Mental Illness and Health Care Megan Biasin Professor T. Cooke SOCI-1004: Contemporary Social Problems Fanshawe College Social Issue What is mental illness, specifically anxiety and depression? How does it impact/effect how people function in society? According to Mayo Clinic, “Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health disorders that affect your mood, thinking, and behavior.” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2015). Anxiety causes people to have frequent, intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. It often causes repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear of terror that reach a peak within minutes which can impact how a person completes daily activities. (WedMD and Mayo Clinic …show more content…
Anxiety and depression can be influenced by many things not just by chemical interruptions or social interactions. That is why there are different forms of treatments available for people that suffer with anxiety and depression because it is not only caused by one thing. There are a couple different types of medications that help treat anxiety and depression. Some positive’s to using medication is that it improves sleep, helps keep emotions in check, helps to avoid sudden outbursts of frustration and anger, and allows a person to perform daily activities more efficiently. (Johnson, n/a). Some negative’s to using medication is that it is very addictive and after prolonged use a person can become dependent on the drug and unable to function without it and if medication is stopped, symptoms will return. (Johnson, n/a., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, n/a). There is also Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy or CBT which is a psychological treatment that includes visiting a counselor or psychiatrist regularly. (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, n/a). Some positive’s to CBT is that it is a highly effective short term and long term treatment that provides patients with coping strategies to control their anxiety and depression. (University of North …show more content…
(n/a). Pros and Cons of Using Anti- Anxiety Medication. Retrieved from https://anxietyreliefstress.com/pros-and-cons-of-using-anti-anxiety-medications/ -Mayo Clinic Staff. (2015). Anxiety Overview. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/home/ovc-20168121 -Mayo Clinic Staff. (2015). Mental Illness, Definition. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/basics/definition/CON-20033813 -Mental Health Commission of Canada. (n/a). The Facts. Retrieved from http://strategy.mentalhealthcommission.ca/the-facts/ -Parekh, R. (2017). What is Depression?. Retrieved from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression -Pietrangelo, A. (09-24-2014). Recognizing Anxiety: Symptoms, Signs, and Risk Factors. Retrieved from http://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/effects-on-body -Pietrangelo, A. (09-30-2014). The Effects of Depression on the Body. Retrieved from http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/effects-on-body -University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (n/a). Effective Treatments for Anxiety. Retrieved from http://clinic.unc.edu/anxiety-clinic/for-consumers/effective-treatments-for-anxiety/ -WebMD. (2016). Causes of Anxiety. Retrieved from
Mental illness plagues one out of four American citizens. Mental illness varies greatly from person to person. The spectrum of mental illness includes many illnesses including, depression and anxiety as well as some more serious illnesses such as Down syndrome. All mental illness plays a role in how this person is going to function in society. These individuals have unique needs and individual strengths that need evaluated for proper care.
How do the issues facing those doing strategic planning differ from those doing tactical planning? Can the two really be
Mental illness is a condition that interferes with a persons thinking, feeling, mood, reliability and daily functioning. Conditions usually create a lesser capacity for coping with ordinary needs in life. However, it does not relate to a persons character or intelligence. With no treatment of the mental illness, it can lead to various consequences including unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, suicide and wasted lives. The impact of a mental illness on someones life can be reduced with the right treatment and care. (“What is Mental Illness”)
Mental illness is best defined as any of various disorders in which a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behavior are so abnormal that they cause suffering to themselves or other people. Mental illness like depression can be mistaken for sadness yet many suffer within themselves. Signs that you are depressed consists of sad, anxious or empty feelings also ones of hopelessness and helplessness. Loss of motivation and interest in activities or hobbies. Persistence aches and pains with thoughts of dying are common signs of a depressed person (Scott).
A mental disorder, or illness, is defined as “a mental… condition marked primarily by sufficient disorganization of personality, mind, and emotions to seriously impair the normal psychological functioning of the individual” (Merriam & Webster, 2014). Mental illness affects approximately 1 of 4 people in the United States over the age of 18, or 26.2%. Of that 26.2%, six percent of them suffer from a mental disorder that is considered serious and 45% of them have characteristics that meet the criteria for more than one mental disorder. On any given day, 6.7% of United States citizens are suffering from depression, 1.5% are suffering from dysthymic disorder, 2.6% are exhibiting signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder, 1.1% are diagnosed with schizophrenia, 18.1% are suffering from anxiety, and 13.8% of the population are battling conditions such as eating disorders, attention deficient hyperactivity disorder, or a personality disorder (National Institute of Mental Health, 2014).
In today’s society, the stigma around mental health has caused many people to fear seeking medical treatment for problems they are dealing with. With an abundance of hateful outlooks and stereotypical labels such as: crazy, psycho, and dangerous, it is clear that people with a mental illness have a genuine reason to avoid pursuing medical treatments. Along with mental health stigma, psychiatric facilities that patients with a mental health issue attend in order to receive treatment obtain an excessive amount of unfavorable stereotypes.
Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions, or disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior ("Mental Illness"). Mental disorders are commonly left untreated for long periods of time because of the stigma our society has placed on mental issues. This forces individuals with mental illness to self-medication, frequently resulting in addictive behaviors. Persons with mental disorders seek ways to ease their discomfort and suffering. Marijuana can be used to treat an individuals depression or to ease pain. Stimulants can be used to get an otherwise lazy person motivated.
As the world leaps into the future, it seems that mental illness is becoming more of a problem among many people. One of the most common types of illness's among the current population is anxiety disorders. It is evident that there is a rise of anxiety disorder among the Western World. There are three main factors that contribute to this, they include our education system, technology and media, and the treatment and decreasing criticism anxiety patients receive.
According to the National Alliance Mental illness is defined as a condition that impacts a person’s thinking, feeling, or mood and may affect his or her ability to relate to others or function on a
This essay will focus completely on Mental illness in the UK. To gather my research I used various resources such as websites and books. I have also viewed YouTube videos in order to expand my knowledge. The statistics gathered may not be totally accurate in discussing mental health within the UK for the sources are secondary but it is reliable for giving a view of what the distribution is like amongst gender, age, class as well as ethnicity.
As of now, there is no general consensus that would require states to cover mental health (Cauchi, Landess, & Thangasamy 2011). Out of the 49 states that do cover mental illness, there are three main categories that vary considerably; mental health “parity” or equal coverage laws, minimum mandated mental health benefit laws, and mental health “mandated offering laws.” Mental illness is as serious a condition as any other health condition. It should be covered as such. Mental health parity has come a long way over the years. With health care reform underway, this issue is bound to come up. Hopefully the reform can enact a program that will lead to more mental health parity.
What is Mental Illness? Mental illnesses are disorders of the brain that disrupt a person's thinking, feeling, moods, and ability to relate to others-and if severe interferes with all aspects of daily living.
The social model of mental illness emphasizes the social environment and the roles people play. Thomas Scheff maintains that people diagnosed as mentally ill are victims of the status quo, guilty of often unnamed violations of social norms; thus the label "mental illness" can be used as an instrument of social control. I agree with Scheff's analysis, and I strongly concur with the view Thomas Szasz takes on the notion of mental illness. Szasz argues that much of what we call "mental illness" is a myth; it is not an illness, but simply "problems in living", troubles caused by conflicting personal needs, opinions, social aspirations, values, and so forth (Szasz 13). It thus follows that the widely accepted medical model of mental illness is inherently flawed; that mental illness should, then, certainly not be treated much like physical illness. Szasz is extremely critical of contemporary psychiatry as a discipline, arguing that psychiatrists are not benign professionals helping to liberate individuals and improve their lives by diagnosing and treating mental illnesses, but instead act as agents of social control; silencing, stigmatizing and dehumanizing people who disturb the prevailing social order. Every society rewards conformity; those with more serious problems in living often do a very poor job of conforming, and are punished accordingly.
Mental health refers to our cognitive, and/or emotional wellbeing - it is all about how we think, feel and behave. Mental health, if somebody has it, can also mean an absence of a mental disorder. Approximately 25% of people in the UK have a mental health problem during their lives. The USA is said to have the highest incidence of people diagnosed with mental health problems in the developed world. Your mental health can affect your daily life, relationships and even your physical health. Mental health also includes a person's ability to enjoy life - to attain a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological
Mandos, Laura A., Reinhold, Jennifer A., and Rickels, Karl. “Achieving Remission in Generalized Anxiety Disorder: What are the Treatment Options? Psychiatric Times 26.2 (2009): 38-41. Print.