Until recently, the topic of mental illness was shrouded with fear and mystery. Mentally ill people were often thought to be possessed by demons and were confined under horrifying conditions. Today, the true causes of mental illness are much more clearly understood. Mental illnesses have been painstakingly classified and, in many cases, effective treatments are available.
Definition
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, mental illnesses are "medical conditions that disrupt a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning." Not all mental illnesses disrupt thinking, feeling and mood--some of them disrupt disrupt only thinking, for example, or mood.
Causes
The causes of mental illness are still not fully understood. Mental illness is thought to occur when an environmental trigger activates an underlying hereditary vulnerability. High levels of stress associated with poverty or emotional trauma such as abuse or the death of a loved one are common environmental triggers. Although certain disorders such as depression and schizophrenia are known to run in families, the mere presence of an inherited vulnerability does not guarantee that a person will suffer any form of mental illness.
Types
Many different types of mental illness have been classified including: anxiety disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder; mood disorders such as bipolar disorder; psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia; eating disorders such as anorexia; addiction disorders such as alcoholism; and personality disorders such as narcissistic personality disorder. Less common disorders include sexual disorders and tic disorders.
Treatment
Two primary types of treatment professions are available for the mentally ill. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who go to medical school and then four years of psychiatric residency. They are empowered to write prescriptions for their patients. Psychologists generally complete five to seven years of study at the graduate level, leading to a Ph.D., but are not permitted to write prescriptions. As a general rule, psychiatrists more often deal with severely ill and institutionalized patients and are more likely to focus on physiological causes and treatment. Psychologists are more likely to work with non-institutionalized patients and to favor verbal therapy over medication.
Recovery
Two definitions of "recovery" are prevalent in the mental health industry. The medical model defines recovery as a reduction in symptoms, need for treatment and need for medication. The psychosocial rehabilitation model defines recovery as an increased ability to lead a normal life and higher levels of functioning regardless of whether or not symptoms decrease. Courtenay Harding, director of the Institute for the Study of Human Resilience, reports that most people recover from even severe mental illnesses within 20 to 30 years.
