Mental Illness vs. Mental Health
The definition of a mentall illness isn't as simple as "the disease of the mind" - rather, it's a condition that impacts the way individuals think, feel, act, and relate to their surroundings. The specific symptoms and their intensity vary based on the individual, as they may range from mild to severe, impacting their ability to conduct their normal day-to-day lives. On the other hand, mental health encompasses our social well-being, our emotional well-being, and our psychological well-being. Mental health is a critical component of our health, as it greatly influences quality of life across all ages.
The terms "mental illness" and "mental health" are often incorrectly used interchangably. However, having a poor mental health is not the same as having a mental illness. An indvidial may have a poor mental health (which is often temporary and due to external factors), but may not necessarily be diagnosed with a mental illness. Similarly, an individual affected by a mental illness can still experience moments of good mental health, as they may experience "periods of physical, mental, and social well-being" (CDC).
Who is Affected?
Mental illnesses are so common that they affect all Americans at some point in their life, as they will either have a mental illness or know someone who does, such as a family member, friend, or colleague. In fact, mental illnesses are so common that they are among the most common health conditions in the US. Below are some facts and figures provided by the CDC:
More than 50% will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime.
1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year.
1 in 5 children, either currently or at some point during their life, have had a seriously debilitating mental illness.
1 in 25 Americans lives with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression.
Causes of Mental Illnesses
Though dangerous stereotypes perpetuate the narrative that mental illnesses stem from character defects and weakness, this is far from the truth. Though there is no known exact cause of mental illnesses, research suggests that various genetic, environmental, biological, and psychological compounding factors may cause mental illnesses. It's important to acknowledge that the associated stigma and discrimination around mental illnesses baracade those in need of help from ever reaching out for treatment. Though many mental illnesses can be treated effectivley, many affected never reach out in fear of backlash from their community and loss of acceptance.
- Genetic Factors: Many mental illnesses are passed on through families, suggesting that there is a genetic component to some mental illnesses. However, it isn't guaranteed that just because a parent expressed a certain mental illness, the child will inheret the mental illness as well. Instead, having a parent with a mental illness increases your liklihood of developing that mental illness. Experts believe that there is no single gene that dictates wheter on not an individual will have a mental illness - rather, it's the combination of several expressed genes that allow for the expression of a certain mental illness. It is for this reason that an individual can inheret a disposition for a certain mental illness, but not necessarily ever develop that mental illness. One's susceptibility to the mental illness in question depends on not only the certain expressed genes at play, but also on environmental, biological, and psychological factors, as well.
- Biological Factors: Many mental illnesses are linked to the imbalance of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that allow neurons (the cells of the brain) to communicate with one another. The imbalance of these neurotransmitters may cause the symptoms of mental illnesses. The imbalance of neurotransmitters may be brought on by genetic factors, by birth defects, extreme trauma, or by physical injury.
- Psychological Factors: Extreme psychological trauma, especially expereinced as a child, is also attributed to playing a role in the development of some mental illnesses. Such traumas include emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, significant loss (such as the loss of a loved one), and extreme neglect (abandonment, poor parenting).
- Environmental Factors: Certain enviornemental stressors that introduce great change and stress into an individual's life also has the potential to lead to a mental illness. Such stressors include the loss of a loved one, a divorce, an unstable family, losing a job or changing schools, and substance abuse.
Types of Mental Illnesses
There are several different common types of mental illnesses. The list below are a few of the most common from WebMD:
- Anxiety disorders: People with anxiety disorders respond to certain objects or situations with fear and dread, as well as with physical signs of anxiety or panic, such as a rapid heartbeat and sweating. An anxiety disorder is diagnosed if the person's response is not appropriate for the situation, if the person cannot control the response, or if the anxiety interferes with normal functioning. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias.
- Mood disorders: These disorders, also called affective disorders, involve persistent feelings of sadness or periods of feeling overly happy, or fluctuations from extreme happiness to extreme sadness. The most common mood disorders are depression, bipolar disorder, and cyclothymic disorder.
- Psychotic disorders: Psychotic disorders involve distorted awareness and thinking. Two of the most common symptoms of psychotic disorders are hallucinations -- the experience of images or sounds that are not real, such as hearing voices -- and delusions, which are false fixed beliefs that the ill person accepts as true, despite evidence to the contrary. Schizophrenia is an example of a psychotic disorder.
- Eating disorders: Eating disorders involve extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors involving weight and food. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are the most common eating disorders.
- Impulse control and addiction disorders: People with impulse control disorders are unable to resist urges, or impulses, to perform acts that could be harmful to themselves or others. Pyromania (starting fires), kleptomania (stealing), and compulsive gambling are examples of impulse control disorders. Alcohol and drugs are common objects of addictions. Often, people with these disorders become so involved with the objects of their addiction that they begin to ignore responsibilities and relationships.
- Personality disorders: People with personality disorders have extreme and inflexible personality traits that are distressing to the person and/or cause problems in work, school, or social relationships. In addition, the person's patterns of thinking and behavior significantly differ from the expectations of society and are so rigid that they interfere with the person's normal functioning. Examples include antisocial personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, and paranoid personality disorder.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): People with OCD are plagued by constant thoughts or fears that cause them to perform certain rituals or routines. The disturbing thoughts are called obsessions, and the rituals are called compulsions. An example is a person with an unreasonable fear of germs who constantly washes their hands.'
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): PTSD is a condition that can develop following a traumatic and/or terrifying event, such as a sexual or physical assault, the unexpected death of a loved one, or a natural disaster. People with PTSD often have lasting and frightening thoughts and memories of the event, and tend to be emotionally numb.
Other, less common types of mental illnesses include the following, also put together by WebMD:
- Stress response syndromes (formerly called adjustment disorders): Stress response syndromes occur when a person develops emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to a stressful event or situation. The stressors may include natural disasters, such as an earthquake or tornado; events or crises, such as a car accident or the diagnosis of a major illness; or interpersonal problems, such as a divorce, death of a loved one, loss of a job, or a problem with substance abuse. Stress response syndromes usually begin within three months of the event or situation and ends within six months after the stressor stops or is eliminated.
- Dissociative disorders: People with these disorders suffer severe disturbances or changes in memory, consciousness, identity, and general awareness of themselves and their surroundings. These disorders usually are associated with overwhelming stress, which may be the result of traumatic events, accidents, or disasters that may be experienced or witnessed by the individual. Dissociative identity disorder, formerly called multiple personality disorder, or "split personality," and depersonalization disorder are examples of dissociative disorders.
- Factitious disorders: Factitious disorders are conditions in which a person knowingly and intentionally creates or complains of physical and/or emotional symptoms in order to place the individual in the role of a patient or a person in need of help.
- Sexual and gender disorders: These include disorders that affect sexual desire, performance, and behavior. Sexual dysfunction, gender identity disorder, and the paraphilias are examples of sexual and gender disorders.
- Somatic symptom disorders: A person with a somatic symptom disorder, formerly known as a psychosomatic disorder or somatoform disorder, experiences physical symptoms of an illness or of pain with an excessive and disproportionate level of distress, regardless of whether or not a doctor can find a medical cause for the symptoms.
- Tic disorders: People with tic disorders make sounds or display nonpurposeful body movements that are repeated, quick, sudden, and/or uncontrollable. (Sounds that are made involuntarily are called vocal tics.) Tourette's syndrome is an example of a tic disorder.
Other diseases or conditions, including various sleep-related problems and many forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, are sometimes classified as mental illnesses, because they involve the brain.
Closing Notes
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Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-types-illness