The term mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions, including anxiety disorders, depression, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors. When signs and symptoms cause frequent stress and affect your ability to function, the illness becomes a health concern; but even though a mental illness can make you miserable and cause problems in your daily life, the symptoms can be managed with a combination of psychotherapy and medication.
Signs & Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of mental illness vary and can affect emotions, thoughts and behaviors. These include:
- Feeling sad or down
- Excessive fears or worries
- Confused thinking
- Problems sleeping
- Withdrawal from friends and activities
- Inability to cope with daily problems or stress
- Suicidal thinking
- Detachment from reality or hallucinations
- Alcohol or drug abuse
- Significant changes in eating habits
- Sex drive changes
- Excessive anger, hostility or violence
Mental illness can also manifest as physical problems, including:
- Fatigue
- Digestive problems
- Headache
- Back pain
- Chest pain
- Dry mouth
- Weight gain or loss
- Rapid heart rate
- Sweating
- Dizziness
When to See a Doctor
If you have any signs or symptoms of a mental illness, see your mental health provider, doctor or other health professional. Most mental illnesses don?t improve on their own, and if untreated, a mental illness may get worse over time and cause significant problems.
Suicidal thoughts and behavior are common with some mental illnesses. If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, get help right away; you can call 9-1-1 or a close friend or loved one. Then it?s important to get help from a mental health professional.
Causes of Mental Illness
While there is no specific cause of mental illness, it is believed to be caused by a variety of ?environmental and sometimes genetic factors:
- Inherited traits. Mental illness is more common in people whose biological family members also have a mental illness.
- Biological factors. In addition to inherited traits, outside forces such as traumatic brain injury or exposure to viruses or toxins while in the womb can lead to a mental illness.
- Life experiences. Challenging situations and life experiences can trigger a mental illness. These include an upbringing leading to poor self-esteem or a history of sexual or physical abuse, financial issues, health problems or untoward stress.
- Brain chemistry. Changes in the brain are thought to affect mood and other aspects of mental health. Naturally occurring brain chemicals called neurotransmitters play a role in some mental illnesses, while in other cases hormonal imbalances can affect mental health.
?Classes of Mental Illness
- Mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder.
- Anxiety disorders like panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Substance-related disorders including alcoholism.
- Disorders of detachment from reality, the most notable of which is schizophrenia.
- Disorders of thinking including delirium, dementia and memory problems.
- Developmental disorders like autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities.
- Personality disorders including borderline personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder.
- Other disorders. These include disorders of impulse control, sleep, sexual functioning and eating. Also included are dissociative disorders.
Treatments and Drugs
Your treatment depends on your particular mental illness, its severity and your life situation. Often a team approach is appropriate to make sure all of your psychological, medical and social needs are met. This is especially important with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia. Some medications used to treat mental illness include antidepressants, mood-stabilizing medications, anti-anxiety medications and antipsychotics.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term for the process of treating mental illness through verbal means with a mental health provider. During psychotherapy, you learn about your condition and your moods, feelings, thoughts and behavior. Using the insights and knowledge you gain in psychotherapy, you can learn coping behaviors and stress-management skills as well as how to manage the various symptoms you may be experiencing without the use of medications.
Both psychotherapy and medication are effective forms of treatment, and in many instances they are equally effective.? Some people benefit most through a combination of both.
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Source: Mayo Clinic, Bruce Nystrom, PhD.
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