Mental Disorders

By: Savannah and Morgan

The Nervous System

Basic Information
The nervous system is the system in charge of carrying out orders from the
brain by communicating with all the parts of the nervous system.
The nervous system consists of:

The brain

The spinal cord

Sensory organs

The nerves

Two Systems
These body parts can be broken into two systems within the nervous system:

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

The central nervous system is

made up of the brain and the
spinal cord. This is the part of the
nervous system which evaluates
information and makes decisions
accordingly.

The sensory organs and the nerves

are the parts of the nervous system
that make up the peripheral nervous
system. This part of the nervous
system is in charge of monitoring
conditions and sending the
information back to the central
nervous system.

Nerves in the Nervous System

Nerves, which are made by bundles of axons, carry the signals from the brain and the spinal cord to
the rest of the body. There are several types of nerves and nerve tissue.

There are twelve cranial nerves

which are in direct
communication with the brain.
These nerves are connected to
the most important senses and
motor functions. For example,
the optic nerve is for
communicating to the brain what
you are seeing.

There are twelve cranial nerves which are in direct

communication with the brain. These nerves are connected
to the most important senses and motor functions. For
example, the optic nerve is for communicating to the brain
what you are seeing.
There are thirty-one spinal nerves branching off from the
spinal cord. These nerves carry both sensory and motor
signals from the body to the spinal cord, making these
mixed nerves.
The mixed nerves are categorized by what region of the
body they are receiving and transmitting data from. There
are five categories:

Cervical Nerves: located in the lower neck

Thoracic Nerves: located in the chest region
Lumbar Nerves: located in the lower back
Sacral Nerves: located at the back of the pelvis at
the hips
Coccygeal Nerves: located near the tailbone

Visuals
Cranial Nerves

Spinal Nerves

Parasympathetic and Sympathetic

Within the peripheral nervous system,
there are two more systems called the
sympathetic and parasympathetic system.

The sympathetic system, commonly

referred to as the fight or fight
response, allows you to act quickly
in a dangerous situation.

The parasympathetic system, also

known as the rest or digest
response, controls the actions that
are needed to rest the body and
restore energy.

Central Nervous System

In the Central Nervous System,

the brain and the spinal cord
work together to process
information and direct the body
on what to do with the help of the
peripheral nervous system.

The Lobes of the Brain

The brain is divided into several different regions
called lobes:

The Frontal Lobe: the part of the brain

which influences our decisions, emotions,
and personality. Also in charge of our
movements and creativity

The Parietal Lobe: the part of the brain

which works with sensation, reading and
writing as well as being able to draw and
calculate.

The Temporal Lobe: the part of the brain

responsible for memory

The Occipital Lobe: the part of the brain

which works with perception and vision.

Neurons
Neurons communicate by sending and receiving
electrical impulses from another neuron.
A neuron is made of:

Cell body: the part of the cell that contains

the nucleus

Dendrites: long branches extending from

the cell body that receive messages from
other neurons

Axon: a thin branch that extends from the

opposite side of the cell body that sends
messages to other neurons

Neuron Types
There are three different types of nueron cells:

Afferent Neurons: These neurons transmit information from the sensory organs to
the Central Nervous System.

Efferent Neurons: These neurons transmit the orders from the Central Nervous
System to the other parts of the body.

Interneurons: These neurons are the link between efferent and afferent neurons. It
allows the two neurons to work smoothly together.

Mixed Neurons: Neurons that are both afferent and efferent, meaning that they can
send messages both ways.

The Limbic System

The limbic system includes the thalamus,
hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, and basal
ganglia.

The thalamus function is to relay sensations to

the higher parts of the brain.
The hypothalamus controls certain hormones
such as body temperature, thirst, hunger,
sleep, and moods.
The amygdala is involved with the connections
we make with sounds or objects that we have
seen or heard before.
The hippocampus is the part of the limbic
system which stores long-term memory.
Basal ganglia is an important part of the brain
which coordinates movement and posture.

The Endocrine System

Basic Information
Your endocrine system is a collection of
glands that produce hormones that regulate
your body's growth, metabolism, and sexual
development and function. The hormones
are released into the bloodstream and
transported to tissues and organs throughout
your body. The Table below the illustration
describes the function of these glands.

Ovaries and testicles: Secrete hormones

that influence female and male
characteristics, respectively.
Pancreas: Secretes a hormone (insulin)
that controls the use of glucose by the

Adrenal glands: Divided into 2 regions;

secrete hormones that influence the body's
metabolism, blood chemicals, and body
characteristics, as well as influence the part
of the nervous system that is involved in the
response and defense against stress.

body.

Hypothalamus: Activates and controls the

part of the nervous system that controls
involuntary body functions, the hormonal
system, and many body functions, such as
regulating sleep and stimulating appetite.

Pineal body: Involved with daily biological

Parathyroid glands: Secrete a hormone

that maintains the calcium level in the
blood.

cycles.
Pituitary gland: Produces a number of
different hormones that influence various

Thyroid gland:Produces hormones that

stimulate body heat production, bone
growth, and the body's metabolism.

other endocrine glands.

Thymus gland: Plays a role in the body's

Anorexia Nervosa

Basic Information

Anorexics are obsessed with food; they are constantly thinking about what they should eat, if they
should eat at all, how much calories are in something, and so forth.

Anorexics do get hungry, but they chose to starve themselves which leads to a binge and purging habit.

Since, they cant ignore the hunger forever, they eat. At this point, they could have starved themselves
for quite a few days, sometimes even weeks, so they binge or eat more than they should in one sitting.

The after effect of binging is purging, where a person does not eat food for a long amount of time,
putting themselves in the terrible cycle all over again.

Anorexics can go unnoticed for years as their health slowly starts to deteriorate.

Many anorexics do not get the treatment they need. Statistics say that only one in ten people with an
eating disorder receive the proper treatment.

Statistics

Anorexia has the highest mortality of all mental illnesses.

Anorexia Nervosa is the third most common disease in adolescents,

particularly found in females.

Anorexia is an eating disorder in which a person has a relentless pursuit of

thinness.

Anorexics see themselves as overweight even if they are extremely

underweight this is where their intense fear of gaining more weight
originates.

Symptoms
There are several symptoms to anorexia including:

An obsession with calories and food

Dieting or fasting despite being thin
Pretending or lying about eating
Strange ways of eating such as not eating in public
Dramatic weight loss
Excessive time spent looking at their body
Believing that they are fat and/or overweight despite being underweight
Intense fear of gaining weight

Some anorexics can also develop other disorders that coincide with anorexia, including:

Depression
Anxiety
Substance abuse

Effects on the Body

Anorexia affects a persons whole
body:

Skin
Hormones
Muscles and joints
Kidneys
Blood
Heart
Brain and nerves
Hair

Anorexia and the Brain

Anorexia affects the limbic system in the brain, specifically the nucleus accumbens which has
been nicknamed the reward pathway of the brain.

Serotonin is the neurochemical that makes us satisfied and relaxed.

Dopamine is the neurochemical that makes us want or desire something such as food.

Anorexics experience something called a dopamine high. For an anorexic, a dopamine high is
when they obsess over food. The feeling they experience is similar to that of a drug addict
experiencing the drug of their choice. The dopamine high ends when an anorexic gives into their
hunger and eats.

The serotonin levels in an anorexic are commonly lower than a person without the disorder. This
causes the an anorexics distress while eating food since it does not satisfy them.

Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa

Treatment for anorexia includes:
Seeing a nutritionist to help plan meals so that the person can receive the correct amount of
calories.
Seeing a psychologist because the main source of anorexia is in one persons mind and how
they think.
Hospitalization may be needed depending on how malnutritioned they are or if they are suicidal.
People who have a friend struggling with anorexia have troubles helping their friend. Some of the easy
basic ways to help an anorexic can do a few basic things.

Make sure that a professional is involved

Try to understand what the person is going through, but understand that you will never fully
understand
When trying to get an anorexic to eat, do not be firm, be compassionate and supportive.
Help the person avoid foods, places, and people who could possibly cause a relapse
Be a role model and take care of yourself

Dissociative Identity Disorder

Basic Information

Dissociative Identity Disorder, also known as multiple personality disorder, is a

disorder where a person has more than one identity. By identity, I mean
personalities which are scientifically known as alters.

These alters can be different genders, ages, ethnicities, and races. Some alters can
be something other than human like a cat or a dog.

Each of the alters is distinctly different, not just in the way they look, but in their
behavior too. The alters take turns controlling the persons behavior.

One person can have up to 100 different alters, but that number of alters is very rare
to find. Only a few documented cases have so many alters. The average number of
alters is around ten.

Causes

These are alters are generally caused by a

traumatic event in a persons childhood.

In patients with diagnosed dissociative

identity disorder, their hippocampals,
which is in charge of connecting events,
volume was 19.2% smaller than that of a
person without the disorder.

Along with the hippocampal, the amygdala

volume is 31.6% smaller than that of a
person without the disorder. The amygdala
is the part of the brain which helps one
cope with life changing events.

Both the hippocampal and amygdala are

located in the limbic system in the middle
of the brain.

59-98% of people with dissociative identity

disorder were physically or sexually
assaulted.
Dissociative identity disorder can also be
developed if a child experiences recurring
neglect or emotional abuse.
Around 98% of people who develop
dissociative identity disorder experienced
severe trauma before they turned nine.

The Limbic System

Symptoms

People with dissociative identity

disorder are not aware of their
different alters and tend to complain
of losses of time.

They also find themselves meeting

unfamiliar people who claim to know
them as well as finding themselves
in places that they do not remember
arriving at.

They tend to find possessions they

do not remember acquiring

On top of all that, most people with

dissociative identity disorder experience some
of the following symptoms:

Sleeping disorders
Anxiety
Eating disorders
Mood swings
Suicidal tendencies
Alcohol and/or drug abuse
Auditory or visual hallucinations
Compulsions and rituals
Headaches
Out of body experiences and/or trances
Inability to maintain a relationship

Treatment

Treatment for dissociative identity disorder can be a long process, but the hardest part is the diagnosis.
Dissociative identity disorder can be mistaken as some of its symptoms such as anxiety or depression.

80% of people who receive treatment for dissociative identity disorder have a successful recovery.

Psychotherapy is the most recommended for patients with dissociative identity disorder. During psychotherapy,
the doctor will help the patient understand the condition that they have, form new ways of helping with stress,
and work through the trauma that triggered the disorder.

Psychotherapy also includes other techniques like creative art therapy and cognitive therapy.

The creative art therapy uses dancing, music, drawing, movement, poetry, and drama to help express feelings
that patients have struggles expressing.

The cognitive therapy is a talk therapy where you identify unhealthy beliefs and behaviors, so that you can
replace them with positive, healthy ones.

There is no medication to cure dissociative identity disorder; there is only medicine to ease the symptoms such
as depression and anxiety.

Bipolar Disorder

Basic Information
Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder characterized by extreme shifts in mood, as well as energy sperts
that can cause high or low mental states of mind, in energy and activity levels. During these abnormal
shifts, people commonly finds it difficult to complete everyday tasks. Bipolar disorder is also known as
manic-depressive illness.
Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness that can destroy relationships, as well as career prospects,
and seriously affect academic performance. According to The American Psychological
Association, they says that these emotional mood shifts can become so overwhelming that some
people may choose suicide.
A person with bipolar disorder has severe shifts in mood (poles) - from depression to mania. Usually,
moods are normal in between the peaks and troughs. Bipolar disorder has nothing to do with the ups
and downs we all experience sometimes; it is much more severe. Fortunately, it is treatable. With
proper care and the right medication, people can perform well at work and academically and lead full,
productive lives.

Causes
Genetics - some small twin studies have indicated that
there is a great contribute to bipolar disorder risk. People
with a blood relative who has bipolar disorder have a
higher risk of developing it themselves. Currently,
scientists are trying to identify which genes are involved.
A study by an international team of scientists reported in
the journal Neuron that rare copy number variants,
abnormal patterns of DNA, looks to be a major part in the
risk of early onset bipolar disorder.
Biological traits - experts say that people with bipolar
disorder often have physical changes that occurred in
their brains. Nobody is sure why the changes can lead to
the disorder.
Hormonal problems - hormonal imbalances are thought
to possibly trigger or cause bipolar disorder.

Environmental factors - abuse, mental stress, a

significant loss(friend, family, pet,ect.), or some other
traumatic event may contribute towards bipolar disorder
risk. Traumatic events may include the death of a loved
one, losing your job, the birth of a child, or moving to a
new house. Experts say many things, if the variables are
right, can trigger bipolar disorder in some people. They
add that we all react differently to environmental factors.
However, once bipolar disorder is triggered and starts to
progress, it appears to take on a life and force of its own.
So some people live double lives.
Brain-chemical imbalance - A neuro-imbalances play a
key part in many mood disorders, including bipolar
disorder, as well as depression and other mental
illnesses. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that help
make the communication between neurons (brain cells).
Examples of neurotransmitters are serotonin,
norepinephrine, and dopamine. They are all drugs our
bodies produce on its own.

Treatment
Pills Best for Bipolar Disorder: Lithobid, Lithane, Lithonate, Lithotabs, CibalithS, Lamictal (lamotrigine), Depakote (valproic acid), and Tegretol
(carbamazepine), Trileptal (oxcarbazepine), Neurontin (gabapentin), and
Topamax (topiramate), Haldol (haloperidol) and Risperdal (risperidone), Abilify
(aripiprazole), Geodon (ziprasidone), Saphris (asenapine), Seroquel
(quetiapine fumarate), and Zyprexa (olanzapine), Latuda (lurasidone)
Pills That Might Cause an Addiction: Klonopin (clonazepam), Ativan
(lorazepam), Xanax (alprazolam), and Valium (diazepam),
Pills to Help With Sleep: Lunesta (eszopiclone) and Sonata (zaleplon)

Thank You
For Listening

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