had altercation with previously. Since then he viewed his neighbor as aversive, arrogant, and insensitive. However, his brothers seems going along well with their neighbor. Kiko feels frustrated when he sees that his brothers are not agreeing with him. Blaming. This cognitive distortion pertains to the thinking that if something does not go the way you want it to be, it must be because of someone or something else, or an event. You explain negative experiences by assigning the fault to an external entity. You put the blame or responsibility towards others. EXAMPLE Mina has failed the exams in most of her subjects. Due to the inability to comply with university standards, Mina will remain in her current year in college. This was her position ever since. Mina blamed the long travel time from her house to the university as a reason for her failure. However, Mina has not seen her lack of study time due to excessive use of her mobile phone as the primary contributor to her low grades. 52 “Shoulds”. This is a cognitive distortion regarding the implicit rules that you set towards how you should behave and act. “Shoulds” sets you up for disappointment when the rule gets broken. However, you cannot always dictate rules and standards to others. Furthermore, you may break rules especially if these rules are imposed without consent. EXAMPLE Elaine is an accomplished musician. She has learned the violin at a prodigious rate. She is training her daughter, Karen to be a musician. She has sent Karen to various music lessons. However, Karen has failed to master the violin in the year she has been training. Elaine was frustrated because Karen “should” have learned and mastered the violin by now. The lists above are just a few examples of the cognitive distortions that may affect your mental health level. These cognitive distortions may affect not only you but the quality of life of the people around you. It is important for you to become sensitive to and be aware of these cognitive distortions and its subsequent effects on your emotions and actions. Being Aware of Inner Signs of Low Mental Health Your thoughts and emotions can affect others. However, it is also true that other people around you and your environment can also affect your thoughts and emotions. Below is Christine A. Padesky’s model on how you understand your experiences: 53 Padesky’s model presents five components of a person’s experience : 1. Thoughts. As mentioned earlier, thoughts describe your experiences, emotions, and TIP! determine actions. 2. Moods. These are emotions, affect, or the The five components of feelings that occur to you. experience according to 3. Behaviors. These are actions, or patterns of Padensky are: actions that you do. 1. Thoughts 4. Physical reactions. This component pertains to 2. Moods the physiological responses of the body such as 3. Behavior feeling cold when afraid, or rise of blood 4. Physiological pressure when angry, etc. Often, these signs are reactions felt especially when the emotions are intense 5. Environment and when stress is high. Nonetheless, the body is connected to the mind, and vis-à-vis. 5. Environment. This component refers to the external elements in an experience. It indicates your relationship with others, and the quality and type of the environment you have. Environment is the context in which you live and interacts with. Hence, the actions, thoughts, behaviors, and even physiological reactions interplay with the environment. 54 In coping with low mental health, you should be aware of and be sensitive about the environmental factors that affect you both positively and negatively. By doing so, you can map out your thoughts, reactions, and possible reactions (behavior and physiological) to the experiences. However, determining factors in your environment contributing to your mental health does not mean that the list is final. There are other things and experiences that may affect the level of your mental health as you grow older. Limiting your experiences may also lead to low mental health. Keeping well-balanced life is one of the key to mental health which would be discussed in the next chapter. EXAMPLE Rina was shouted at by a bystander on the street without doing anything. She felt her body cold and her body was trembling from fear. At home, her body is still trembling. 55  REMEMBER ME!  Depressive disorder is a combination of persistent feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and the lack of desire to engage in activities that are previously rewarding to the person.  Anxiety disorder is the disproportionate anxiety that one experience in the presence of fear and/or apprehension.  Substance-use disorder pertains to the abuse and dependence to any substance.  Cognitive distortions are unhealthy patterns of thought that convinces a person of a false reality. Check Your Understanding A. Recall / Comprehension Questions. Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 6. What are unhealthy patterns of thought that convince a person of a fallible reality? a. Cognitive distortions b. Thoughts c. Substance-use disorder d. Personal growth 7. What do you call a combination of persistent feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and the lack of desire to engage in activities that are previously rewarding to the person? 56  a. Anxiety disorders b. Depressive disorders c. Environment d. Cognitive distortions 8. What is the disproportionate anxiety that one experiences in the presence of fear and/or apprehension? a. Depressive disorders b. Cognitive distortions c. Anxiety disorders d. Substance-use disorders 9. 4. What do you call abuse and dependence on any substance? a. Depressive disorders b. Substance-Related disorders c. Cognitive distortions d. Fallacy of change 10. What cognitive distortion refers to the implicit rules that we set towards how one should behave and act? a. Filtering b. “Shoulds” c. Emotional Reasoning d. Catastrophizing B. Application. Write your answers on the space provided below the questions. 1. What is the role of the environment in influencing a person’s thoughts and moods? ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 57  ___________________________________________________________________________________ 2. How does cognitive distortion cause of low mental health level? ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 3. What is the difference between substance-use disorders from substance-induce disorders? ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ C. Synthesis, Analysis Questions. Write your answers on the space provided below the questions. 1. The other day, James had a fight with his best friend Morris. Since then, he focused on the experience that Morris was angry at him. He did not believe when their friend Ed mentioned that Morris wants to make amends. He felt bad. He even ignored the good news of his father being promoted. What type of cognitive distortion is James doing? Why? ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 58  2. Glen is travelling with his sister. In the bus, his sister barely spoke with him. Glen felt his sister was distressed and angry. He thought it was because of his earlier comment about her weight. But Glen did not know that his sister just received bad news from her friend about her grades. During the trip Glen felt guilty. What type of cognitive distortion is Glen using? Why? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Amanda arrived late for the 6th time in class last Monday. She was reprimanded by her professor. Amanda blamed the traffic. However, she knew that the traffic is worse on a Monday but did not leave early. What type of cognitive distortion is Amanda using? Why? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ 59  Explore Your World! Task 1: Being Aware of Cognitive Distortions I Materials: pen, paper Instructions: On a piece of paper, create a table with three columns. On the first column, write down event/s in your life that you remember using a cognitive distortion. On the second column, write down what type of cognitive distortion did you use. You can use more than one cognitive distortion. On the third column, write down what you felt. On the fourth column, write down the action or behavior you did. An example has been provided below. List at least three experiences. Discussion should be facilitated by the teacher. Note: the paper where the table is should have more space to add an additional two columns for the next activity. Below are the rubric for scoring and a reference of the possible output: RUBRIC FOR SCORING Copying of content and answering 20% Content response 30% Ability to justify response 50% Event Cognitive Distortion Emotions/mood Action Example: My teacher My teacher ignored Sad I did not recite in ignored my my question because class for the question. she thinks it is week. inappropriate. 60 Task 2: Being Aware of Cognitive Distortions II Materials: pen, paper Instructions: Based on the previous activity, Being Aware of Cognitive Distortions I, create two columns next to the previous activity table (refer to example below). The two columns are for Critique on Action and the second column is for New Action Suggested. Note that you will be responding to your answers in Task1: Being Aware of Cognitive Distortions I. On the first column, critique the action you listed from previous activity. Ask these questions: Is my action effective? Is my action the best possible action? Are my thoughts leading to the action factual and not distorted? Write as many criticisms on the action as possible. On column two, write possible new actions in which you could have done or do next time it happens again. List as many as you can. Note: you can use another paper Below are the rubric for scoring and a reference of the possible output: Event Cognitive Emoti Action Critique on New Suggested Distortion ons/m Action Action ood Example: My My question Sad. I did not Maybe the Next, time I will teacher is recite in teacher did ask again. went inappropriate class for not hear me. ignored so my teacher the week. I will not allow it my ignored it. Not reciting to affect me. question. made my grade low. 61  RUBRIC FOR SCORING Copying of content and answering 20% Content response 30% Ability to justify response 50% Task 3: Being Aware of Cognitive Distortions III Materials: pen, paper Instructions: Based on the previous activity, create a mind map for the answers in Task 1 and 2 (Being Aware of Cognitive Distortions I and II). Check example below. After that, create a mind map (example below) for the answers from the previous activities. Write down a brief explanation of your answer/s. Below are the rubric for scoring and a reference of the possible output: RUBRIC FOR SCORING Copying of content and answering 20% Content response 30% Ability to justify response 50% My teacher thinks Did not Not reciting my question is recite in the made my inappropriate Next, time I grade low that why she class for the will ask ignored it. week. again. My teacher went ignored my question Sad Maybe the teacher did not hear me Next, time I will ask again. 62  DID YOU KNOW? In a US nationwide study that involved 506,820 U.S. adolescents, researchers found out that those who spent more time on new media such as social media and electronic devices (smartphones) were more likely to have mental health issues. Meanwhile, those who spent more time on non- screen activities such as in-person social interactions, sports and exercise, homework, print media, and being involved in religious services were less likely to report mental health issues. 63  Lesson 4: Planning for Mental Health There are many challenges and changes that you face during your adolescent years. It can be a chaotic stage that will definitely affect you in adulthood if issues are not addressed properly. Everyday situations and habits are then crucial for your mental health development. How do your habits bring you to a happy and positive mental state? Jump Start Our Habits Materials: pen, paper Instructions: 1. On a piece of paper, create a table with two columns. 2. On the first column, write at least three of your habits (or things you do/say to yourself to put you in a happy disposition every day). 3. On the second column, write down if it is positive or negative. Positive means it is contributing to a good mental health and negative means it diminishes level of mental health. Explain your answer. 4. Sharing of answers. 64  Habits Positive / Negative Learn about It! Mental Health: Keeping the Balance In the earlier lesson, mental health was defined as the state of comprehensive physical, mental, and social well-being of an individual. It is How do you think you can help in to note that it does not only pertain to improving the mental health of the absence of mental health your community? conditions but rather it pertains to your positive quality of life. The term mental health evolved from the term mental hygiene to depict the harmony and balance of the various aspects of your life. In general, mental hygiene is a concept pertaining to the set of activities and actions that allow you to be in a state of equilibrium with the sociocultural environment you are in. 65 In achieving a high level of mental health, it is important to keep a balance of all the varying factors in your environment, and the various factors of yourself. However, this balance of mental health varies from person to person. Each person comes from different contexts and interacts with situations differently. Regardless, there are some points to consider in maintaining this balance. Keeping in Mind Your Mental Health Mental health has many factors to consider. It can be different from person to person according to their sociocultural context. There is no single formula to achieve mental health. Below are some strategies to consider in maintaining a good level of mental health: 1. Look after physical health. Physical health is deeply connected with your mental health. If the other is in a bad condition, it will trickle to the other. Here, balance between rest and movement should be observed. Taking care of physical health pertains to four general aspects: a. TIP Four areas to look after in physical health: 1. Moving 2. Eating 3. Drugs and alcohol 4. Sleeping 66  Moving. This refers to the amount of physical activity that you do. It could be exercise, walking, manual labor, etc. Looking after the amount of this aspect means that a proper amount of physical exertion and rest is observed. b. Eating. This refers not only to the amount of the food you consume but also to the nutrition you get from the consumed food. Some diet regimen may also affect your mental health, such as eating too less or selective eating. c. Drugs and alcohol. The use of substances may bring harm to the body in various means. It can disrupt the body’s normal function and affects you physiologically and psychologically. d. Sleeping. Sleep provides the body time to recuperate and rest. It is when your body cells find the most time to regenerate and grow. Sleeping patterns should not be too long or too short. However unavoidable, working late on school or work assignments may be a necessity but you should find means to rest and sleep appropriately. Learning to listen to what the body needs is crucial. 2. Improve self-esteem. Self-esteem pertains to how you perceive and value yourself. It is important to keep your evaluation and perception of your self well- balanced. A low perception and value of yourself make you look at the negative aspects and the weaknesses you have. On the other hand, a high perception and value of yourself make you tend to ignore lapses and mistakes that you could improve on. 67 A balanced self-esteem leads you to further grow as a person. Below are some exercises to boost self-esteem: a. Self-affirmation. In general, positive affirmations are phrases which you tell to yourself which shows support towards your actions, behaviors, and goals. These are crafted positive messages specially crafted for your true strength. EXAMPLE Math is one of Ryan’s most challenging subjects. He is not a natural at it and so, he spends a lot of time on word problems and writing equations. Before he starts solving, he says to himself, “I believe in myself and I will do my best to get this right.” This allows him to build the confidence he needs and remind himself that he is capable to accomplish difficult tasks. b. Avoid hollow positive affirmations. Hollow positive affirmations are TIP! positive affirmations that you Five Exercises to Boost Self- generically tells yourself Esteem: without conviction or trust towards yourself. It is 1. Self-affirmation. dangerous because it leads 2. Avoid hollow positive to unfounded assessment of affirmations. yourself. Hence, may do 3. Identify areas of strength and more harm than good to you competency. which sets you to frustration. 4. Demonstrate ability. 5. Tolerate positive feedback. 68 c. Identify areas of strength and competency. By finding and identifying areas of strength and competency you gain trust and confidence towards yourself which can be used to improve your goals. d. Demonstrate ability. Demonstrating your strength and competency is your way to develop your esteem. Confidence in yourself is built by continuously exercising your skill. EXAMPLE One of Mika’s strengths is that she is good at dancing. Not only is she good at it, but she also enjoys it a lot. She makes it a point to volunteer during dance programs by choreographing and organizing presentattions for school events. Mika is also very generous with her time and talent for she makes sure to teach and assist those who need extra help in following the steps. All these habits contribute to her confidence and self-esteem. e. Tolerate positive feedback. There is some coyness in accepting positive feedback. One reason is that you may look arrogant or bragging when compliment is accepted. However, accepting compliments appropriately can nourish self-esteem. It is a positive affirmation which others give. 69  f. Take criticism positively. Instead of allowing negative feedback to take a toll on your confidence and self- esteem, you must learn to take criticism constructively. These comments should be viewed as ways to help improve yourself, rather than to bring you down. Being able to take the good out of the bad is a skill that will allow you to become better versions of yourself. 3. Generate positive thoughts. One way of having a high level of mental health is to cultivate positive thoughts. However, thinking of positive thoughts can be criticized as a simplistic way to deal with problems. And so, cultivating positive thoughts refers to the careful evaluation of facts in an experience, and choosing to focus on actions and thoughts that are constructive. It does not imply ignoring the negative events, but rather it means looking at other perspectives and possibilities to view an event. Hence, generating a more positive viewpoint. 4. Cope with new situations. Our daily life is not fixed. Our environment is constantly changing. Hence, new situations can arise any time of the day. These novel situations can upset your routine, habits, and affect your mental health level. Always remember that novel experiences are learning opportunities. 70  EXAMPLE Every day, Dino wakes up and finds his lunch for school prepared and packed by his mom. He just grabs it from the kitchen counter before he leaves for school. However, one morning, Dino was surprised to see that there was no lunch prepared for him. His mom had and emergency meeting at work and had to leave very early, giving her no time to prepare Dino’s lunch. Instead of getting angry at his mom and sulking about what he will eat during lunch, Dino quickly looks for leftover food inside the refrigerator and prepares a sandwich for himself before leaving for school. 5. Build positive relationships. Being able to relate with others can foster a sense of belongingness. It also allows you to be TIP! connected to your environment. It may also lessen the loneliness that you may Things to consider in building feel. Below are some things to consider: positive relationships: 1. Spend quality time with a. Spend quality time with the the people you love. people you love. In your busy lives, 2. Volunteer. sometimes you forget the people 3. Peer Support. around you. Your conversations can be automatic as you go through your daily routine. Making time for the people you love especially your family allows you to appreciate more the context of your family member and perhaps find a way to help and relate to them. It is important to 71  remember though that making time is not the same as spending quality time with them. Be completely present in the experiences and conversations shared together. b. Volunteer. Volunteering allows you to connect not only to a group but also to a cause that benefits the community. This helps you reflect and realize your importance to others. c. Peer support. Peers can be a source of support especially during difficult times. By having peer support, you could share your experiences and feelings. The peers might have similar experiences to affirm and accept. Here, you learn from each other. 6. Find time for yourself. In your society, finding time for yourself maybe viewed as selfish especially if you have chores and task at home. However, finding time for yourself can simply mean spending as little as 10 minutes for yourself. It shouldn’t be a grand vacation, but rather a time you can set aside in spite of the responsibilities that you have. This allows you to rest and take a break from the responsibilities in daily life. This may make you more ready to face daily 72  challenges. Below are some examples on what you can do in one’s time: a. Meditation. Meditation can be done by observing the breath. Meditation could also be in a form of prayer, walking, etc. There are various techniques one could follow. b. Work on a hobby. Hobbies allow you to take time off and focus on EXAMPLE Breathing meditation Instructions: 1. Set timer. Ideal time for beginners is 5 minutes to 10 minutes. But the time depends on the individual. 2. Sit in a comfortable position. Hands on the side or on lap. 3. You may do the breathing meditation with eyes closed, squinting, or open. 4. Focus your attention to your breathing as you inhale and exhale. 5. Your mind might wander and be distracted by thoughts. It is normal. Accept the thought, let it go, and focus again on your breathing. 6. Meditation ends once you hear the timer. yourself. This hobby can be cooking, painting, reading, etc. This is a time where you focus primarily on yourself. 7. Set goals. Setting goals should not always be grand or far off in the future. It can 73  be small goals as you go along. It can be practicing a hobby or learning something new. Setting goals is also challenging yourself to be better. Learning empowers you. Everyone should learn new things even if it is as simple as snapping fingers or whistling. These are only some few tips to achieve good mental health. There are others that may suit you—follow it. Practice what works for you. Lastly, like any habit that needs to be established, you need to do it constantly and with dedication as it becomes part of your routine. It is not an easy process but it is always worth your effort to work on. REMEMBER ME! Mental Hygiene a concept pertaining to the set of activities and actions that allow a person to be in a state of equilibrium with the sociocultural environment the person is in. 74  Check Your Understanding A. Recall / Comprehension Questions. Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer. 1. What are phrases that a person tells to himself which shows support towards one’s actions, behaviors, and goals? a. Hollow positive affirmations b. Tolerate positive feedback c. Positive affirmations d. Demonstrate ability 2. What is a way to build positive relationships wherein one connects to the community? a. Volunteering b. Peer support c. Spending quality time with people you love d. Self-acceptance 3. What way can one boost self-esteem by displaying one’s strengths and capabilities? a. Identify areas of strength and competency b. Demonstrate ability c. Self-affirmation d. Tolerate positive feedback