By: Tess Lampe
13%
That’s the percentage of people out of the global population suffer from any type of mental illness, as stated in a previously published blog about mental health. The definition of mental illness or mental health disorder is something that includes many mental health conditions that affect your mood, thinking, and behavior. There is a such thing as a mental health concern, but that concern becomes a mental illness when the continuation of symptoms are present, which may result in stress and could interfere with one’s functioning ability. The exact cause of mental illness is not known for certain, but as mentioned in the past, research has shown that biology, psychology, environmental related matters, or a combination of those factors are all great contributors to certain conditions.
Biological factors that can often lead to mental illness include abnormal functioning of nerve cell circuits or pathways, defects/injury in certain parts of the brain, genetics (heredity), infections, prenatal damage, substance use, poor nutrition, and exposure to toxins. Psychological factors can include severe psychological trauma such as emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, early loss (losing a parent for example), neglect of failing to be cared for, or poor ability to relate to others. Finally, environmental factors that contribute to mental illness often include death or divorce, bad family life, low self-esteem, anxiety, anger, loneliness, change in job or school, social or cultural expectations, and substance abuse by the person in question or by a loved one.
There are many mental illnesses out there and each one is different for each individual who suffers from one. The following are the most well known mental disorders: depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia), and schizophrenia. Other well known illnesses include alcohol and drug use disorders, multiple personality disorder, dementia, and others. Each one of these mental health conditions have their own symptoms that characterize them and treatments that work for each one, although many of the treatments used are shared with similar conditions. Because it is quite hard for those without a mental illness to understand the topic, the following information given is given to give a better sense of understanding.
Depression is a disorder that negatively affects your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Because the condition can be anywhere from mild to severe, the intensity of the depressive disorder varies and presents itself differently for each individual with the condition. Typically, symptoms must last at least two weeks for a diagnosis to be made when it comes to depression. Proved in a study, about one in six people experience depression, those of which are usually those in their teens or mid-20s. Depression is often confused with grief or general sadness, but they definitely have their differences. It is quite common for feelings of sadness to present themselves when certain situations call for it, like losing a loved one. In grief, self-esteem is often stable and sad thoughts are linked with positive memories or thoughts. However, grief or the loss of a loved one can lead to a sort of depression for some. When depression and grief co-exist or “work together,” the grief feelings can be more intense and long-lasting. Despite this, grief and depression are different. Symptoms of depression include the following: feeling sad or having a saddened mood, loss of interest in activities you usually enjoy, changes in appetite (weight loss or weight gain), trouble sleeping or getting too much sleep, purposeless activity (pacing or fidgeting), slowed movements and speech, feeling of worthlessness or guilt, difficulty thinking or concentrating, thoughts of death or suicide, excessive crying, hunger or fatigue (tiredness/loss of energy), repeatedly turning to the same thoughts, and much more. As stated before, these symptoms can vary in frequency and intensity based on the individual experiencing them. Therefore, certain treatments are meant to be used for certain people, even though many of them have proved effective on most. Those treatments include medication, psychotherapy (talk therapy or problem solving therapy), and electroconvulsive therapy, which is only used on those who have not responded well to other treatments. The purpose of it is to give the patient a brief electrical stimulation to the brain while under anesthesia. A small percentage of people actually have to use this though because about 80-90% of those with any depression level respond well to previous and general treatments. Additionally, coping is different for each person. Healthy coping mechanisms for this illness can include regular exercise, being on a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol, doing enjoyable things, etc.
When it comes to anxiety disorders, they are usually within people who have suffered the symptoms for at least six months, causing it to interfere with their daily life. Feeling anxious is very normal because it is the body’s natural way of dealing with stress. This type of anxiety come every once in a while and does not interfere with one’s day-to-day life or activities. On the other hand, anxiety disorders cause one to feel fear, apprehension, worry, etc. almost all of the time. It can stop someone from doing things they enjoy, and in severe cases, can stop one from completing simple tasks like leaving the house, crossing the street, or even getting into an elevator. It can also affect anyone at almost any age. Further, a study showed that women are more likely to be diagnosed with it than men. There are many different anxiety disorders, which are the following: panic disorder - repetition of panic attacks at unsuspected times, causing fear of the next. Phobia - extreme fear of an object, situation, or activity. Social anxiety disorder - intense fear of being judged by others in social situations. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) - repetition of irrational or unreasonable thoughts that lead to specific repeated behaviors. Separation anxiety disorder - fear of being away from home or loved ones. Illness anxiety disorder - anxiety relating to one’s health. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - anxiety and fear following a traumatic event. Generalized anxiety disorder - ongoing, uncontrollable worry that often interferes with daily activities and interactions. With these many anxiety disorders comes many symptoms, most of them common throughout all anxiety. These many symptoms include increased heart rate, quick breathing, restlessness or not being able to relax, trouble concentrating, difficulty with sleep, racing or unwanted thoughts, lack of energy or too much energy, worrying and fear, nausea, trembling, overthinking, thinking of the worst case scenario, fear of making the wrong decision, etc. Anxiety attacks are also common, which is when one experiences an overwhelming or large amount of fear, apprehension, or worry. The main treatment used for anxiety is medication. Coping mechanisms and other effective treatments include sleep, meditation, being active, avoiding alcohol & caffeine, and not smoking.
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes shifts in mood, energy, activity, and the ability to do daily things. As with anxiety, there are a few disorders that fall under the umbrella term “bipolar,” those being bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, cyclothymic disorder (cyclothymia), and any other disorder closely related to bipolar that may be unspecified. In summary, bipolar I disorder is characterized by manic or elevated and excited mood episodes that last about seven days. Depressive episodes usually last around two weeks. These episodes often get so intense that the person would need immediate hospital care. Bipolar II disorder is characterized by a pattern of manic episodes that are not nearly as intense, but happen more frequently. Cyclothymia is characterized by many periods of manic and depressive episodes that usually last at least 1-2 years. Other disorders would be those that don’t necessarily match the previously stated disorders. General symptoms of these disorders can include intense emotion, changes in sleep and activity levels, and other unusual behaviors. This is called a mood episode, which often includes mania and depressive states. Symptoms of manic episodes often include feeling “high,” “up,” or very happy, having a lot of energy, increased activity levels, feeling jumpy, trouble sleeping, talking very fast, feeling irritable or easily annoyed/angered, wanting to do a lot at once, and doing risky things. Symptoms of depressive episodes include feeling sad or empty, having little energy, decreased activity levels, trouble sleeping or getting too much sleep, feeling like you can’t enjoy anything, trouble concentrating, forgetting things, eating too much or too little, feeling slow and tired, and thoughts of death or suicide. Those with bipolar disorder are more likely to seek out help in one of these depressive episodes. A mood episode can include both depressive and manic episodes, which can lead to further problems seeing that they are completely opposing behaviors. Similarly, hypomania, a milder version of mania, often leads a person to feel very good, productive, and as if nothing is wrong. Many of these symptoms can also lead to or include psychosis, which is characterized by hallucinations, delusions (a belief of something despite being opposed by rational argument), etc. Medication and psychotherapy is a commonly used, effective treatment for bipolar disorder. Unfortunately, it is a lifelong illness that often comes back to a person over time. Because the disorder presents itself differently in each person, the symptoms can be long-lasting, slightly lingering, and some people can have no mood shifts at all.
As with bipolar disorder, there are three major and specific eating disorders, those being anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. These are characterized by disturbances or negative changes in one’s eating behaviors and thoughts/emotions relating to those behaviors. They also make one become completely occupied with food and weight. Eating disorders may affect many people, those mainly being women of ages 12-35. Those with anorexia and bulimia tend to be perfectionistic and have low self-esteem, which causes them to be very critical of their own bodies. They often “feel fat,” think that they are overweight, and because of this, some even cause themselves life-threatening starvation. This intense fear of gaining weight is very serious. Anorexia nervosa is usually diagnosed to those who have 15% less than the healthy weight expected for their height. The symptoms of anorexia include limiting one’s self to the food they eat, fear of being “fat,” problems with body image, and denial of having a low body weight. Those with anorexia nervosa also refuse to eat frequently, exercise a lot, and force themselves to vomit or use laxatives to lose weight. Over time, the following symptoms become the result of this: stop of menstrual periods, osteoporosis (thinning of the bones), brittle hair & nails, dry & yellowish skin, mild anemia (iron deficiency & lack of red blood cells), muscles wasting away, constipation, low blood pressure, slow breathing, slow pulse, low body temperature, and depression. These symptoms almost always lead to serious health problems, so the first step when it comes to treatment begins with regaining weight to a healthy level. Along with many other mental disorders, psychotherapy is a common treatment used that helps with the emotional problems that accompany a mental illness.
On the other hand, bulimia nervosa can present itself in those of any weight. Those with bulimia nervosa binge eat frequently. This means that they can eat a lot of food in a short amount of time, sometimes even eating so quickly that they don’t taste the food. These binges usually end when someone interrupts, the person in question falls asleep, or their stomach aches from being stretched. When binging, those with bulimia feel out of control. Afterwards, the pain and fear of weight gain contributes to why those with bulimia nervosa force themselves to throw up or use laxatives. This behavior can be repeated several times a week, and in severe cases, several times a day. Because people usually hide their binges well and they are not usually incredibly thin, it is not easy to notice that one has the disorder. The symptoms that can be noticed are inflamed & sore throat, glands in the neck and jaw become swollen, cheeks become puffy, teeth enamel is weakened, constant vomiting, possible kidney problems, severe dehydration from purging, and more. It can lead to fatal results as well, including gastric ruptures (intestine rupture or burst) or cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). The first step to treating bulimia nervosa is to break the cycle of binging-purging. Psychotherapy and certain medications are also used with bulimia as well as anorexia.
Binge-eating disorder is much like bulimia in a sense. It is characterized by several episodes of binge eating where one consumes a large amount of food in a short period of time, making them feel out of control. However, those with binge-eating disorder do not try to rid the food of their body afterwards like many with bulimia do. Binging happens much over time and can lead to serious conditions like obesity, diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), and cardiovascular (heart) diseases. Symptoms that accompany binge-eating disorder may be frequent overeating during a certain period of time, loss of control while eating, eating quicker than normal, eating until feeling uncomfortably or painfully full, eating a large quantity of food when one isn’t hungry, eating alone because of embarrassment one may feel by how much they are eating, feeling disgusted with oneself, feeling depressed or guilty after eating, feeling distressed (anxiety or pain), etc. Much like bulimia, the treatment often beings with breaking the binging cycle. Psychotherapy, general medical care, and specific medicines are a few common and useful treatments to follow. All of these treatments are used to rebuild one’s physical and emotional well-being and their healthy eating habits.
Additionally, Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, trouble thinking, low motivation, and more. Further, it is a chronic (long-lasting, long-term, and sometimes incurable) brain disorder. It is also the lowest-affecting mental disorder, only affecting less than one percent of the U.S. population and about 0.3% of the global population, which is about 20 million people. Although some treatments can decrease the effects of symptoms that come with schizophrenia, it is an incurable and lifelong disorder. Contrary to popular belief, schizophrenia is not characterized by having a split personality or multiple personalities (which is actually called dissociative identity disorder or multiple personality disorder), nor are they dangerous, violent, and they don’t live in hospitals. Additionally, research shows that those with schizophrenia die younger than the general population due to high rates of medical conditions like heart disease and diabetes. The disorder also brings about episodes of being unable to see the difference between what is real and what is not. Frequency and duration often vary, but severe symptoms tend to decrease as time moves on in one’s life. However, by not following treatments & medical care, abusing substances, and experiencing stressful situations can sometimes increase the frequency of intense symptoms. These symptoms can be very different and belong to separate categories. Positive psychotic symptoms: hallucinations, hearing voices, paranoid delusions, exaggerated perceptions (the ability to become aware through the senses), beliefs, and behaviors. Negative symptoms: loss of the ability to put plans into action, speak, express or show emotion, or find enjoyment. Disorganization symptoms: confused and unstable thinking and speech, trouble with logical thinking, bizarre (strange or unusual) behavior, and unusual or abnormal movements. Impaired cognition: trouble with paying attention, troubled concentration, memory, and low educational performance. These symptoms usually present themselves in late teens or early adulthood. Treatments, though there is no cure, include meditation, psychotherapy, and other stress-reducing activities. Antipsychotic meditations are also effective as a treatment.
In conclusion, mental health is not at all to be taken lightly. Despite the stigma and shame that is often placed around it, that does not mean that having a mental illness is something to feel guilty for. Treating those with mental illnesses well and with care is important, just like it is for everyone else. If you have one or multiple mental disorders, the research and experience shows that living with it can be hard at times. This is why as many people as possible should try to help those suffering. Most of these disorders can be clinically diagnosed and can be treated with many types of therapy, most commonly psychotherapy. Seeking therapy is a great thing, so if you or someone you know is suffering, make sure to reach out in some way. Any more information that you may want to know can be provided by various reliable sources.
(Sources Below):
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alcohol-use-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20369243
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1CARWXF_enUS810&ei=vGyeXYSWEsL8tAWJ2Y2AAg&q=disassociative+identity+disorder&oq=disassociative+identity+disorder&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i10l10.333119.344034..344149...8.0..0.171.4949.0j38......0....1..gws-wiz.....6..0i362i308i154i357j0i67j0j0i131j0i273.-ZA1atLSeaE&ved=0ahUKEwiE5LD1qZDlAhVCPq0KHYlsAyAQ4dUDCAs&uact=5&safe=active&ssui=on
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/schizophrenia/what-is-schizophrenia
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/eating-disorders/what-are-eating-disorders
https://www.google.com/search?q=manic&rlz=1CARWXF_enUS810&oq=manic&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j0j69i60j69i61l2j69i60.1081j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml#targetText=Bipolar%20disorder%2C%20also%20known%20as,%2C%20energy%2C%20and%20activity%20levels.
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1CARWXF_enUS810&ei=YQCeXZHTC4Ge-gT3oYTIDQ&q=anxiety+symptoms&oq=anxiety+symptoms&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l10.130893.136236..136370...4.1..0.133.1694.7j9......0....1..gws-wiz.....6..0i71j0i362i308i154i357j0i67j0i131.nbOJUQz23KI&ved=0ahUKEwjRh6zKwo_lAhUBj54KHfcQAdkQ4dUDCAs&uact=5&safe=active&ssui=on
https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety#disorders
https://www.google.com/search?q=symptoms+of+depression&rlz=1CARWXF_enUS810&oq=symptoms+of+depression&aqs=chrome.0.0l6.2921j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-causes-mental-illness#1
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/generalized-anxiety-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20360803#targetText=It's%20normal%20to%20feel%20anxious,sign%20of%20generalized%20anxiety%20disorder.
No comments:
Post a Comment