Personal Development TaN ei eV BUR sn) eas WELL-BEING IN MIDDLE 7 INU ol uaie a [a3 The period of adolescence is characterized by ‘tremendous surge of various emotions, changes, and challenges. These things are normal and part of the growing process. However, during adolescence, some mental health problems may arise especially when frustrations over matters become severe or when stress overload occurs. & Learning Competency 7.1 The learners interpret the concepts of mental health and psychological well-being in everyday observations about mental health problems during adolescence. Lecture: On Adolescents’ Mental Health and Psychological Well-being Mental Health Mental health is ‘a level of psychological well-being, or an absence of a mental disorder” ("Mental Health,” n.d.). It includes social, emotional, and psychological well-being and has an influence on how an individual thinks, feels, and behaves. Mental health helps determine how people handle stress, socialize with others, and come up with decisions and choices. Good mental health is essential at all periods of an individual's life time— childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Adolescents with good mental health and wellbeing are those who have no mental disorders and manifest positivity, happiness, healthy relationship with family and friends, good overall health, and positive community participation. Poor mental health can have negative effects on the development of adolescents By improving one’s self-esteem, social skills, and problem-solving abilities, some mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders and other risky behaviors can be avoided. Psychological Well-Being Psychological well-being is commonly linked to happiness. Carol Ryff, on the other hand, defined it in a broader sense. He viewed it as an optimal psychological functioning that involves several dimensions such as subjective, social, and psychological (Seifert, 2005). 78Personal Development Dimensions of Psychological Well-Being Ryff identified six features linked with of jptimal psychological functioning such as (1) self-acceptance; (2) a sense of personal growth; (3) purpose in ie: (4) environmental mastery; (5) autonomy; and (6) positive relations with others. 1, Self-acceptance This refers to accepting oneself and putting up with one’s flaws, imperfections, and weaknesses. It involves realistic understanding of and satisfaction in one’s self which lead to a feeling of worth. Self- acceptance can be achieved by accepting the fact that no one is perfect, eeoiding unreasonable self-criticisms, and looking for ways to fix one’s jefects. 2. Personal growth This refers to developing one’s personality and identity, cultivating abilities, and acquiring helpful skills in order to achieve dreams and goals. Usually, the persons who strive to attain personal growth are believers of positive change and thus make efforts to reach their potentials. They endeavor to equip themselves with new knowledge and competences. 3. Purpose in life Psychological well-being encompasses the capacity to envision one's life as having meaning and purpose. This means that an individual sees that his/her life and existence have a sense, point, and significance and he/she has a mission and function in the world. It involves the outlook that one is not living just for the sake of living. 4. Environmental mastery This aspect is basic and necessary to live a healthful life. It comprises the knowledge and skills to control and deal with the world or the surrounding environment without being overpowered by difficulties and stresses 5. Autonomy ‘This refers to independence, self-reliance, and the ability to think ‘and decide for one’s self. Individuals who display autonomy are not threatened by pressures brought about by other people such as their peers, They can stand for their principles, are not affected by what others think of them, and are not pressured to conform to others. 6. Positive relations with others This denotes the ability to build trusting relationships with other people. Individuals with positive relations with others have concern to, empathy with, and affection for other people. They are able to share themselves with others and are secured in their relationships. They have a feeling of being loved, appreciated, and understood. 79Personal Development These imply, among others, being psychologically well, it is nonet! being. Happiness is only the affective that though happiness is an essential part of fheless not all there is to this kind of well- ‘element of psychological well-being, Mental Health Disorders der may interrupt the normal lives of people. It can make life hard especially in school, work, and dealings with other people. It is important to identify early if an individual suffers from a mental health problem in order to successfully treat it as soon as possible and prevent further complications. The occurrence of mental health disorders may be due to the following factors: ‘A mental health problem or diso 1. Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry. 2. Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse 3. Family history of mental health problems Common Mental Health Disorders among Adolescents One study reports that one out five adolescents has symptoms of mental health problems (Knopf, 2008). The common mental disorders during adolescence include the following: 1. Depression According to a study, the most frequent iliness related to mental health among adolescents is depression (Knopf, 2008), Moreover, other studies state that it is the most epidemic of the mental health disorders and that one out of four high school students manifests minor symptoms of depression (Murphey, 2013). Symptoms of depression include excessive moodiness, weeping, changes in eating and sleeping habits, hopelessness, worthlessness, and expressions of wanting to hurt oneself. 2. Anxiety disorders These disorders are disturbances in the brain mechanisms that intended to protect an individual from harm, Examples are phobias, post-traumatic disorders (PTSD), panic disorder, and. obsessive Compulsive disorder (OCD). According to studies, an estimate of 10 percent of adolescents possess anxiety disorders wit most common (Murphey, 2013) re oermene Me 3. Psychotic disorders ‘These are interruptions in thinking, perception, and behavior. These mental diseases are relatively severe. Schizophr * enia Disorder fall under this category, P and Delusional 80Personal Development 4, Eating disorders Many adolescents hay ve these disorders as th normally conscious of their looks comvaeemeten % and image. Being excessively conscious of one’s Fey figure can result in unhealthy weight loss. An example of eating by cores Anorexia, which refers to changes in eating habits marked ohn sclous avoidance of food. Another disorder is Bulimia, an illness involving forced vomiting after eating. In Bulimia, considerable weight loss happens without changes in eating habits. 5. Developmental disorders {hese are disorders in brain development. Developmental disorders include Autism, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Learning Disorder, 6. Behavioral disorders These are defects in the anticipated behaviors of individuals, especially the adolescents. Behavioral disorders include Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder. & Learning Competency The learners identify his/her own vulnerabilities. Lecture: The Vulnerability of Adolescents It is known that during adolescence, the brain undergoes development in a considerable pace. This development is accompanied by physiological modification and hormonal changes in the body. During adolescence, individuals also experience unusual challenges and meet potentially stressful expectations from people around them. The abovementioned factors partly explain why many adolescents are prone to the mental health problems listed in the previous lesson. These factors also serve as reasons why many teenagers are susceptible to joining in risky and thrill-seeking activities. These risky activities, which may include taking drugs, smoking, and drinking intoxicating beverages, can further trigger psychiatric disorders and mental illnesses. One of the aims of the lessons in this chapter is to help the students to be aware of the mental health problems to which they may be prone. Moreover the lessons explicitly and implicitly teach the adolescents some ways to avoi some mental disorders and to maintain mental health and wellbeing. The activity below will help to attain these objectives, 81Personal Development This activity allows you to identify your own vulnerabilities, especially as regards mental health problems and engaging in risky activities, In your diary (or notebook), write a 4~paragraph essay with the title "My Vulnerabilities.” Discuss in the essay your tendency to have some illnesses (e.g, depression) or your susceptibility to engage in risky behaviors (e.g. drinking ‘and smoking), Also discuss the steps you will take to avoid them. Show your work only to your teacher and parents/guardian. ® Learning Competency 7.3 The learners make a mind map on ways of achieving psychological well- being Lecture: Some Axioms on Achieving Psychological Well-being ‘As previously discussed, psychological well-being involves dimensions such as (1) self-acceptance; (2) a sense of personal growth; (3) purpose in life; (4) environmental mastery; (5) autonomy; and (6) positive relations with others. Achieving psychological well-being in essence, therefore, is being matured in looking at the meaning of life and even death. In his book Essential Life Lessons, Prof. Jensen DG. Mafiebog enumerates some axioms (with respective elucidations) that are helpful in responsibly looking at the concepts life, relationships, and death. Under the chapter “Life, Living, and Death,” he provides the following guidelines which may help you in making a mind map on achieving psychological well-being (Mafiebog, 2013): 1. Don't just exist, live. Non-living things merely exist. Animals and plants live, but not it the same way we, humans, do. So live as humans. Love, laugh, weep, appreciate arts, and enjoy relationships. 2. Live your life like it’s heaven on earth, Visualize life in heaven. In heaven, there are no insecurities. So live your life buoyantly. Dance like there's no correct rhythm, sing like there's er per ape Loe like, dete nobeadane 824. 10. Personal Development Prepare to die by living fully wan to deeply and meaningfully spend your days to the fulles ‘A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time” (stark Keep in mind that life is about being real, In life, to play-act is to lie to yourself, Life is about being genuine, hot about being a great pretender. “itis better to be hated ferianar you are than to be loved for what you are not" (André Gide) Remember that life is what you make it, Messing up is a fact of life. Once in a while, you will make mistakes. ‘The good news is, life itself teaches you that oftentimes you get to decide how, when, and where you're going to mess it up. Life is what you make 't—avoid committing the so-called ‘wrong mistakes.” Make life simple, If you're not used to complicated life, enjoy simple life. Only few People can handle life that is full of twists and turns. In life, simple things solve many problems no matter how complex they appear. Live life as if everything is a miracle. Albert Einstein said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is miracle." Live life like all is a miracle, for in the first place, your life is indeed an amazing act of God. Create yourself. Some died unhappy because they spent their lives. finding themselves. People are not supposed to find their respective lives. Don’t look for yourself, create it. Enjoy and improve the world. E.B. White literarily complains that she arises in the morning “torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world” and that “this makes it hard to plan the day.” Logically, we suggest that we should improvingly adore the world and appreciatively enhance it as well. Live your life by having a heart. th someone. Care Love. Feel affection for something. Be in love wit for and be fond of people and noble causes. In short, have a heart, Because literally and figuratively, you couldn’ live for very long without one. 83Personal Devel 1, iat 13. 14. 1s. 16. 17. 18. ent Devise a reasonable life formula 1 personal formula on how to live your life: To never forget your worth, never get used to injustices, never year meaningful death, find pleasure even in your darkest hour, pursue goodness, and above all, have peace with your Creator Consider including these in you! Live each day with a high spirit. With confident determination, plan to finish each day by doing all you can do with it. Ignore all meaninglessness and nonsense. Low- spirited people would not even dare to finish the day. Define ‘ideal life’ and live it. Mark Twain expounded on ‘ideal life’ as thus: “Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life." What's your personal definition of an ideal life? Decide what to do with your My grandmother wished that dreadful world wars need not have happened in her time, but they did anyway. Evidently, many affairs and events are not for us to decide, But life's good part is that we can decide what to do with the time that is given us. Live in the hope of becoming a good memory. Maturely contemplating about death, it inevitability persuades us to prudently accept it. A good way to come to terms with ‘death’ is to view life as about leaving a good legacy. True, your life is to be enjoyed, not endured. But think also of the kind of memory you will leave behind when your time comes, Consider death as an inspiration to pursue your big dreams. The late Steve Jobs’ cancer made him struggle, but at the same time inspired him to focus his remaining life to attaining his dream. He said, “Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in lif Do not let your fire die away. Do not allow the looming death to prematurely kill the spirited hero in you in its fight for the life you desire. Keep your creative fire burning: Do not let your dream world collapse into the regrettable “It might have been” and "What if.” Remember that your one life can be more than enough. Some people literally believe that cats have nine lives and are thus Jealous of them. But depending on how well you live it, your life can BE more than enough. "You only live once, but if you do it right, once |S ‘enough (Mae West)” you do it right, of19. 20. au 22. 23. 24. 25. 26, Personal Development Consider death as another quest. Not to be afraid of death which is f it would perhaps help to think of it as anoth kata aml naasa ae ler form of exciting undertaking, J.K. Rowling in the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone eongruently expressed, "To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure" Remember that life's quality depends on how good you live it. you're asking how much good there is in a marriage or a romantic relationship, the answer is it depends on how much love you give to it Life generally work : that way. Life’s goodness depends on how well you live it, Note that facing imminent death brings about order. One good thing about facing imminent death is that it makes ‘one put everything in his life in order. The late Steve Jobs personally explained it, thus: “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way | know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart,” Enjoy yourself as ‘you’ |s it not a mystery and a miracle that you are not anyone else? “There is no one alive who is Youer than You" (Dr. Seuss). So today and the rest of your life, might as well enjoy the ‘you' in you, Keep moving. To be alive is the opposite of to be still and unmoving. Albert Einstein explained why you shouldn't be stagnant: "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” Don't allow death to kill relationships. Jodi Picoult rhetorically asks, “If you have a sister and she dies, do you stop saying you have one? Or are you always a sister, even when the other half of the equation is gone?" Mitch Albom categorically answers, “Death ends a life, not a relationship.” Expect the unexpected. Life is also about expecting the unexpected. When you think life can't get any better, it can. Nonetheless, just when you think it can't get any worse, it also can. Keep in mind that that life goes on come what may. No matter how bad you were hurt, life goes on. No matter how terribly you fell down, the earth continues to revolve around the sun, So whatever happens, allow your life to go on, It must and does go on. 85Personal Development 27. Face the truth. e illusions and even delusions. Some oring their lives on fantasies. But tter to get hurt by the truth than be In life, even normal people hav even go as far as consciously anc! the rule is plain and simple: It is bet consoled by falsehood. 28. Be wise and sensible. Avoid rashness and thoughtlessness. Be clever and practical. In other words, don’t be stupid. Life is sometimes nasty and it can be nastier if you are foolish. 29. Bear in mind that life is about always bracing yourself. Remember that life can be mysteriously ambiguous. It is also about being unaware, having to adjust, enjoying its good tempo, doing fine- tuning, but still not clearly knowing what's going to come about next. 30. Remember that mourning is normal If you could not easily get over the loss of a loved one, never think that you are not normal. One baffling thing about death is that we all know that we are mortal and that ultimately everyone of us will end up underneath some soll, not to wake up. And yet, it always shocks us when it happens to someone we care for. 31. Express yourself. ‘Life and death’ is like ‘black and white.’ The two are contrary but not contradictory. Not being dead is not necessarily being alive, for to live involves expressing oneself. “When people don't express themselves, they die one piece at a time” (Laurie Halse Anderson). 32. Fill the hole inside you. If you gave your heart to someone and he or she died, don’t allow it to be taken completely with your loved one. For sure, he or she would not want you to spend the rest of your life with a hole inside you that couldn't be filled up. 33. Remember that we can be not afraid of death. Many consider death as an enemy, that's why they are afraid of it. But bear in mind that we can look at it as something not fearsome. For instance, Mark Twain bravely said, “I do not fear death. | had been dead for billions and billions of years before | was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.” 34, Live your life responsibly. The legendary Jimi Hendrix once said, “I'm the one that’s got to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way | want to.” The statement is admittedly meaningful. However, only those who'll ive theit life conscientiously and sensibly must take this philosophy. 86Personal Development 35. Be immortal by loving, Some suggest engendering a child, writing a book, and planting a tree to be immortal. But don’t forget that to truly love is to immortalize oneself too. Mitch Albom concurs, “Love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone. ACTIVITY 2: die Leen ekec e\Mi lanes: deg ‘The activity aims to enable you to think of your own ways in achieving psychological well-being. Group work: Divide the class into five groups. Using your knowledge in making mind maps (discussed in the previous chapter), make a mind map concerning psychological well-being. Each group will present its work to the class. [) Discussion/Sharing 1. Was it easy to think of ways to achieve psychological well-being? 2. Did the mind-mapping activity facilitate the thinking of ways to achieve psychological well-being? 3. Did you and your group easily agree on how to achieve psychological well-being? 4, What lessons did you learn from the activity? As human beings, we always desire to feel good about ourselves and the People around us. Having a psychological well-being helps us achieve this kind of satisfaction. Psychological health is also important to achieve the goals we set for ourselves. Some suggestions to achieve psychological well-being 1. Try to reach out and connect with the significant people in your life. Establish and nurture positive relationships with them. Significant people in one’s life may include family, friends, schoolmates, co-workers, and acquaintances. 87Personal Development them part of your njoy. Make ities that you © heavmbaid enor Eugege physica ate walking, Fegular session in the GY life. These ma incon). activities (like basketball and badr is to obtain a sense id skills. This ring new knowledge an different. trainings, Gf achtevement and. self-confidence, Enroll seer qi ates or Om that will enhance your existing . workshops, or dating. hharitable, and accommoc thers by being Kind, cl accommodal + patty try to volunteer n worth projects I your 7 These have great impact i thoughts and feelings. oe Mme behgve, Thinking postively can elicit postive feelings and behaviors, r : 6. Engage in religious activities. These, too, Brovid special sense of satisfaction, peace of mind, and spiritual conten & Learning Competency 7.4 ‘The learners create a plan to stay mentally healthy duri Lecture: taying Mentally Healthy The following are some of the commonly suggested ways to stay mentally healthy. They are also essential in having a balanced life: 1. Acknowledge your emotions. Instead of acknowledging one’s emotions, some people tend to deny, hide, or avoid them. Others even resort to various behaviors such as overeating, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, or sleeping excessively, By accepting one's emotions and letting ourselves experience them, We would be able to understand them in a cleare rer picture and deal with them and their causes appropriately, 2. Build a strong support system, Establish and preserve strong relationships with people from waor you can get loving support. Our relationship with others hee a tremendous impact on our overall wellbeing, x Watch over your physical health, When we take care of ourselves by i Physical activities, preventing ting coon naan llinesses, getting enough sleep and vest, 88Personal Development 4. Do not be ashamed to seek for help, 5. Play, enjoy, and laugh. Its vital to our wellbeing that we play, enjoy life, and do things that make our heart sing, Though it is true that life is meant to be taken seriously, it would also be nice to laugh at ourselves once in a while. Laughter, they say, is the best medicine. 6. Set realistic goals, Setting unrealistic goals poses pressures on an individual. By setting {Lalistic goals, we rid ourselves of the immense pains and frustrations brought about by not attaining improbable goals 7. Find sources of inspirations. A good book, a daily quote, and an interesting true life story may inspire an individual to dream and reach goals. Make an effort to find inspiration in things around you: 8. Seta time for meditation and relaxation, Find time to relax and contemplate on things. Especially when stressed, give yourself a few minutes to sit, relax, and take a deep breathe. Some problems require being fixed slowly but surely. This aims to enable you to create a plan to stay mentally healthy during this critical stage in your life. Devise a creative personal plan as regards staying mentally healthy. The Plan must include at least three sections: Steps (concrete courses of actions); Time frame (inclusive dates); and Follow up (corroborative actions to ensure that the plan is being accomplished). Share to class at least one of the steps you plan to do, together with its Corresponding time frame and follow up activity. 89Personal Development £) Discussion/Sharing I 1, Was i difficult to devise a plan regarding staying mentally healthy during adolescence? 2. Do you think your plan would help you as an adolescent? Why or why not? 3. What did you learn in this activity? (iReflection/insights i i “ in Life: The 10 L's of As additional insights, the online article “Lessons a Balanced Life” offers ten axioms that may directly or indirectly help us to maintain mental health and psychological well-being. They are as follows (OurHappySchool.com, 2013) 1. Learn the true meaning of life and fulfill it. 2. Learn to be content with what you have. 3. Learn the secrets to long life. Exer and eat healthily. Fa Learn the horrific consequences of immoral acts. 5. Learn to shut up and listen. Learn to take reproof, advice, criticism. Learn to weigh all conversation before answering, Learn to save. pene Learn from your past mistakes, 10. Learn to ‘stop, look, and listen’. If the previous guidelines all on the other hand, all begin with similarly bring about mental and Living Happily,” 2013): start with letter ‘L,' the succeeding ones, letter “A.” If followed, these maxims may al well-being ("Some Guides to 1. Allow no anger to rule your spirit. Allow no fear in your life. Always keep an open mind. Always be loyal to your friends. Enjoy them, Always be compassionate to the poor, Avoid gambling, alcohol, and prohibited drugs. 90Personal Development 7. Avoid gossip like a plague. Don't spread rumors. 8, Avoid the things which God hates. 9, Avoid ungodly friends. 10. Acquire blessings and wealth only according to God’s will. Finally, these guidelines, which all begin with letter ‘D,” similarly provide us useful insights on achieving and maintaining psychological well-being (Lessons in Life: The 20 D's of Joyful Living,” 2103): 1. Develop a relaxed, joyful attitude toward life. Develop a spirit of kindness. Don't quarrel with anyone. You can agree with your adversary. Don't let calamities or world disasters destroy your spirit. 5. Don't be afraid of the notion that you may fall—God will catch you. Don't be saddened by God’s rod of correction. Don't try to prove you are perfectly right. We are not infallible. Don't be fooled by flattery. pene Don't believe everything you hear. 10. Don't brag on yourself. 11. Don't be envious of the prosperity of others. 12, Don't covet riches. And if you get riches, don’t trust in them, 13. Don't ever co-sign any notes of loans. 14. Don't get addicted to sleep. 15. Don't hoard food. 16. Don’t let your appetites control you. 1, Don't judge anyone by appearances or by what he believes. 18. Don’t lie on your bed at night fretting about problems. 19. Don’t rush into things—go slow and be sure. 20. Don't trust your own plans or wisdom. Consult God's will otPersonal Development o_o Score: Name: — Date: Year/Section: |. Identify the term being referred to in each item. Write your answer on the lines before the number, this illness is 1. A study in 2008 stated that ost frequently related to mental health in adolescence. a. Adisorder which is characterized by changes in a tating habits and conscious avoidance of food. = 3. An optimal psychological functioning which involves subjective, social, and psychological dimensions. 4, The type of disorder which includes Conduct Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. 5. During adolescence, this undergoes development in a considerable pace. 6. This interrupts the normal lives of people ‘making life hard especially in school, work, and dealings with other people. 7. These are mental diseases that interrupt thinking, perception, and behavior. This encompasses the capacity to envision one's life as having meaning and purpose. — 9 An illness marked by forced vomi cating: and waked by forced vomiting after ht to: it eating eneee@taht loss without changes in 1 ich fe isorders in brain development ludes Autism, Hlopmgy Hyperactivity iso Attention-Deficit/ Diane der (ADHD), and Learning 92Personal Development Il, Essay 1, Differentiate and relate mental health and psychological well-being. 3. Why is it so important for adolescents to have a good mental health and psychological well-being? ee eee ee tt near ea tH a aisle Ke oo ae RE Sr SS HCE A Sint SAP Hania sm ee te ee a SOE se bettered Shea on eat tiloms palsies bet neinee em 4. What are the benefits of creating a plan to stay mentally healthy during adolescence? 93