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What is Mental Illness?
Mental illness is an illness that affects or is manifested in a
person's brain. It may impact on the way a person thinks, behaves,
and interacts with other people.
The term "mental illness" actually encompasses numerous
psychiatric disorders, and just like illnesses that affect other
parts of the body, they can vary in severity. Many people suffering
from mental illness may not look as though they are ill or that
something is wrong, while others may appear to be confused, agitated,
or withdrawn.
It is a myth that mental illness is a weakness or defect in
character and that sufferers can get better simply by "pulling
themselves up by their bootstraps." Mental illnesses are real
illnesses--as real as heart disease and cancer--and they require and
respond well to treatment.
The term "mental illness" is an unfortunate one because
it implies a distinction between "mental" disorders and
"physical" disorders. Research shows that there is much
"physical" in "mental" disorders and vice-versa.
For example, the brain chemistry of a person with major depression is
different from that of a nondepressed person, and medication can be
used (often in combination with psychotherapy) to bring the brain
chemistry back to normal. Similarly, a person who is suffering from
hardening of the arteries in the brain--which reduces the flow of
blood and thus oxygen in the brain--may experience such
"mental" symptoms as confusion and forgetfulness.
In the past 20 years especially, psychiatric research has made
great strides in the precise diagnosis and successful treatment of
many mental illnesses. Where once mentally ill people were warehoused
in public institutions because they were disruptive or feared to be
harmful to themselves or others, today most people who suffer from a
mental illness--including those that can be extremely debilitating,
such as schizophrenia --can be treated effectively and lead full lives.
Recognized mental illnesses are described and categorized in the
book Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth
Edition. This book is compiled by the American Psychiatric
Association and updated periodically. It can be purchased through the
American Psychiatric Press Inc.
Some of the more commonly known psychiatric disorders are
depression; manic depression (also known as bipolar disorder);
anxiety disorders, including specific phobias (such as fear of
heights), social phobia, panic disorder, agoraphobia,
obsessive-compulsive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder;
schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, such as delusion
disorder; substance abuse and disorders related to substance abuse;
delirium; dementia, including Alzheimer's disease; eating disorders,
such as bulimia and anorexia; sleep disorders;
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; learning disorders; sexual
disorders; dissociate disorders, such as multiple personality
disorder; and personality disorders, such as borderline personality
disorder and antisocial personality disorder.
If you suspect that a loved on or friend is struggling with an
untreated mental illness or that he/she is unstable or refusing to
take prescribed medication for his/her condition we can help through
a process known as intervention.
An intervention often prevents your loved one / friend from having
to experience years of dysfunction and crises or having to hit
"rock bottom" before getting the help that they need.
Intervention is a proactive approach to a reactive loved one / friend
who is suffering with a mental illness.
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