Signs and symptoms of mental illness can vary, depending on the particular disorder, circumstances and other factors.

Transcription

1 MENTAL ILLNESS Definitin Mental illness refers t a wide range f mental health cnditins disrders that affect yur md, thinking and behavir. Examples f mental illness include depressin, anxiety disrders, schizphrenia, eating disrders and addictive behavirs. Many peple have mental health cncerns frm time t time. But a mental health cncern becmes a mental illness when nging signs and symptms cause frequent stress and affect yur ability t functin. A mental illness can make yu miserable and can cause prblems in yur daily life, such as at wrk r in relatinships. In mst cases, mental illness symptms can be managed with a cmbinatin f medicatins and cunseling (psychtherapy). Symptms Signs and symptms f mental illness can vary, depending n the particular disrder, circumstances and ther factrs. Feeling sad r dwn Cnfused thinking r reduced ability t cncentrate Excessive fears r wrries Extreme md changes f highs and lws Withdrawal frm friends and activities Significant tiredness, lw energy r prblems sleeping Detachment frm reality (delusins), parania r hallucinatins Inability t cpe with daily prblems r stress Extreme feelings f guilt Alchl r drug abuse Majr changes in eating habits Sex drive changes Excessive anger, hstility r vilence Suicidal thinking Smetimes symptms f a mental health disrder appear as physical prblems, such as abdminal pain, back pain, headache, r ther unexplained aches and pains. Is it mental illness? In general, signs and symptms may indicate a mental illness when they make yu miserable and interfere with yur ability t functin in yur daily life. Yu may have truble cping with stress, anger r ther emtins. Or yu may find it difficult t handle family, wrk r schl respnsibilities, r have serius legal r financial prblems. With sme types f mental illness, thugh, such as schizphrenia r biplar disrder, yu may nt realize the extent f yur prblems instead, it may be family members r friends wh first becme aware that yu have a mental illness. When t see a dctr If yu have any signs r symptms f a mental illness, see yur dctr, mental health prvider r ther health prfessinal. Mst mental illnesses dn't imprve n their wn, and if untreated, a mental illness may get wrse ver time and cause serius prblems. If yu have suicidal thughts Suicidal thughts and behavir are cmmn with sme mental illnesses. If yu think yu may hurt yurself r attempt suicide, get help right away: Reach ut t a clse friend r lved ne even thugh yu may be reluctant t talk abut yur feelings. In case f suicidal intent the relatives/friends must seek urgent help s as t bring the patient t a place f safety and arrange necessary treatment. Page 1 f 6

2 Cntact yur dctr, ther health care prvider r mental health specialist. Suicidal thinking desn't get better n its wn s get help. Helping a lved ne If yur lved ne shws signs f mental illness, have an pen and hnest discussin with him r her abut yur cncerns. Yu may nt be able t frce smene t seek prfessinal care, but yu can ffer encuragement and supprt. Yu can als help yur lved ne find a qualified dctr r mental health prvider and make an appintment. Yu may even be able t g alng t the appintment. If yur lved ne has harmed himself r herself, r is seriusly cnsidering ding s, take the persn t the hspital, r call fr emergency help. Causes: Mental illnesses, in general, are thught t be caused by a variety f genetic and envirnmental factrs: Risk factrs Genetic Causes Envirnmental expsures t viruses, txins, alchl r drugs while in the wmb befre birth. Negative life experiences. Life experiences can lead t unhealthy patterns f thinking linked t mental illness, such as pessimism r distrted ways f thinking. Brain chemistry. Bichemical changes in the brain are thught t affect md and ther aspects f mental health. Having a bld relative, such as a parent r sibling, with a mental illness Experiences in the wmb fr example, having a mther wh was expsed t viruses, txins, drugs r alchl during pregnancy Experiencing stressful life situatins. Having a chrnic medical cnditin. Experiencing brain damage as a result f a serius injury (traumatic brain injury), such as a vilent blw t the head Having traumatic experiences Use f illegal drugs Being abused r neglected as a child Having few friends r few healthy relatinships Having a previus mental illness Cmplicatins f mental illness: Unhappiness and decreased enjyment f life Family cnflicts Relatinship difficulties Scial islatin Prblems with tbacc, alchl and ther drugs Missed wrk r schl, r ther prblems related t wrk r schl Pverty and hmelessness Self-harm and harm t thers, including suicide r hmicide Increased risk f mtr vehicle accidents Weakened immune system, s yur bdy has a hard time resisting clds and ther infectins Heart disease and ther medical cnditins Page 2 f 6

3 Preparing fr yur appintment Whether yu schedule an appintment with yur primary care dctr t talk abut mental health cncerns r yu're referred t a mental health prvider, such as a psychiatrist r psychlgist, take steps t prepare fr yur appintment. What yu can d Write dwn any symptms yu r peple clse t yu have nticed, and fr hw lng. Write dwn key persnal infrmatin, including traumatic events in yur past and any current, majr stressrs. Make a list f yur medical infrmatin, including ther physical r mental health cnditins and the names and amunts f medicatins, herbal remedies r supplements yu take. Take a family member r friend alng, if pssible. Smene wh has knwn yu fr a lng time may be able t share imprtant infrmatin with the dctr r mental health prfessinal, with yur permissin. Write dwn a list f questins t ask. These may include: What type f mental illness might I have? Why can't I get ver mental illness n my wn? Hw d yu treat my type f mental illness? Will cunseling r psychtherapy help? Are there medicatins that might help? Hw lng will treatment take? What can I d t help myself? D yu have any brchures r ther printed material that I can have? What websites d yu recmmend? In additin t the questins that yu've prepared, dn't hesitate t ask questins anytime yu dn't understand smething. What t expect frm yur dctr During yur appintment, yur dctr r mental health prvider is likely t ask yu a number f questins abut yur md, thughts and behavir. Yu may be asked such questins as: When did yu first ntice symptms? Hw is yur daily life affected by yur symptms? What treatment, if any, have yu had fr mental illness? What have yu tried n yur wn t feel better r cntrl yur symptms? What things make yu feel wrse? Have family members r friends cmmented n yur md r behavir? D yu have bilgical (bld) relatives with a mental illness? What d yu hpe t gain frm treatment? What medicatins r ver-the-cunter herbs and supplements d yu take? D yu drink alchl r use illegal drugs? Page 3 f 6

4 Tests and diagnsis T determine a diagnsis and check fr any related cmplicatins, yu may have these exams and tests: Physical exam. Yur dctr will try t rule ut physical prblems that culd cause yur symptms. Lab tests. These may include a check f yur thyrid functin r a screening fr alchl and drugs, fr example. Psychlgical evaluatin. A dctr r mental health prvider will talk t yu abut yur symptms, thughts, feelings and behavir patterns. Yu may be asked t fill ut a questinnaire t help answer these questins. Determining which mental illness yu have Smetimes it's difficult t find ut which particular mental illness may be causing yur symptms. But taking the time and effrt t get an accurate diagnsis will help determine the apprpriate treatment. Classes f mental illness The main classes f mental illness are: Md disrders. These include disrders that affect hw yu feel emtinally, such as the level f sadness and happiness. Examples include depressin and biplar disrder. Anxiety disrders. Anxiety is an emtin characterized by the anticipatin f future danger r misfrtune, accmpanied by feeling ill at ease. Examples include generalized anxiety disrder, panic disrder, bsessivecmpulsive disrder (OCD), phbias and pst-traumatic stress disrder (PTST). Substance-related disrders. These include prblems assciated with the misuse f alchl and illegal r legal/prescribed drugs. Psychtic disrders. Psychtic disrders cause detachment frm reality (delusins, parania and hallucinatins). The mst ntable example is schizphrenia, althugh ther classes f disrders can be assciated with detachment frm reality at times. Cgnitive disrders. Cgnitive disrders affect yur ability t think and reasn. They include delirium, dementia and memry prblems. Alzheimer's disease is an example f a cgnitive disrder. Develpmental disrders. This categry cvers a wide range f prblems that usually begin in infancy, childhd r the teenage years. They include autism, attentin-deficit/hyperactivity disrder (ADHD) and learning disabilities. Persnality disrders. A persnality disrder invlves a lasting pattern f emtinal instability and unhealthy behavir that causes prblems in yur life and relatinships. Examples include brderline persnality disrder and antiscial persnality disrder. Other disrders. These include disrders f impulse cntrl, sleep, sexual functining and eating. Als included are dissciative disrders, in which yur sense f self is disrupted; smatfrm disrders, in which there are physical symptms with n clear cause; adjustment disrder, in which yu have truble cping during a stressful life event; mental disrders that are due t general medical cnditins and ther illness nt described abve. Treatments and drugs Yur particular treatment depends n the type f mental illness yu have, its severity and what wrks best fr yu. In many cases, a cmbinatin f treatments wrks best. Medicatins Althugh psychiatric medicatins dn't cure mental illness, they can ften significantly imprve symptms. Psychiatric medicatins can als help make ther treatments, such as psychtherapy, mre effective. The best medicatins fr yu will depend n yur particular situatin and hw yur bdy respnds t the medicatin. Sme f the mst cmmnly used classes f prescriptin psychiatric medicatins: Antidepressant medicatins. Md-stabilizing medicatins. Page 4 f 6

5 Anti-anxiety medicatins. Antipsychtic medicatins. Antidepressants Als called: Selective sertnin reuptake inhibitrs, SSRIs, Tricyclic antidepressants Antidepressants are medicines that treat depressin and anxiety. Yur dctr can prescribe them fr yu. They wrk t balance sme f the natural chemicals in ur brains. It may take several weeks fr them t help. There are several types f antidepressants. Yu and yur dctr may have t try a few befre finding what wrks best fr yu. Antidepressants may cause mild side effects that usually d nt last lng. These may include headache, nausea, sleep prblems, restlessness, and sexual prblems. Tell yur dctr if yu have any side effects. Yu shuld als let yur dctr knw if yu take any ther medicines, vitamins, r herbal supplements. It is imprtant t keep taking yur medicines, even if yu feel better. D nt stp taking yur medicines withut talking t yur dctr. Yu ften need t stp antidepressants gradually Psychtherapy Psychtherapy, als called talk therapy r psychlgical cunseling, is a prcess f treating mental illness by talking abut yur cnditin and related issues with a mental health prvider. During psychtherapy, yu learn abut yur cnditin and yur mds, feelings, thughts and behavir. Using the insights and knwledge yu gain, yu can learn cping and stress management skills. There are many specific types f psychtherapy, each with its wn apprach t imprving yur mental well-being. Psychtherapy ften can be successfully cmpleted in a few mnths, but in sme cases, lng-term treatment may be helpful. It can take place ne-n-ne, in a grup r alng with family members. Please see the separate leaflet n psychtherapy fr further details. Brain-stimulatin treatments Brain-stimulatin treatments are smetimes used fr depressin and sme ther mental health disrders. They are generally reserved fr situatins in which medicatins and psychtherapy haven't wrked. They include electrcnvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulatin, vagus nerve stimulatin and an experimental treatment called deep brain stimulatin. Make sure yu understand all the risks and benefits f any recmmended treatment. Hspitalizatin and residential treatment prgrams Smetimes mental illness becmes s severe that yu need psychiatric hspitalizatin. Hspitalizatin is generally recmmended when yu can't care fr yurself prperly r when yu're in immediate danger f harming yurself r smene else. Optins include 24-hur inpatient care, partial r day hspitalizatin, r residential treatment, which ffers a supprtive place t live. One ther ptin may be intensive utpatient treatment. Substance abuse treatment Substance abuse cmmnly ccurs alng with mental illness. Often it interferes with treatment and wrsens mental illness. If yu can't stp using drugs r alchl n yur wn, yu need treatment. Substance abuse treatments include: Psychtherapy Medicatins Inpatient treatment Outpatient treatment prgrams Supprt grups Participating in yur wn care Page 5 f 6

6 Wrking tgether, yu and yur health prvider can decide which treatment ptins may be best fr yu, depending n yur symptms and their severity, yur persnal preferences, side effects, and ther factrs. In sme cases, a mental illness may be s severe that a dctr, lved ne r guardian may need t guide yur care until yu're well enugh t participate in decisin making. Lifestyle and hme remedies In mst cases, a mental illness wn't get better if yu try t treat it n yur wn withut prfessinal care. But yu can d sme things fr yurself that will build n yur treatment plan: Stick t yur treatment plan. Avid alchl and drug use. Stay active. Dn't make imprtant decisins when yur symptms are severe.. Priritize yur life. Learn t adpt a psitive attitude. Cping and supprt Cping with a mental illness can be challenging. Talk t yur dctr r therapist abut imprving yur cping skills, and cnsider these tips: Learn abut yur mental illness. Jin a supprt grup. Stay cnnected with friends and family. Keep a track f yur persnal life can help yu and yur mental health prvider identify what triggers r imprves yur symptms. Preventin There's n sure way t prevent mental illness. Hwever, if yu d have a mental illness, taking steps t cntrl stress, t increase yur resilience and t bst lw self-esteem may help keep yur symptms under cntrl. Fllw these steps: Pay attentin t warning signs. Wrk with yur dctr r therapist t learn what might trigger yur symptms. Make a plan s that yu knw what t d if symptms return. Cntact yur dctr r therapist if yu ntice any changes in symptms r hw yu feel. Cnsider invlving family members r friends in watching fr warning signs. Get rutine medical care. Dn't neglect checkups r skip visits t yur family dctr, especially if yu aren't feeling well. Yu may have a new health prblem that needs t be treated, r yu may be experiencing side effects f medicatin. Get help when yu need it. Mental health cnditins can be harder t treat if yu wait until symptms get bad. Lngterm maintenance treatment als may help prevent a relapse f symptms. Take gd care f yurself. Sufficient sleep, healthy eating and regular physical activity are imprtant. Try t maintain a regular schedule. Talk t yur dctr if yu have truble sleeping r if yu have questins abut diet and exercise. Page 6 f 6