Medical And Psychological Treatment Of Mental Health

Everyone has a personality with character traits, but when these traits are rigid and self-defeating, they may interfere with functioning and even lead to psychiatric symptoms. A psychological disorder is describe as any disturbance of emotional equilibrium, as manifested in maladaptive behavior and impaired functioning, caused by genetic, physical, chemical, biological, psychological, or social and cultural factors. Schizophrenia is a disease that strikes people in their prime. It does not matter who you are, you can be diagnosis with schizophrenia. Many people all over the world are affected by bipolar disorders. There are two

The lack of mental health services available to the mentally-ill and the deinstitutionalization of mental health hospitals have created a public health concern. These issues along with failed continuum of care strategies and a lack of community mental health services are major contributing factors to homelessness. In addition, the strict guidelines for psychiatric hospitalization are critical when analyzing homelessness among the mentally-ill. In many cases, only the critically-ill are meeting clinical criteria for hospitalization, leaving those who have significant mental health problems to fend for themselves. The link between homelessness and mental health is acknowledged, but requires reform (Bean Jr., G. J., Stefl, M. E., and Howe, S. R, 1987).

Time magazine called them the military’s secret weapon (Thompson). Many pets eat them every day (Horowitz). They are effective in treating the most common male sexual disorder (Yue). Antidepressants have many uses, but they are primarily used in the treatment of mental health disorders. Their discovery was monumental for the science of psychiatry. Antidepressants are the primary treatment for a myriad of mental health disorders. However, many scientists, clinicians and patients question the effectiveness of antidepressants for this broad scope. Examination of effectiveness, side effects and alternative treatments suggest reduction in the scope of antidepressant use for mental health disorders.

The field of mental health has evolved over the last century and a half due to medical advancements in the field. Mental illness is no longer seen as a hopeless situation for Americans to deal with. People with mental challenges can have productive lives with the proper treatment. Today, fewer stigmas are associated with having mental illness. A more humane approach occurs in psychiatric medicine than in the past decades. The practice of lobotomy was stopped in 1967 it was a controversial procedure where certain nerves in the brain were cut and by doing this it was believed to relieve excess emotions to stabilize moods. American psychiatrist Walter Freeman performed the first lobotomy in the United States in 1936 on a woman from Kansas. He was famous for his ice pick lobotomy and performed over 2,200 total lobotomies. At this time in history people were desperate to treat serious mental conditions. Mental intuitions were very overcrowded and this was prior to antipsychotic medications being discovered. The practice of lobotomy is now seen as being barbaric and inhumane. Overcrowded state mental asylums who neglected patients are no longer in existence. Currently outpatient treatment, counseling, medication, and community recourses are the long term treatment for mental health clients. Advances in medication and awareness of institutionalized behavior helped mold modern psychiatric practices by giving clients the opportunity to function in society. Since, the 1950’s

Approximately 20% of all children show at least minimal impairment from a mental health illness (Odar, C. o., Canter, K., & Roberts, M. m. 2013). Around 31% of girls and 42% of boys between the ages of 9 and 16 years old meet the criteria of at least one mental health illness (Costello, E. J., Mustillo, S., Erkanli, A., Keeler, G., & Angold, A. 2003). Some of these illnesses may include schizophrenia, bipolar disease, depression, etc. These illnesses may require continuous care and treatment for many years and can be very costly. There are many problems when it comes to the treatment of mental illnesses. Some of these problems are access, cost and funding, and the delivery of care.

As far back as 5000 B.C. there is evidence that mental illnesses were treated with skull drillings. This is only one of the many treatment methods that were used on mental illness patients. Electroshock therapy, exorcisms, and lobotomies were also very common treatments for mentally ill patients. With today’s knowledge and technology, it is clear that not only are these treatments ineffective, but harmful to the patients. By the early 1920’s most of the problematic treatments had been abolished. In 1952, the same year that the DSM was published, E. Brunswick published The Conceptual Framework of Psychology. Also in 1952 many psychology societies and associations were established all around the world. As positive as that was, there is still

The field of mental health can be complicated as it involves patients that present with a variety of diagnosis, where every patient may get a different form of treatment and medication. One can say that mental health disorders can be convoluted as the psychiatrists are faced with the arduous task of prescribing medication, via trial and error. Particularly because irregularities are found between the use of antidepressants and bipolar disorder (Bauer et al., 2013). This writer was inspired first hand while having the privilege of fulfilling an internship at Riverside County Mental Health Emergency Services. During that time period, this writer had the opportunity to see different patients that presented acutely with various mental health diagnosis. One case, in particular, was captivating, as the patient, presented with an existing diagnosis of Bipolar 1 but in acute mania. The psychiatrist made a recommendation to start a mood stabilizer along with an anti-psychotic, and recommended avoiding the use antidepressants due to antidepressant-induced mania or rapid cycling. As Vasquez et al. (2013), “Opinions concerning the value of antidepressants to treat bipolar depression vary markedly and reflect the strikingly limited and inconsistent state of available research-based information” (Vasquez et al., 2013, p. 1674). This particular case left this writer thinking if there were any exceptions to the rules of the use of antidepressants when treating Bipolar

Among the world of mental health there exists many unexplained disorders. Most of these psychiatric disorders occur for no reason and without conscious control. However, in the section of somatic symptom disorders there exists diagnoses of people with factitious disorder whom intentionally pretend illness in order to fulfill their emotional needs. For the FD client, there is a strong urge to assume the role of “patient.”

Mental health is described as a state of emotional and psychological well-being in which an individual is able to use his or her cognitive and emotional capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life. The impairment of behaviour in psychological and interpersonal disciplines in daily life are some of the aspects that are more likely to be considered as a sign of abnormality. Another aspect of abnormality in society is that when a person contrast in behaviour and intelligence from the majority of people, wether good or bad, is classed under an abnormal behaviour, it is also known as statistical infrequency. One of the well known case emerged in USA, where 58 year old man from USA, ‘remembers up to half the days of his own life in shockingly vivid detail’(The Telegraph). He was diagnosed with a condition called hyperthymestia, meaning overdeveloped memory. This rare condition is only discovered in just four people around the world. Another aspect of measuring mental health is deviation from social norms and cultural relativism. For example, homosexuality is still considered as a mental illness or abnormal behaviour in most of the countries, including India and Africa.

The popular Western conception of the depressed patient remains both culturally-pervasive and largely homogenous. From Eeyore to Hugh Laurie's portrayal of Dr. House, pop-cultural depressive symptomology oftentimes equates to images of despair, withdrawal, and an almost palpable air of sadness. This understanding of depression, indeed, too echoes in diagnostic criteria for depressive disorders as recently published within the fifth edition of the DSM. Accordingly, for example, the DSM-V classifies those exhibiting either (1) depressed mood and/or (2) anhedonia in conjunction with at least five of such other symptoms as “recurrent suicidal ideation” and “significant weight loss” for a significant portion of two-weeks, as clinically diagnosable with suffering from a “Major Depressive Episode.”

Depression, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders are common major mental health disorders which occasionally consist of a combination of affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual components.1,2 The history of treatment of mental health disorders consists in a development through years in using pharmacological interventions or psychological therapies. Data shows the recorded incidence of common mental health disorders is 1.23% and around 25% of people in England, aged 18 years or older, have at some point had a diagnosis of a common mental health disorder.2,3 Of those, about 27% were being prescribed antidepressants in 2010/2011, around 5 times as many as were receiving psychological therapy interventions.3

“The true definition of medical illness is when the majority of your time is spent in the past or future, but rarely living in the realism of NOW.” These words of Shannon L. Alder (an inspirational author that writes the most inspirational quotes on Goodreads) perfectly describes that people worry about the past and/or future more than enjoying the present. To me, mental health is a serious illness that can hurt a lot of people mentally and sometimes physically. A lot of mentally ill patients don’t have affordable access to treatment and when they don’t have affordable access to treatment, they can’t live a “normal” and “happy” life. Society has treated mental illness as if it’s not an important factor

Buchanan, A. (2008, November 06). Stigma: building awareness and understanding about mental illness. Retrieved from http://www.soilsproject.org/general/stigma-building-

Psychiatric illnesses affected heavily almost every country of the world. Billions of dollars are put to research on psychiatric disorders every year. Although from time to time new methods of treatment are followed by researchers. However the results and the efficiency of treatment are almost bleak. In brain sciences the problems which we start with before hundred years are almost as such and with psychiatry it becomes more compounded. We are not yet able to control the psychiatric problems even with 21st century advances in the medical science. From time to time the scientists use multiple approaches in understanding the puzzles in relation to the brain and its functions. Though we make a small progress towards understanding or close to understanding such puzzles. However close analysis shows that we are still far away from understanding some basic rules which the brain used throughout its functions. There must lies a void in our understanding of the brain and its functioning. Though brain is highly complex organ it also works through complex processes and mechanisms. There is the exigent need to help understand the mysteries of the brain science and its functioning. There is a need to help solve brain mysteries through multiple perspectives.

The experiences of LGBTQ+ persons are always different. In many homes, especially homes of faith, and oftentimes homes in the southern parts of the United States of America, being a part of the LGBTQ+ community can be dangerous to reveal. In fact, for many people, young and old, it may seem like the best option is to stay in the closet. However, this in and of itself can be harmful to one’s mental health. The harm that can be done in many homes of faith, and specifically speaking in the southern United States, homes of Christian faith, parents deem their children as deviant, unworthy of God’s love, and indecisive. The pain that children, teens, and adults can go through after coming out to unsupportive loved ones is insurmountable. To those identifying with the LGBTQ+ community, it is often seen that the best option is neither to come out, or to not come out –– in the former, coming out to an unsupportive family can be dangerous in that resources and support may be lost completely; however, in the latter, not coming out is a terrible mental strain on those who identify as not heterosexual. In the documentary For the Bible Tells Me So people of Christian faith are shown discussing LGBTQ+ people in the church, and how their religious beliefs have shaped their views on people who are LGBTQ+. In most cases, unless families experience a loved one who is LGBTQ+ themselves, the views are negative and harmful. The main families of the documentary spoke eloquently about the