|
Facts
What is mental illness?
Why do people get it?
How can you tell if you or a friend has a mental illness?
Who treats mental illness and how?
What is mental illness?
Mental illness is a term used to describe illnesses that affect
the mind. The opposite of 'mental illness' is 'mental health', something
that most people enjoy on a daily basis.
Mental illnesses can alter how someone may think, feel and relate
to other people and the world around them. This altered thinking
can make people feel unhappy, afraid or anxious, or, sometimes,
invincible and powerful. People with a mental illness may be unable
to tell what reality is or what is fantasy, have trouble making
sense of their own thoughts and feelings and have difficulty in
coping with everyday life.
The words 'mental illness' cover many different groups of illnesses
called psychiatric conditions. The different conditions can be better
understood by sorting them under five major psychiatric conditions.
| Major conditions
- Anxiety disorders
- Eating disorders
- Clinical Depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Schizophrenia
|
Some aspects of the conditions
1,2, & 3. These illnesses can be like an overdose of
‘normal’ fears and concerns. Including: habits,
thoughts and feelings that are out of control. They can interfere
with a person’s daily life.
4&5. These illnesses can involve psychosis. A person
may see, hear, think, feel, smell or taste things that are
not actually there. A person may believe and respond to what
their psychosis is telling them and be out of touch of reality. |
For more information about the mental illnesses that are covered
by these major conditions, click
here.
Why do people get it?
The single cause of 'why some people get a mental illness' is
not yet known. Still, one in five people will experience some form
of mental illness during their lifetime regardless of age, gender,
culture, background, intelligence or race.
While medical science does not yet know the single reason that
causes mental illness, research has shown that a combination of
'EXISTING FACTORS' and 'TRIGGERS'
can cause mental illness and mental health problems to develop.
The known 'EXISTING FACTORS' are:
Family History
Mental illness can run in families. It can skip a generation or
a separate family group, eg. an uncle's family. Mental illness also
appears in families who have no history of mental illness.
Chemical Imbalance
For some people the chemicals that control the function of certain
parts of the brain, called neurotransmitters, can get out of balance.
The brain areas that these chemicals control can include emotion,
logic and interpretation of the senses i.e. sight, sound, taste
and feel.
Hormonal Changes
Changes in hormone levels usually occur at puberty, pregnancy
and menopause. Some people have emotional changes during these times
as hormones can affect the balance of brain chemicals.
Because hormonal changes happen during puberty, around 14-24 years
of age, signs and signals of a person's mental illness can become
more noticeable at this time. Although some emotional changes during
puberty are to be expected, mental illness is not caused by emotional
changes during puberty alone.
The known TRIGGERS are:
Trauma and Stress
Trauma and stress can be felt physically or emotionally. Stress
can be pleasurable or unpleasant. Planning a trip or buying a new
car can be welcome happy events yet stressful. A relationship break-up,
or having to move out of home can be unwanted, sad events and stressful.
Trauma can be caused by physical or emotional abuse, living through
an alarming situation or living with constant pain. Trauma and stress
can happen at home, school and work or within a person's environment.
It can happen over a short or prolonged period of time. Any event
in life that causes high levels of personal trauma and stress can
cause emotional changes. For some people this can 'trigger' an episode
of mental illness.
Drugs and Alcohol
Episodes of mental illness can sometimes happen during or after
heavy use of some drugs and alcohol. Some people with an existing
mental illness can make their symptoms worse by using some drugs
or alcohol. Cannabis use by a person who has already had a psychosis,
or who has a family history of mental illness, can cause a psychosis
with increased symptoms over a longer period time (often one month
or longer)
For more information about drugs and mental health see the mental
illness and substance abuse disorders.
Environment
Environment can play a part in triggering mental illness in a
person.
For example, living in an unstable, traumatic environment over time
can
predispose even a previously well person to developing a mental
illness.
How can you tell if you or a friend
has a mental illness?
For most people with a mental illness, symptoms come in waves called
'episodes'.
Knowing about the symptoms, as well as the triggers and existing
factors of a mental illness, can help you figure out if you or a
friend is having a mental illness episode.
Each mental illness can have different symptoms. For more details
about different mental illnesses eg. eating problems, bipolar and
depression etc see diseases and
conditions
General signals of mental health symptoms usually appear in combination
with the existing factors and triggers. They can include acting
or living in a way over a long period of time (more than 3-6 weeks)
that is different to how a person normally is.
Common signals for young people that may be issues associated with
mental illness are: mood swings, attempted suicide or self harm,
substance abuse, self mutilation, eating problems, violence and
bullying, deep sadness, isolation, anger, confusion about identity,
loneliness, emotional abuse, poor self image, stress, physical abuse,
feelings of worthlessness, family conflict, relationship problems,
stress, feeling there is no future and confusion about sexuality.
Who treats mental illness and how?
Mental illnesses can be treated over time in a range of ways,
usually a combination of medication, personal counselling, rehabilitation
and support from friends and family.
Research has found that getting early and timely help for a person
with mental illness can prevent or reduce the impact of that illness
on that person's life. Treatment can be given in hospital and in
the community. Most people with a mental illness never have go to
a hospital for treatment.
Many professionals are involved in the treatment of mental illness.
A person may need to see one, or a combination of all of them, depending
on his or her diagnosis.
They are:
General practitioners
Your local doctor can be the first point of contact when diagnosing
or treating mental illness. A doctor can prescribe medications and
refer a person to a specialist or a community service for help.
Psychiatrists
A psychiatrist is a specialist medical doctor who has studied the
diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. They may conduct physical
examinations and prescribe medication. A psychiatrist will oversee
the treatment a person is given in hospital.
A psychologist has been trained in the assessment
and treatment of illnesses of the mind that are not necessarily
due to chemical imbalances. They may combine a range of counselling
methods as treatment.
If a person is very ill, psychotic, severely depressed or suicidal
they may need to be treated in the psychiatric section of a hospital.
Hospitals provide close observation and special care including medication.
People who are having trouble getting a medication balance right
may also stay in hospital. People in a psychiatric hospital are
encouraged to dress as they choose and are usually free to walk
around the grounds, have visitors, and even go home on weekend leave.
The staff at a psychiatric hospital can include: psychiatric nurses,
social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists
and trained people who have had their own experience with mental
illness. After leaving the hospital a person may need to continue
treatment such as medication, and regularly see a psychiatrists,
psychologist or have contact with a local community mental health
team.
|
