Mental illness (mental disorder): symptoms, causes and treatment

Definition of mental illness

What is mental illness or mental illness?

Mental illness (mental disorder), also known as a mental or mental disorder, is a health condition that affects thoughts, feelings, behavior, moods, or a combination of these. This condition may occur occasionally or last for a long time (chronic).

This disorder can be mild to severe, which can affect a person's ability to live daily life. This includes doing social activities, work, to having relationships with family.

Although complicated, mental health disorders are among the most treatable diseases. In fact, most people with mental disorders can still live their daily lives like normal people.

However, in worse conditions, a person may need to receive intensive care in the hospital to treat the condition. Not infrequently, this condition can trigger a desire to hurt yourself or end his life.

How common is this condition?

Mental illness is a common condition for anyone. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in five children and adolescents in the world have a mental disorder.

While in adults, this condition affects one in four people in the world. Of these cases, about half started in adolescents under the age of 14. This is an age prone to frequent mental disorders.

Type of mental illness (mental disorder)

There are more than 200 types of mental illness that are known, with varying degrees of symptoms and severity. Of these, the more common types of mental illness include:

• Depression

Depression is the most common type of mental disorder. This type of mental disorder is characterized by grief that is too long to cause the sufferer to feel hopeless, guilty, worthless, unmotivated, to various physical complaints with no clear cause.

• Anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders are feelings of anxiety that are very strong, excessive, and lasting and can worsen over time, making them feel overwhelming. These types of disorders include panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and phobias.

• Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness characterized by unusual mood swings. This change can go from being very happy to being very sad and hopeless.

• Eating disorders

Eating disorders are mental problems that involve your thoughts about food and eating behavior. You may eat less or more than what is needed. This condition is also generally associated with anxiety or worry over weight and body shape.

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that occurs after a person experiences or sees a traumatic event. These events can be life-threatening events, such as natural disasters, car accidents, or sexual assault, or other traumatic experiences.

• Psychosis

Psychosis disorder is a severe type of mental disorder that causes abnormal thinking and perceptions in a person. This condition is characterized by delusions and hallucinations in the sufferer. Meanwhile, schizophrenia is a common type of psychotic disorder.

Signs & Symptoms of Mental Illness (mental illness)

The characteristics, signs and symptoms of mental and mental disorders can vary, depending on the type, severity and other factors. This condition generally affects a person's emotions, thoughts and behavior.

Common symptoms of mental illness

Here are common signs and symptoms of mental illness or disorder:

• Often feel sad.
• Losing the ability to concentrate.
• Excessive fear or worry or lingering feelings of guilt.
• Drastic mood or mood changes.
• Looks withdrawn from friends and the social environment.
• Significant fatigue, decreased energy, or trouble sleeping.
• Inability to cope with everyday stress or problems.
• Paranoia and delusions and hallucinations.
• Not being able to understand situations and people.
• Smoking habits and consuming excessive alcohol or using drugs.
• Big changes in eating habits.
• Changes in sexual desire or drive.
• Excessive anger and vulnerable to violence.
• Often feels helpless or hopeless.
• Thinking of suicide.

Apart from mental symptoms, signs related to physical health sometimes appear in people with mental disorders. These include stomach aches, back aches or pains, headaches, or pain in other parts of the body for no known cause.

Causes & risk factors for mental illness (mental illness)

What causes mental illness?

Generally, mental health disorders occur due to a combination of various factors. The following are some of the conditions that can cause mental disorders:

• Genetic factors.
• Biological factors, such as chemical imbalances in the brain, traumatic brain injury, or epilepsy.
• Psychological factors from significant trauma, such as abuse, military combat, accidents, crimes and violence that have been experienced, or social isolation or loneliness.
• Environmental exposure factors while in the womb, such as chemicals, alcohol, or drugs.
• Other environmental factors, such as the death of someone close to you, loss of a job, or poverty and debt.

What increases a person's risk of mental illness?

Although mental illness can affect anyone, there are some people who are at higher risk, including:

• People who are born with abnormalities in the brain or have had brain damage as a result of serious injury.
• People who have family members or families with mental disorders.
• Have a chronic medical condition, such as cancer.
• People in stressful jobs, such as doctors and businessmen.
• People who have had problems with childhood or lifestyle problems.
• People who have experienced failures in life, such as school or work life.
• People who abuse alcohol or drugs.
• People who have had mental illness before.

Complications of mental illness (mental disorder)

Untreated mental and mental disorders can cause a variety of severe emotional, behavioral, and physical health problems.

Complications of mental illness that may occur

Various complications that need to be watched out for, including:

• Unhappiness and decreased enjoyment of life.
• Family conflict.
• Difficulty connecting with other people.
• Social isolation.
• Tobacco, alcohol, and other drug problems.
• Skipping work or school, or any other work or school-related problem.
• Legal and financial matters.
• Poverty and homelessness.
• Self-harm and harm to others, including committing suicide or killing others.
• The immune system is weak, making it difficult for the body to fight infections.
• Heart disease and other medical conditions.

Diagnosis for mental illness

Although common, mental disorders should be diagnosed by a doctor. To diagnose mental health, doctors can:

• Ask about how you feel and what symptoms you are experiencing.
• Ask for information about family medical history.
• Have a complete physical exam to rule out any physical problems that may be causing your symptoms.
• Perform other tests or diagnostic tests, such as a thyroid function check or an alcohol and drug screening, to determine if your symptoms are caused by another medical condition.
• Conduct a psychological evaluation, by answering various questions about your thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

After making a diagnosis, your doctor can give you medication and advice on how to control your emotions, or recommend a psychiatrist for you.

Treatment of mental illness

Patients are usually reluctant to seek professional help with mental illness. In fact, treatment from a trained professional can help you in several ways, such as:

• Dealing with certain problems that cause mental disorders.
• Overcoming or dealing with certain unpleasant experiences that are the cause of mental disorders.
• Improve your social relationships.
• Developing a way of life that is more beneficial from day to day.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for all mental disorders at once. Everyone may experience mental disorders differently. You must choose the best treatment or combination of treatments for your condition.

Mental illness treatment options

Some of the treatments to choose from include:

Psychotherapy

In psychotherapy, you and a mental health professional will talk about conditions and problems that you are experiencing, which may bother you mentally. Through these talks, a mental health professional will help you learn about your condition and mood, feelings, thoughts, and behavior, and how to deal with and manage stress.

There are many types of psychotherapy. One that is often done, namely cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Drugs

Medicines can not cure mental and mental disorders that you experience. However, certain medications can significantly reduce symptoms and help other treatments be more effective.

There are various types of drugs for mental illness. The doctor will provide a drug that is in accordance with the condition of each sufferer. As for some drugs that are generally given, namely:

• Antidepressant drugs, to treat depression and anxiety disorders.
• Anti-anxiety or anti-anxiety medication, to treat anxiety disorders or panic attacks. It also includes sleeping pills to treat your severe sleep problems due to mental disorders.
• Antipsychotic drugs, to treat schizophrenia or psychosis.
• Medication to help stabilize mood, to treat bipolar disorder.

Care in a mental hospital

In addition to the two common types of mental illness treatments listed above, you may also need other forms of treatment. This includes intensive care in a mental hospital for very severe mental conditions.

Generally, this type of treatment is recommended for sufferers who cannot take good care of themselves or are in danger because of a tendency to injure themselves or others.

You may also be able to use other therapies as alternative or complementary remedies for mental disorders, such as yoga, acupuncture, meditation, or herbal remedies. Usually, these alternative remedies can help you manage stress as well as common symptoms related to mental problems.

Treatment of mental illness at home

Most cases of mental illness cannot improve without professional help. However, there are several ways you can also help the process of treating and recovering from the mental disorders you have.

These methods are generally associated with lifestyle changes, home care, and planning during treatment and recovery.

How to help people with mental illness at home

The following are ways that can be done:

• Carry out the therapy as recommended and don't miss a single session, even if you feel better.
• Avoid consumption of alcohol and illegal drugs, which can hinder treatment.
• Staying active, such as exercising, gardening, or other physical activities that are fun, can help with symptoms and is a lifestyle for people with depression, stress, and anxiety disorders that need to be done.
• Practice a healthy lifestyle, such as adopting a diet for mental health, adequate rest and sleep, and regular physical activity to maintain your mental health.
• Don't make important decisions when your symptoms are severe, because you are not thinking straight.
• Learn to be positive and focus on positive things that make your life better.
• Join support group who have a similar mental condition, to be able to help you deal with the same problem.
• Try to participate in social activities and get together with family or friends on a regular basis.

If you have a mental illness, you may feel hopeless and useless. However, you can't give up! This experience can make people a stronger person.