Mental illness can strike anyone! It knows no age
limit, economic status, race, creed or color. During the course of a year, more
than 51 million Americans are affected by one or more mental disorders.
Medical science has made incredible progress over the
last century in understanding, curing and eliminating the causes of many
diseases including mental illness. While doctors continue to solve some of the
mysteries of the brain, many of its functions remain a puzzle. However,
researchers have determined that many mental illnesses are probably the result
of chemical imbalances in the brain. These imbalances may be inherited, or may
develop because of excessive stress or substance abuse.
It is sometimes easy to forget that our brain, like
all of our other organs, is vulnerable to disease. People with mental illnesses
often exhibit many types of behaviors such as extreme sadness and irritability,
and in more severe cases, they may also suffer from hallucinations and total
withdrawal. Instead of receiving compassion and acceptance, people with mental
illnesses may experience hostility, discrimination, and stigma.
Why
does stigma still exist?
Unfortunately, the media is responsible for many of
the misconceptions which persist about people with mental illness. Newspapers,
in particular, often stress a history of mental illness in the backgrounds of
people who commit crimes of violence. Television news programs frequently
sensationalize crimes where persons with mental illnesses are involved.
Comedians make fun of people with mental illnesses, using their disabilities as
a source of humor. Also, national advertisers use stigmatizing images as
promotional gimmicks to sell products.
Ironically, the media also offers our best hope for
eradicating stigma because of its power to educate and influence public
opinion.
What
is a mental illness?
A mental illness causes mild to severe disturbances in
a person’s thinking, perception , and behavior. If these disturbances significantly
impair a person’s ability to cope with life’s ordinarydemands and routines, then he or she should
immediately seek proper treatment with a mental health professional. Depending
on the type and severity of the mental illness, with the proper care and
treatment, a person can recover and resume normal activities.
Many mental illnesses are believed to have biological
causes, just like cancer, diabetes and heart disease, but some mental illnesses
are caused by a person’s environment and experiences. Mental illnesses, such as
those listed, should not be confused with temporary psychological or emotional
disturbances in a person’s life which may also be caused by life’s situations
such as death, divorce, or a serious illness. These disturbances may also be
treated with psychotherapy and/or medication, but are usually short-term.
How
you can help:
1)Be positive
and helpful. Respond to people who
have a mental illness as individuals. Learn about the person and deal with
him/her on the basis of your knowledge, not your assumptions.
2)Help people
with mental illness reenter society. Support
their efforts to obtain housing and jobs.
3)Correct
false statements about mental illness or people with mental illnesses. Many people have wrong and damaging ideas on the
subject. Accurate facts and information may help change both their ideas and
actions.
4)Spread the
word. Tell others what you have
learned. Give people recovering from a mental illness what they need most, a
chance.
Remember: People who have a mental illness, their
friends, and family all have many challenges to meet. Get the facts. Give hope
and respect to all.
The
five major categories of mental illness:
nAnxiety
Disorders
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental
illnesses. The three main types are: phobias (extreme fear or dread from a
particular object or situation), panic disorders (sudden, intense feelings of
terror for no apparent reason and often accompanied by heart attack-like
symptoms), and obsessive-compulsive disorders (anxious impulses to repeat words
or phrases or engage in repetitive, ritualistic behavior, such as constant hand
washing).
nMood
Disorders
Mood disorders include depression and bipolar
disorder. Symptoms may include mood swings such as extreme sadness or elation,
sleep and eating disturbances, and changes in activity and energy levels.
Suicide may be a risk with these disorders.
nSchizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a serious brain disorder which
affects how a person thinks, feels and acts. Schizophrenia is believed to be
caused by chemical imbalances in the brain that cause a variety of symptoms
including hallucinations, delusions, withdrawal, incoherent speech, and
impaired reasoning.
nDementias
This group of brain disorders includes diseases such
as Alzheimer’s which leads to loss of mental functions, including memory loss
and a decline of intellectual and physical skills.
nEating
Disorders
Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are serious, potentially
life-threatening illnesses. Symptoms include a preoccupation with food and an
irrational fear of being fat. Specifically, anorexia is self-starvation, while
bulimia is cycles of binging (consuming large quantities of food) and purging
(self-inducing vomiting or abusing laxatives).
Common
misconceptions about mental illness
MYTH: “Young
people and children don’t suffer from mental health illnesses.”
FACT: It is
estimated that more than 6 million young people in America may suffer from a
mental health disorder that severely disrupts his or her ability to function at
home, in school, or in their community.
MYTH: “People
who need psychiatric care should be locked away in institutions”
FACT: Today,
most people can lead good productive lives within their communities thanks to a
variety of care providers, programs, and/or medications.
MYTH: “A
person who has had a mental illness can never lead a normal life.”
FACT: People
with mental illnesses can recover and resume normal activities. For example,
Mike Wallace of “60 Minutes”, who has clinical depression, has received
treatment and today leads an enriched and accomplished life.
MYTH: “People
with mental illnesses are dangerous.”
FACT: The
vast majority of people with mental illnesses are not violent. In the cases
when violence does occur, the incidence typically results from the same reasons
as with the general public such as feeling threatened or excessive use of
alcohol and/or drugs.
MYTH: “People
with mental illnesses can work low-level jobs but aren’t suited for really
important or responsible positions.”
FACT: People
with mental illnesses, like everyone else, have the potential to work at any
level depending on their own abilities, experience and motivation.
