How to Interact with People with Disabilities
Mental Wellness and Mental Health Problems
Table of Contents
Mental wellness and mental health problems or mental illness are part of a dynamic continuum.
Mental health problems take many forms, including:
- mood disorders (for example, depression, bipolar disorder)
- anxiety disorders (for example, obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias)
- schizophrenia
- personality disorders (for example, antisocial personality disorder)
- eating disorders (for example, anorexia nervosa, bulimia).
Some mental health disorders are chronic – some are episodic.
Mental health problems generally refer to those changes that occur over a period of time or that significantly affect the way a person copes or functions. When these changes in thinking, mood, and behaviour are associated with significant distress and impaired functioning, it may be that the person is experiencing a mental illness.
There are a lot of myths about mental heath and mental illness, identify whether the following statements are myth or fact:
People with mental illness are violent and dangerous.
Answer: Myth. The truth is that, as a group, people with mental health problems are no more violent than any other group. In fact, they are far more likely to be the victims of violence than to be violent themselves.
People with mental illness are poor and/or less intelligent.
Answer: Myth. Many studies show that most mentally ill people have average or above-average intelligence. Mental illness, like physical illness, can affect anyone regardless of intelligence, social class or income level.
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Mental illness is caused by a personal weakness.
Answer: Myth. A mental illness is not a character flaw. It is an illness, and it has nothing to do with being weak or lacking will-power. Although people with mental illness can play a big part in their own recovery, they did not choose to become ill, and they are not lazy because they cannot just "snap out of it."
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Tips for interacting with a person with mental illness or mental health disabilities:
Communication
- Listen without judgment.
- Be careful with language - avoid labels by putting the person before the illness (For example, say "person with schizophrenia" instead of "schizophrenic").
- Be encouraging as the person tries to make changes.
Behaviour
- See the whole person, not just his or her mental health problem.
- Learn the facts about mental illness.
- Challenge myths about mental illness when you see or hear them.
Depression
We all feel sad, down or blue at times, often following a difficult event. But after a while, the sad mood starts to lift, and we get back to our normal routine.
For some people, however, the low mood lasts for months and becomes a mood disorder known as depression – it may also be called clinical depression, or major depression and can make it difficult to do daily tasks. At its worst, it can make people try to end their lives.
About 10 to 25 percent of women and 10 to 15 percent of men will experience major depression in their lifetimes.
Depression can occur any time from childhood to old age. Rates are particularly high in youths and older adults.
To learn more about the different types of depression, click here.
Tips for interacting with a person with depression:
Communication
- Speak in a calm voice.
- Focus on one thing at a time.
- Show sincere concern in order to build trust.
- Listen and let the person know that you have heard what he or she has said.
- Don't feel you have to offer solutions - listening is more important.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder affects approximately 1% of the population. It’s a mood disorder that affects how people think, behave and function. It’s sometimes called "manic depression."
Tips for interacting with a person in a manic state:
Communication:
- Keep conversations brief.
- Deal only with immediate issues – don’t try to reason or argue.
- Try not to tell the person what to do, but be firm and practical.
Environment/Surroundings
- Reduce activity around the person.
- Have fewer people around.
- Keep the noise level down.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders affect about 1 in 10 people. Anxiety disorders are a group of disorders that affect behaviour, thoughts, emotions and physical health.
It is common for people to suffer from more than one anxiety disorder; and for an anxiety disorder to be accompanied by depression, eating disorders or substance abuse. Anxiety disorders can also coexist with physical disorders.
Personality Disorders
When a person’s behaviour falls outside the range of commonly accepted ways, that person often has trouble dealing with normal social situations and life experiences.
These difficulties may be caused by a personality disorder (PD). It is hard to say how many people have PDs. Many never find out that they have a PD or seek treatment.
People who have PDs behave and communicate in ways that are very different from what is expected in the society they live in. People with PDs are often those whom others regard as "difficult" people.
A common experience of all people with PDs is that they feel uncomfortable with themselves or other people.
Some examples of how people with PDs may act include:
- having trouble getting along with others.
- being unusually irritable, mean or fearful.
- not caring about other people’s feelings or rights.
- wanting to be in control of things or other people.
- doing things just to get attention.
Tips for interacting and communicating with a person with PD:
Behaviour:
- Learn not to take their behaviour personally. Remember that people with PDs are not able to see that what they say or do may annoy or hurt other people.
- Change your expectations. People with PDs don’t know how to act or react in the expected way, so try to get used to and accept their different way of acting.
- Focus on positive behaviour. While PDs can create difficulties, it is important to remember that this is not the only side of a person.
Psychosis
Psychosis is an impaired sense of reality that can cause disturbances in the senses. People with psychotic symptoms may hear voices or see things that other people cannot.
Psychosis can also affect the way people view events or the things other people say. This can lead to serious misinterpretations of what is happening or unfounded beliefs and fears.
Some mental health conditions that may have psychosis as a symptom include:
- schizophrenia
- bipolar disorder
- major depression
- brief psychotic disorder (usually lasts less than a month and is usually triggered by a major stress in the person’s life, such as a death in the family)
Odd behaviour or beliefs may or may not be due to a mental health problem such as psychosis.
Tips for interacting with a person who may have psychosis:
Communication
- Do not suggest to the person that he or she may have psychosis.
- During your interaction focus on how the delusions or hallucinations make the person feel. For example, "Hearing those voices must be frightening for you."
Tips for interacting with a person who is having hallucinations:
Communication:
- Talk in short, simple sentences.
Environment/Surroundings
- Get rid of distracting noises when you are talking to the person (for example, turn off the radio or television).
Tips for interacting with someone who is experiencing disorganized behaviour:
Communication:
- Break the task down into small, simple steps.
- Acknowledge small achievements.
- Change your expectations about what the person is able to do.
Tips for interacting with someone who is experiencing delusions:
Communication:
- Talk about feelings caused by the delusion rather than the delusion itself (for example, "It must be frightening to feel someone is watching you").
Behaviour:
- Don’t try to change the person’s belief.
- Try to avoid supporting or "going along with" the delusion.
Tips for interacting with a person who has few or no facial expressions:
Behaviour:
- Don’t take a lack of response personally.
Learn More
Learn more at the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
