Mental Illness
Posted on January 15, 2024 at 09:00 PM
Overview
Mental illness, also called mental health disorders, refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors.
Many people have mental health concerns from time to time. But a mental health concern becomes a mental illness when ongoing signs and symptoms cause frequent stress and affect your ability to function.
A mental illness can make you miserable and can cause problems in your daily life, such as at school or work or in relationships. In most cases, symptoms can be managed with a combination of medications and talk therapy (psychotherapy).
Symptoms
Depending on the condition, the environment, and other variables, mental illness symptoms can take many different forms. Emotions, ideas, and behaviors can all be impacted by mental disease symptoms.
Signs and symptoms examples include:
- Sad or depressed
- Disorganized thoughts or a diminished capacity for focus
- Severe feelings of shame or excessive worries or fears
- Severe swings in mood from highs to lows
- Elimination from social circles and pursuits
- Severe exhaustion, lack of energy, or issues slumbering
- Delusions, paranoia, or disassociation from reality
- incapacity to handle stress or day-to-day issues
- Difficulty comprehending and connecting with people and circumstances
- Problems with alcohol or drug use
- Significant modifications to eating patterns
- Sex drive changes
- Excessive anger, hostility or violence
- Suicidal thinking
Sometimes physical issues, such as headaches, backaches, stomachaches, or other inexplicable aches and pains, are signs of a mental health illness.
When to see a doctor
See your primary care physician or a mental health expert if you exhibit any indications or symptoms of a mental illness. The majority of mental diseases do not get better on their own, and if left untreated, they can worsen over time and result in major issues.
If you have suicidal thoughts
Suicidal thoughts and actions are frequent in certain mental health conditions. Seek immediate assistance if you believe you might harm yourself or make a suicide attempt:
- Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
- Call your mental health specialist.
- Contact a suicide hotline. In the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Or use the Lifeline Chat. Services are free and confidential.
- Seek help from your primary care provider.
- Reach out to a close friend or loved one.
Suicidal thinking doesn't get better on its own — so get help.
Helping a loved one
Talk openly and honestly with your loved one about your concerns if they exhibit symptoms of mental illness. While you might not be able to coerce someone to get medical attention, you can still support and encourage them. Finding a licensed mental health practitioner and scheduling an appointment can also be assisted by you and your loved one. Maybe you could even attend the appointment.
Take your loved one to the hospital or give emergency assistance if they have self-harmed or are thinking about doing so.
Book an AppointmentCauses
Mental illnesses, in general, are thought to be caused by a variety of genetic and environmental factors:
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Inherited traits.
Mental illness is more common in people whose blood relatives also have a mental illness. Certain genes may increase your risk of developing a mental illness, and your life situation may trigger it. -
Environmental exposures before birth.
Mental disease has occasionally been associated to prenatal exposure to inflammatory disorders, chemicals, alcohol, narcotics, and environmental stressors. -
Brain chemistry.
Natural brain chemicals called neurotransmitters are responsible for sending messages from your brain and body to other areas. Depression and other emotional disorders result from changes in the function of nerve receptors and nerve systems caused by impairments in the brain networks involving these substances.
Risk factors
Certain factors may increase your risk of developing a mental illness, including:
- A blood relative's (father, sibling, etc.) history of mental illness
- Stressful life circumstances, like money troubles, the death of a loved one, or divorce
- A persistent (chronic) illness, such diabetes
- Brain damage as a result of a serious injury (traumatic brain injury), such as a violent blow to the head
- Traumatic experiences, such as military combat or assault
- Use of alcohol or recreational drugs
- A childhood history of abuse or neglect
- Few friends or few healthy relationships
- An earlier mental health condition
Mental illness is widespread. In any given year, almost 1 in 5 persons suffer from a mental disease. While mental illness can strike at any age, most occurrences start in childhood or early adulthood.
Mental disease can have short-term or long-term impacts. Additionally, you are capable of having multiple mental health conditions concurrently. For instance, you can be suffering from both substance abuse and depression.
Complications
One of the main causes of impairment is mental illness. Serious issues with emotion, behavior, and physical health can result from untreated mental illness. Occasionally, mental illness can lead to the following complications:
- Self-harm and harm to others, including suicide or homicide
- Legal and financial problems
- Heart disease and other medical conditions
- Social isolation
- Family conflicts
- Poverty and homelessness
- Relationship difficulties
- Weakened immune system, so your body has a hard time resisting infections
- Missed work or school, or other problems related to work or school
- Unhappiness and decreased enjoyment of life
- Problems with tobacco, alcohol and other drugs
Prevention
It is impossible to completely avoid mental disease. If you suffer from a mental illness, managing your stress, building resilience, and elevating your low self-esteem can help manage your symptoms. Take these actions:
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Pay attention to warning signs.
Work with your doctor or therapist to learn what might trigger your symptoms. Make a plan so that you know what to do if symptoms return. Contact your doctor or therapist if you notice any changes in symptoms or how you feel. Consider involving family members or friends to watch for warning signs. -
Get routine medical care.
Don't neglect checkups or skip visits to your primary care provider, especially if you aren't feeling well. You may have a new health problem that needs to be treated, or you may be experiencing side effects of medication. -
Get help when you need it.
Mental health conditions can be harder to treat if you wait until symptoms get bad. Long-term maintenance treatment also may help prevent a relapse of symptoms. -
Take good care of yourself.
Sufficient sleep, healthy eating and regular physical activity are important. Try to maintain a regular schedule. Talk to your primary care provider if you have trouble sleeping or if you have questions about diet and physical activity.
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By: Psychiatry Associates
