Table of Contents
Mental health is described as emotional, psychological, and social well-being, it influences how we feel, act and think. It also determines how to relate to others and make choices. Mental health is something that should be regarded as important from childhood, adolescence through to adulthood. Mental well-being is defined as a state in which an individual realizes their own potential, and are able to cope with the usual stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a positive contribution to their community.
Individuals have different mental states day to day such as being happy or sad or emotional, however, prolonged periods of these mental state episodes can lead or be something more serious such as a mental illness. Mental illness is a disease that causes disturbances in thought and/or behaviour, resulting in an inability to cope with life’s ordinary demands and routines.
It is something that directly disrupts an individual’s mental state, it affects how they feel, think, communicate and behave. Examples of mental illness are bulimia, anorexia, bipolar disorder and depression. Mental illness affects that way people think, feel, behave, or interact with others.
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There are many different mental illnesses, and they have different symptoms that impact different individuals lives in different ways. Mental illness is medically diagnosable conditions that are caused by significant impairment of cognitive, affective or relational abilities of an individual.
Schizophrenia
One example of mental illness would be schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a severe long-term condition, it is known to cause a range of different psychological symptoms. Symptoms include delusions, hallucinations and muddled thoughts. Although the exact causes of schizophrenia are not known, there is evidence to suggest that the of different factors such as physical, genetic, psychological and environmental can make an individual more likely to develop the condition. Both mental health and mental illness are often mistaken to mean the same thing, however, they are not. Not all people will in their lifetime experience mental illness, but it is argued that most people will struggle or have a challenge with their mental well-being.
An example of a mental health state would be feeling low in mood, in life, there are difficult events and experiences that can leave individuals in low spirits. Problems such as bereavement, stress at work, bullying, chronic illness or pain may cause low moods however, it is also possible to feel low without there being any obvious reason. Symptoms of low mood include sadness, feeling anxious worrying, tiredness, anger and frustration.
Feeling low in mood can last a few days or weeks, however, after then things usually get better. There are changes individuals can make to improve their moods such as resolving a difficult situation, talking about your problems or getting more sleep, can usually improve the person mood. Moreover, a low mood that stays for a long time can be a sign of or lead to having a mental illness such as depression.
Bipolar Disorder
Another example of mental illness is bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is known as a mental disorder, it causes periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood called mania. These moods can swing from one extreme to another. Symptoms of bipolar disorder depend on exactly what mood the individual is experiencing. Unlike regular mood swings, each extreme episode of bipolar disorder can last for several weeks whilst and some individuals may not experience a normal mood very often.
When in a depressed mood symptoms include feeling sad, hopeless or irritable, a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, a loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping. However, when a person with bipolar is experiencing the manic phase, symptoms can be feeling very happy, elated or overjoyed, feeling full of energy, feeling full of great new ideas, being easily distracted and being delusional. Some of these feelings are similar to what normal people without mental illness feel, someone’s mental state can be very happy one day and then the next feel quite down. Those are some of the indicators of bipolar disorder, although the exact cause of the bipolar disorder is not known, both environmental and genetic factors play a role. Environmental factors such as a history of childhood abuse and long-term stress can increase the risk of getting bipolar disorder.
Certain types of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder hardly appear out of the blue. Family, friends, teachers or people themselves begin to notice small changes or feelings that something does not feel right about their thinking, feelings or behaviour. This often occurs before illness appears in its full-blown form.
There are several signs and symptoms to watch out for. One sign to watch for is feeling disconnected, Individuals who sense a vague feeling of being disconnected from him or herself or their surroundings or feel a sense of unreality may want to follow this up with a mental health professional. Another sign is Illogical thinking, individuals who experience unusual or exaggerated beliefs about their own powers to understand meanings or influence events.
The feeling of withdrawing from friends, family or even a loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed should be noted. Another sign is Increased sensitivity to sights, sounds, smells or touch and avoidance of over-stimulating situations. Unusual behaviour is another sign that something is not right, things like shouting for no reason or speaking to yourselves are all examples. Lastly, a drop-in functioning, whether this is at school, work or social activities.
Symptoms of Mental Illness
Having some of these symptoms alone cannot predict mental illness, however, it may indicate a need for further evaluation. If individuals are experiencing several at one time and the symptoms are causing serious problems in the ability to perform daily tasks at school, work or inhibiting their ability to relate to others, the individual should be seen by a mental health professional.
Bottom line is mental health can drastically improve quite easily by eating healthy foods, regular exercise and a good sleeping pattern, mental illness cannot be improved in this same way as medical intervention is needed from medication or counselling.
Mental health professionals are trained to help people with mental illnesses to help them manage with everyday life. It is possible to have bad mental health and not have a mental illness as well as having good mental health but still having a mental illness. People who have mental illness may try and do everything that helps mental health such as watching their diet and sleeping more but may not see much improvement because they require medical intervention.
Social Stigma Around Mental Illness
It is widely known that there is often a social stigma attached to those that are mentally ill, it is suggested that the discrimination individuals with mental illnesses experience can make their difficulties worse and make it a lot harder to recover.
The discrimination is made by society, but also often from families, friends, and employers. Findings show that those with mental health problems are amongst the least likely of any group with a long-term health condition or disability to find work, be in a steady, long-term relationship, live in decent housing, or be socially included in mainstream society.
When we think about why this happens, it is generally because society, in general, has affected the way we view mental illness and how it affects people. We stereotype and have misinformed opinions about mental illness, oftentimes people believe that people with mental illness are violent, aggressive, and dangerous.
This is false as they are more at risk of being attacked or harming themselves than harming other people. Stigma and discrimination are damaging to individuals with mental health problems, they delay or even stop their getting help, treatment, and recovery time.
Things like social isolation, poor housing, unemployment and poverty are all linked to mental ill-health, therefore trapping people in a cycle of illness, denying them the right to get better or feel better. Research suggests that the best way to challenge and tackle these stereotypes is by first-hand direct contact with people with experience of mental health problems.
In terms of the cultural aspects, it is suggested that higher rates of mental health problems are associated with socioeconomic disadvantage. Social factors, such as gender, disability, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, influence the rates and access to support. the lower working class and those living at a socio-economic disadvantage are more likely to develop and be affected by mental illness. Children with parents who have mental health problems or substance abuse problems are particularly at risk of mental illness.
Among adults, those who are at higher risk are people who have been homeless, adults with a history of violence or abuse, Travellers, asylum seekers and refugees. Rodgers & pilgrim argue that those who are in the lower classes are by a margin more likely to experience mental health problems. It’s widely known the higher the class are more likely to be treated by private practitioners, arguably this is seen as more effective, whereas treatment in a public setting such as the NHS is more prominent in the lower the class.
There is evidence that suggests that patients are treated differently in regard to their class position. Individual psychotherapy is a major treatment in all classes, however, the lower the class, the more likely they are to have been administered directive therapies, organic therapy, shock treatment, lobotomy, or treatment with drugs. Whereas private practitioners are known to administer what is known to be analytic psychotherapy to the higher class.
The number of times patients see their therapists per month, as well as the length of these visits, is suggested to be significantly different from one class to another. The higher classes receive more frequent and longer treatments than the lower classes, therefore making them have more of an advantage and chance to cope better and cope better.
References
- World Health Organization – Mental Health
- National Alliance on Mental Illness – Learn More About Mental Health Conditions
- Mayo Clinic – Symptoms & Causes of Mental Illness
- American Psychiatric Association – What is Mental Illness?
- National Institute of Mental Health – Home Page
- HelpGuide.org – Depression: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics – Eating Disorders
