Schizophrenia is a mental illness which often causes sufferers to be paranoid, delusional and unable to reason accurately. As of February 2011, the cause of schizophrenia has not been definitively determined. Some people afflicted with this mental illness have bouts of psychosis with long periods of "normalcy," while others are in a constant psychotic state. Treatments include medication and therapy. Schizophrenia is a serious condition that is difficult to cope with for both the afflicted and their loved ones, but learning some basic skills...
Disability insurance, or DI, provides income support for persons unable to work due to either physical or mental disability. Mental illnesses that might qualify someone for DI include schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorde...
Mood disorders commonly remain undiagnosed, the Surgeon General says. Nevertheless, many mental disorders are highly treatable with psychotherapy and medication. That is why it is essential to learn to recognize the classic sy...
One way to take a journey through the mind and go to another place for a mental escape is guided imagery. Proponents of the therapy say it enhances coping skills and counteract negative effects of stressful situations.
Mental illness is pervasive throughout society and is the leading cause of disability in the United States. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that nearly 60 million U.S. adults ages 18 and older have a mental il...
Mental illness occurs when something disturbs the brain and prevents it from functioning properly, according to the website Teen Mental Health. Each mental illness is made up of specific signs and symptoms that distinguish it f...
Mental illness is a disease that alters an individual's ability to cope with everyday challenges. It affects the individual's thought process and behavior. Some early warnings signs of mental illness may include changes in mood...
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have specialized in psychiatry by completing an additional four years of training in the specialty of psychiatry. Psychiatrists can undertake additional training and become subspecialists.
Unfortunately, many individuals never seek treatment for their mental health, because of stigma and misinformation. While psychiatric treatment is still the norm, more sufferers are exploring alternative treatments for mental i...
There are more than 200 forms of mental illness, the Mayo Clinic reports. There is a great range in conditions, from mental depression to anxiety disorders, from schizophrenia to obsessive-compulsive disorder. Mental illness al...
The term "mental illness" might strike fear in even the most pragmatic of folks. Unfortunately, the tendency to avoid issues of mental illness can leave many people unaware of common symptoms. Diagnoses of mental illness are b...
According to leaders in the area of cognitive remediation, some of the most debilitating side effects of mental illness include cognitive decline in areas of memory, attention, problem-solving skills and motor speed. Mentally i...
Mental health issues are more common in children than adults. According to the National Mental Health Information Center, one in five children and teens has a mental health disorder whereas one in 10 people have a mental health...
The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 26.2 percent of adults suffer from a mental illness each year. Mental illness is a broad term that encompasses neuroses such as anxiety, psychoses such as schizophrenia, and ...
The mood swings of bipolar disorder result in a life that is unstable and filled with stress, not just for the person with the illness, but also for everyone included in that person's life. You will need to take extra steps to ...
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, bipolar disorder is a severe mental illness that affects 5.7 million adults in the United States. Bipolar patients display symptoms of severe highs that are manic in nature....
All types of bipolar disorder are treatable, and motivated patients are often able to manage the disorder with minimal to moderate negative impact on their daily lives. However, untreated mood episodes of bipolar disorder have ...
Bipolar disorder is a mental condition in which the patient will alternate between periods of hyperactivity (mania) and abnormally low mood (depression). These altered moods can cycle rapidly back and forth, causing a large amo...
What steps can I take to overcome depression?
Step 1: I will review this chapter, then answer the following questions in my journal:
A. How effectively do I cope with life?
B. How can I recognize depression ...
People with personality disorders are rarely capable of acknowledging that they have a problem. When pressed about it, they will resist very strongly, and getting them to change can be extremely difficult. If you believe a fri...
When you suffer from mental illness, dealing with it can quickly become your main focus. Don't let your body suffer while you're trying to treat your mind, however. Work in at least 30 minutes of exercise at least three times ...
When a member of your family is terminally ill, it is easy to lay blame for the illness on yourself and others. This is counterproductive. Understanding that no one person could cause the disease that your family member has is...
The fourth edition of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" is the reigning method of classifying types of mental illnesses in the United States. It was created by the American Psychiatric Association, an...
When you suffer from mental illness, dealing with it can quickly become the main focus of your life. Don't let your body suffer while you are trying to treat your mind, however. Get in at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, ...
It's often used as a way to describe getting over a short-term illness: we recover from a bout of the flu or from the chicken pox. However, viewing recovery from a mental illness as the same as being cured can be limiting and d...
One of the most common signs of mental illness is a person suddenly changing her lifestyle. For instance, if the person used to exercise daily but suddenly sits in front of the television all day, she may have developed a ment...
Medication that is prescribed for mental illness does not cure the illness. The prescription is meant to manage the illness, allowing it possible for the individual to return to a daily functioning level in his life. By reduci...
The medications make them feel uncomfortable or that they are not able to experience life as fully as when they were unmedicated. Others miss the "high" feeling of the manic phases and will stop taking medications to continue e...
