Mental illness is a group of conditions which affect the brain and impairs the way that we think, feel, and interact with the world. Mental illness can be mild or it can severely disrupt our daily lives to the point that we are no longer rational,or we are unable to understand and communicate with our environment in a meaningful or normal way.

Some of the most serious mental illnesses include: schizophrenia, major depression, post traumatic stress syndrome, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and anxiety disorders. There is a gradient of how serious a disorder can be which is based on the level of dysfunctioning experienced by the sufferer

Mental illness is not limited to one group of people of any race or creed, personal lifestyle, age, or educational and financial standing. The good news is that there is help available for mental disorders and there are also treatments, medications and different forms of therapy such as cognitive therapy, and interpersonal therapy which can control or relieve the symptoms.

There are several support groups for individuals sufferering from mental disorders and there are activist and support groups for their families as well. Mental illness need not be the social stigma that it once was.

Mental health patients can have assistance with transportation, nutritician, sleep problems, money management, assisted living programs, job placement programs and more. Most people suffering from a mental illness are not confined to a mental hospital ward room. They are individuals who are part of the everyday fabric of our society working in various jobs and living in the community at large

Mental Health Facts

There are different mental illnesses affecting different functioning of the brain, many of which have to do with imbalance of chemicals in the brain, impaired functing of various areas of the brain, mixed brain signals and so on. Mental illness, is not imagined, not used as an excuse to get out of doing the activities which most individuals can do and it can not be overcome by shear will power. Mental illness has nothing to do with the character of the sufferers nor their intelligence.

About 57 million Americans suffer from some kind of mental illnesses and about 1 to 2 percent of the general population, or one in 17 Americans will have a serious mental disorder. Of this group of individuals, the U.S. Surgeon General.s office reports that about 10 percent are children and adolescents who suffer from some kind of emotional or cognitive disorder that will impair their functioning in their everyday lives. Mental illness will impair their homelife, school life, social activities and interactions with their peers.

According to the World Heath Organization (WHO) four of the leading causes of disability worldwide are attributed to mental illnesses. It is estimated that by 2020 major depression will be the leading cause of disability for women and children throughout the world.

Although mental illness can strike anyone at any age, it is most likely to strike teenagers and young adults or the very old most often. Left untreated these mental illnesses can escalate to more severe mental and societal problems, such loss of employement, homelessness, alcohol and drug addictions, abuse, prison terms, suicide and more.

Current treatments for mental illness have a success rate of about 70 percent which makes them effective agents for helping most mental illness sufferers cope with their mental illness and lead productive lives in society. These treatments include both drug therapies and psychological therapies. One of the key components in therapy is not to simply mask the symptoms with medication but, to devise coping strategies to manage the symptoms and improve coping skills and life skills.

Early detection and treatment of mental illness goes a long way to prevent, worsening symptoms and improve lives in terms of both the mental and physical well being of individuals in question. In many cases early detection will increase the chances of a full recovery.

More studies and educational strategies are still required to remove the social stigma attached to mental illness. The general public must become aware of mental illness with a better understanding of its dibilitating affects as well as how to assist mental illness patients with their daily needs.

See also: Types of Mental Illness

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