WHAT IS MENTAL ILLNESS?

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Mental illness is a term used for a group of disorders causing severe disturbances in thinking, feeling, and relating. They result insubstantially diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life. Mental illnesses can affect persons of any age-children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly-and they can occur in any family. Several million people in the country suffer from a serious long term mental illness. The cost to society is high due to lost productivity and treatment expense. Patients with mental illness occupy more hospital beds than do persons with any other illness. Those with mental illnesses are usually of normal intelligence although they may have difficulty performing at a normal level due to their illness.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is one of the most serious and disabling of the mental illnesses. It affects approximately one person in one hundred. The disease affects men and women about equally. Its onset is usually in the late teens or early twenties. People with schizophrenia usually have several of the following symptoms: 

• Disconnected and confused language
• Poor reasoning, memory and judgment
• High levels of anxiety
• Eating and sleeping disorders
• Hallucinations-hearing and seeing things that exist only in the mind of the patient
• Delusions – persistent false beliefs about something, e.g. others are controlling their thoughts
• Deterioration of appearance and personal hygiene
• Loss of motivation and poor concentration
• Tendencies to withdraw from others

Unfortunately there are many myths about schizophrenia. People with schizophrenia do not have a "split personality" and are not prone to criminal violence. Their illness is not caused by bad parenting and it is not evidence of weakness of character. Their illness is due to biochemical disturbance of the brain.


Depressive Illnesses

Depressive illnesses are the most common of psychiatric disorders. They are generally less persistently disabling than schizophrenia. The primary disturbance in these disorders is that of affect or mood. These mood disorders may be manic depression (bipolar) in which the person swings between extreme high and low moods, or they may be unipolar in which the person suffers from persistent severe depression. About six percent of the population suffers from an affective disorder –a major cause of suicide. Persons diagnosed as having bipolar illness usually have several of the following characteristics during a period of mania:

• Boundless energy, enthusiasm, and need for activity
• Decreased need for sleep
• Grandiose ideas and poor judgment
• Rapid, loud, disorganized speech
• Short temper and argumentativeness
• Impulsive and erratic behavior
• Possible delusional thinking
• Rapid switch to severe depression

• Difficulty in sleeping
• Loss of interest in daily activities
• Loss of appetite
• Feelings of worthlessness, guilt and hopelessness
• Feelings of despondence or sadness
• Inability to concentrate
• Possible psychotic symptoms
• Suicidal thoughts and even actions

The causes of biologically based brain diseases are not well understood, although it is believed that the functioning of the brain's neurotransmitters is involved. Many factors may contribute to this disturbed functioning. Heredity may be a factor in mental illness as it is in diabetes and cancer. Stress may contribute to the onset of mental illness in a vulnerable person. Recreational drugs may also contribute to onset but are unlikely to be the single cause. Family interaction and early child training were once thought to cause mental illness; however, research does not support that theory any longer.

Can Mental Illness be Prevented? Cured?

Since the causes of long term mental illnesses are not known, there is no effective prevention at this time. More research is needed to determine causes and strategies of prevention. Likewise, there are no cures for mental illnesses. However, treatments can substantially improve the functioning of persons with these disorders.

What Are the Treatments for Mental Illness?

An expanding ranges of medications markedly reduce symptoms for many people. Supportive counseling, self-help support groups and community rehabilitation programs promote recovery and build self-confidence. Housing and employment services enable some people to develop independent living skills, hold a job, and achieve a fulfilling life. Others may need support for most or all of their lives. Helping them achieve a sense of dignity with the highest degree of independence, productivity, and satisfaction with life is the goal.

The above write-up was provided by NAMI, The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, of Arlington, VA.