Having a mental illness is much like having a physical illness. The continuum of severity can range from very mild to moderate to severe. Over sixty million Americans have a mental illness every year but only very few find resources and get help for it. Mental illness affects one in four adults and one in five children. The stigma behind mental illness is one, if not the biggest barrier that prevents people from getting treatment or retaining their treatment. Each diagnosis is different, and each person will have different experiences, and different effects, even if it is the same diagnosis. Having a mental health condition is not the result of one single event, there are multiple, interlinking causes. Genetics, environment and lifestyle …show more content…
Learn about the different types of medication and treatment options. Keep up with current research. Build a personal library of useful websites and helpful books. It is very important to know your triggers and stressors. Different things affect different people. If being around large groups and social situations, try to keep those experiences and situations to a minimum. If presenting in front of people and having a fear of public speaking gives you anxiety but taking a walk outdoors reduces your anxiety, schedule a 10 minute walk before that presentation happens. Knowing what triggers and stressors affect you and being aware of them will make life just a little bit …show more content…
Plan out goals and don’t quit when something doesn’t go as planned. Find support. Share your thoughts, fears and questions with other people. Get healthy. Studies have reported that 30 minutes of vigorous, aerobic exercise can eliminate symptoms. Whereas low maintenance activities such as meditation, yoga or Tai Chi relieve stress. Regular exercise in general can help reduce many symptoms. A good diet is also very important; eating healthy, balanced meals and paying attention to your food sensitivities. For many people, eating certain foods can cause unpleasant physical reactions, which can then cause irritability or anxiety. It is greatly advised to avoid drugs and alcohol. They may seem to help at first but have long term effects to your body. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is distinguished by repetitive, unwanted, intrusive thoughts also known as obsessions and irrational, excessive urges to do certain actions also known as compulsions. Although those who suffer from OCD may know that neither their thoughts or behaviors make sense, they are more often than not, unable to stop them. Examples of obsessions
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.
Obsessive-Compulsive disorder (OCD) - is characterized by persistent, uncontrollable and unwanted feelings or thoughts (obsessions) and routines or rituals (compulsions) in which individuals engage to try to prevent or rid themselves of these thoughts. In example of common compulsions include washing hands or cleaning repeatedly for fear of germs.
My primary goal to manage stress is to achieve balance. According to Deborah Davis Ph.D., author of The Adult Learner’s Companion (Davis, 2012,2007) , “Physical and emotional balance can be a key to reducing stress. When your body and mind are in sync and balanced, you feel and look better, you think clearer, and you are more productive”. She also states that “a balanced mind is focused, directed, organized, and calm”. I have gotten a lot better at finding balance, yet I still wrangle from time to time with feelings of anxiety, despa...
There’s a myriad of mental illnesses out there; in fact over 200 classified forms. The most common being anxiety, stress, depression, bipolar and schizophrenia,
Mental illness can be a mixture of different factors. You can get mental illness through genetics meaning that it is passed down within the family. That can only happen if the mental illness is heredity. Another factor of mental illness is psychological trauma. Psychological trauma like abuse, or loss can cause some mental illnesses. When mental illness is untreated it makes it difficult for the person to function in society and deal with everyday life. The different types of mental illnesses range from anxiety disorders to personality disorders. Other mental illnesses are mood disorders, eating disorders, psychotic disorders, and impulse control and addiction disorders. An example psychotic disorder schizophrenia. Examples of eating disorders are bulimia and anorexia. According to MedicineNet.com “Most mental illnesses are caused by a combination of factors and cannot be prevented”. Mental illness is something that should not be avoided. The biggest issue when it comes to mental illness that is noticeable is when someone who has a mental il...
Many people believe that mental illness affects certain ages, religions, races, genders, or income levels more than others do but that is not the case ("NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness | Mental Illnesses"). There are many forms of mental illnesses that affect people, such as depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, and borderline personality disorder. These illnesses come from a variety of different factors and conclude in ...
The DMS-5 defines OCD characteristics as “ the presence of obsessions and/or compulsions. Obsessions are recurrent and present thoughts, urges, or images that are experienced as intrusive and unwanted, whereas compulsions are repetitive behaviours or mental acts that an individual feels driven to preform in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied.”
I will begin with what I remember of my experience of learning I have mental health illness. I remember suffering heavily through my early teens to my twenties with depression. I had tried at that time just about every type of depression medication available and none of them worked on me. It wasn't until I was in my twenties that my depression just kind of went away. I thought I was done with suffering from mental health problems, but I would be wrong.
Stigma can be a major issue for those with mental illness. It can come from many different people in their lives, from family to complete strangers. So along with their own issues dealing with symptoms and regaining control of their life back, they also can have a negative influence related to their worth from stigma that can hinder them. Recovery in mental illness is ongoing and develops as the person matures, hopefully progressing in their ability to function better in society (Markowitz, Angell, & Greenberg, 2011). Stigma logically has an influence on self-worth and self-esteem for any group of people. Stigma if a large enough influence can make an individual diagnosed with a mental illness view themselves as tainted or less than before
Although we do not know all there is to know about disorders of the nervous system, I believe that it is very plausible that mental illness is mostly the result of disturbances in the nervous system. Although in extreme situtions, some claim things like, "it reduces a complex human activity to a slice of damaged brain tissue" (4). I wouldn't go this far to assume that this is all there is to it, although I also don't believe that all mental illnesses can fit into the same box. While s...
Mental Health Crisis Stigmatization of mental health and suicide is a major problem which affects patients and their caregivers around the world. The stigma leads to negative behavior and stereotyping towards the person with mental illness. This causes the person affected by this to fell rejection and to feel shame about their condition. All the stigma leads to underreporting, and data collection methods that is critical to suicide prevention that needs to be improved.
Treatments of those with mental illness and their recovery rates have been the focus of much study. In his study of the stigma of mental illness, Patrick W. Corrigan argues that clinical diagnosis intensifies the stigma experienced by those with mental illness and, in turn, diminishes their quality of life (31). Corrigan maintains that diagnostic classification may cause people to view those with specific mental illness as a distinct group leading to an expectation that all members of the group exhibit the same characteristics (54). Corrigan defines the stigma process as the following four steps: cues, stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination (32). Furthermore, Corrigan argues that the label provided by a medical diagnosis may act as a cue
Why is there a cloud of judgment and misunderstanding still surrounding the subject? People with a mental disorder or with a history of mental health issues are continually ostracized by society. This results in it being more difficult than it already is for the mentally ill to admit their symptoms to others and to seek treatment. To towards understanding mental illness is to finally lift the stigma, and to finally let sufferers feel safe and accepted within today’s society. There are many ways in which the mentally ill are degraded and shamed.
Everyone deals with stress at some point in his or her life. Most people deal with it daily. As defined in the book called Principles and Labs for Fitness and Wellness, stress is, “The mental, emotional, and physiological response of the body to any situation that is new, threatening, frightening, or exciting” (Hoeger & Hoeger, 2012). This stress is caused by a stressor, which is also known as “a stress-causing event” (Hoeger & Hoeger, 2012). Stressors can take all different forms, from moving to a new town, having a baby, or even writing a paper (Boyd, Wood, & Wood, 2011). One major stressor in life can be going to college. If not coped with properly, these stressors can leave a person with too much stress that could end up harming them mentally and physically, such as developing an illness (Boyd, Wood, & Wood, 2011). There are several ways to cope with stress. Some healthy ways to cope with stress would be practicing emotion-focused coping, building time-management techniques, and practicing meditation.
Knowing how to handle stress by using some strategies like deep breathing, yoga and meditation will help us bring back our mind and body in a state of balance since they are considered as effective techniques for stress management. Also, connecting face-to-face with other people, accepting one’s strengths and weaknesses, seeking help from others and having strong communication with our family and friends are just some ways to have a good emotional health. Furthermore, if you’re having a serious problem regarding your emotional health, you can seek a health professional for help and guidance.