This week's topic was addressing something that most people are nervous to talk about: mental health. After reading the articles on mental health, it is clear to me that many people (students) struggle with mental health. Whether it be anxiety over a test or stress about homework or depression over not being face to face in school, many people suffer from mental illness. The idea of this week's assignment was to learn about the different types of mental illnesses students face. The articles that were assigned talked about how schools need to have more awareness and programs that educate and aid students about mental health. By doing this, students can learn how to overcome their mental illness and better their self-image. It can also lead to breaking the stigma of mental illness. So many people are ashamed or embarrassed to admit that they struggle with their mental health when in reality, everyone struggles with it!
The mental health issue I chose to research was Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This mental illness is described as having the tendency to obsess over certain things and or have compulsions over certain aspects. It is a cycle of obsessions and compulsions that hinder individuals to carry out simple tasks. There are ways to treat OCD, by either medication or psychotherapy depending on the person's situation. OCD has not been cured and there is not an exact reason as to why it happens to people other than low serotonin levels. The slide below gives you a better understanding of what OCD is, what are its symptoms, how to treat it, and what to do as a teacher if you have a student that suffers from OCD.
References:
NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2021). Nami.Org. https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Obsessive-compulsive-Disorder
Pietro, S. (2021, January 27). Teacher’s Guide To OCD. Child Mind Institute. https://childmind.org/guide/a-teachers-guide-to-ocd-in-the-classroom/
Natascha M. Santos- TED-Ed. (2015 May 19) {Debunking the Myths of OCD]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhlRgwdDc-E
Chris Baier. (2017 Feb 27). [OCD explained by the kids UNSTUCK: An OCD Kids Movie]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w85CVMmgJ8o
Picture: Annette Miller. (2020). OCD cycle. Medium.com
Picture: Animesh Upreti. (2020). OCD Breakdown. Medium.com
Picture: Mri (2021, January 27). OCD Market by Analysis, Trends, Growth, Size and Forecast. https://www.mccourier.com/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd-market-by-analysis-trends-growth-size-and-forecast-2021-2028/
Hey Kailee,
ReplyDeleteI thought it was really important how you mentioned that most people are nervous to speak up about their own mental health, as I know plenty of people that have had this problem as well. Even times when I have been down about something, it has always been hard for me to talk about it. Reading through the articles and watching the videos from this weeks module, I was able to realize that unfortunately, many students struggle with mental health problems today, and the terrible year that was 2020 definitely didn't help this problem at all. I think as future educators it is extremely important to make sure we can help these kids feel as comfortable in the classroom as possible, no matter what mental health problem they are facing. I also really liked reading through your slide on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This was a mental illness that I've heard about in the past, and I even know some friends who have struggled with it in the past, but reading through your powerpoint really helped me to educate myself on the disorder. I thought the suggestions you made for children who deal with OCD were great, and ones I will definitely use in my future classroom. I thought your powerpoint and blog were both great and I really enjoyed reading through both!