Mental Health And Mental Health

“Mental health is defined as a state of wellbeing in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community” (Mayoclinic, 2012)

Mental health is defined as the state of satisfactory use of mental function, which results in productive activities, interactions, adjustment to change and coping with challenges (Healthy People 2020, 2012). It is fundamental to one's personal well-being, his interpersonal relationships, and fruitful participation in, and contribution to, society in general. Mental illness or mental disorder refers as a whole to all diagnosable disturbances of the mind. These disturbances are characterized by changes in thinking, mood, and/or behavior, which produce pain, discomfort, abnormal functioning or death. Mental illnesses are serious medical conditions, which cannot be overcome by simple will power. They are not caused by personality weakness or intelligence (Healthy People 2020; NAMI, 2012).

A mental disorder is a disease that can cause mild to severe disturbances or impairments in behavior or mental wellbeing. These effects may result in the inability of the individual to effectively cope with the demands and pressures of everyday life. There are more than 200 types of different mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, dementia, and schizophrenia, among many others. However, in this paper the main focus will be placed on depression and anxiety.

It not easy to determine how many people suffer from mental illness. This is due to the changing definitions of mental illness and problems classifying, diagnosing, and reporting mental disorders. There are social stigmas attached to mental illness, such as being labeled "crazy," being treated as a danger to others, and being denied jobs or health insurance coverage. These negative connotations keep many sufferers from seeking help, and many of those in treatment do not reveal it on surveys. Some patients do not realize that their symptoms are caused by mental disorders. Even though more is being learned about how the brain works a lot of information has still yet to be discovered, thus mental health professionals must continually reevaluate how mental illnesses are defined and diagnosed. The Surgeon General 's report estimated that roughly 20% of the United States population was affected by mental disorders and that 15% use some type of mental health service every year. Community surveys estimate about 30% of the adult population in the United States suffer from mental disorders.

We have all seen the classic television scene, where a happy family consisting of one mother, one father, and two children is hovered around a table or a couch. Although still prominent, this scene is becoming less common nowadays as more families become non-traditional. More families than ever are consisting of one mother and children, one father and children, grandparents and children, and even two mothers or two fathers and children. These households, although not what most people consider a normal household, are becoming more common and regular in today’s society. Homosexual parents and families are indeed different from more traditional families, but not for the worse. This trend is not increasing

Mental illnesses are generally characterized by changes in mood, thought, or behavior. They can make daily activities difficult and impair a person’s ability to work, interact with family, and fulfill other major life functions (SAMHSA, 2015). Contemplated early on in history, treatments for mental illness looked to cure the reflections of the anger of gods, demonic possession, sorcery, the evil eye, or an angry deity, responded with equally mystical, and brutal treatments (Nash, 2007). Attempts to treat mental illness date back as early as 5000 BCE as verified by the discovery of trephined skulls in regions of ancient world cultures (Porter, 2002, p. 10). Only a few realized that individuals with mental illness should be treated humanely rather than exorcised, punished, or banished. Psychiatry has come a long way since the days patients were shunned from society and shackled in asylums. Experiments and techniques for treating mental illness from ancient times to the turn of the 20th century have paved the way for the treatment plans used today.

Mental health as Pilgrim (2005) stated is used positively to indicate a state of psychological wellbeing and negatively to indicate its opposite, or euphemistically to indicate facilities used by, or imposed upon, people with mental problems (pg 3) although Richards (2002) argued the concept of sanity and insanity are relative and may vary according to individual and social perspectives, and illustrated that an acceptable behaviour at an arts festival may not be perceived similar in a private home and that there are times when every one of us could be considered to be in an abnormal state of mind (pg 13-15) and in that regard dispensed the term ‘madness’ which could have emotive meaning, is neither a medical term nor a diagnosis and could

The story “Foundation of the Earth” by Randall Kenan tells us about the life of 70 years old Mrs. Maggie MacGowan Williams. She lives in a small community where religious standards and principles are considered extremely important and people who do something that is not in accordance to the doctrine are frowned upon. Ms. Maggie’s grandson Edward has just died and she found out that the reason he had stayed away from home all these years was because he was gay and married to another man. According to her, she had always followed the laws of the bible and raised her grandson in the church but could not comprehend how he could live his life in such sin. She is trying to come to terms with this new development and keeping it a secret from the community. For the love she has for her grandson, whom she has raised as her own son since he was a baby, Ms. Maggie tries to be open-minded and accept her granson’s sexualilty even though it goes against everything she has believed in her christian values. This story exemplifies that fact that many people believe that christianity and homosexuality are mutually exclusive and do not go hand in hand. Ms. Maggie is trying to take a stand and show people that it can work by accepting her grandson’s sexuality and his husband and still uphold her christian morals. This story demonstrates and research confirms that a majority of people still view homosexuality as a choice; and that the attempt to reconcile between being gay and christian

In today’s society mental health has become something that is much more known to individuals and their families. Mental health is something that is as serious as a physical illness but it is still feared and misunderstood by many people including those who are diagnosed with mental illness (Stuart, 2012). Though you cannot see mental illness physically it inside the body and mind and can do just as much damage, if not more. There are many forms of mental illness that include; anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and phobias and panic disorders. Many individuals with mental health seek help from doctors, nurses and therapist to help overcome the challenges of mental illness (Stuart, 2013). Dealing with a mental health issue is hard enough as it is because many people misunderstand them and they carry a stigma with the mental illness that needs to be overcome by the individual. For those newly diagnosed medications are given to help improve the psychosis, hallucinations and major depressive disorder with great success, but for many the medication that is given has a side effect that makes the patient gain large amounts of weight throughout treatment (Kabinoff, Toalson,Masure,Healey,Mcquire & Hay., 2003). Not only are you dealing with stress from being diagnosed with a mental illness and learning to cope but now you are also given the stress of caring extra weight around and having people judge you because of

Mental illness has been the most overlooked issue in society today let alone within prisons. Researcher Lurigio (2001) explored studies from the 1970’s through to the 2000’s on the deinstitutionalization and restructuring of mental health laws that basically channeled the mentally ill into the corrections system. Often mentally ill offenders are released into community care. Lurigio emphasized that community based care “compartmentalizes” mentally ill offenders and creates limitations on whom they treat. This creates yet another gap within the corrections system for offenders to fall into. Those who require treatment may not get what they need because community care can only treat so much. These “missed” offenders are often the most serious and chronic.

Very little is known about the mental health population and the women who are pregnant while incarcerated. This paper will compare two articles that describe what accommodations are currently in place for both populations. Although mental illness and pregnancy are two very different medical conditions they both require more accommodations than the normal inmate. “An Examination of Care Practices of Pregnant Women Incarcerated in Jail Facilities in the United States,” is a study that examined the pregnancy related accommodations and health care provided for regional jail populations.

For this assessment I completed the following courses: Chronic Disease & Mental Health; Keeping Families and Children in Mind. These courses were chosen to increase my knowledge and understanding of mental illness and chronic diseases and its impact on the individuals involved and the health system. Through my online Continuing Professional Development (CPD) learning I will be able to develop my understanding and skills required for success not only in my nursing placements but as a newly registered nurse. Most notably the education received during the completion of these courses will support me in equipping myself with the skills required to enhance my ability to form therapeutic relationships with patients. The following reflection will identify

Physical Health involves getting adequate sleep and rest, eating nutritious meals, drinking enough water, and being physically active on a regular basis. I put a bed on my poster to represent that I get enough rest every night so that I can be refreshed in the morning. I make my bed comfortable and only use it for sleeping purposes so that I do not become distracted with other things that keep me awake, like the television. I put fries on my poster because fries are my favorite food. Though fries make me happy, they are bad for my physical health because they are greasy, fried, and fattening. The last picture I chose would be an apple. I am not a very healthy eater but if theres one thing I love that is good for me, it would be an apple. Ever since I was

The year is 2016 and society has been changing in several different ways. Society throughout the years has thoroughly become more accepting of the LGBT+ community, but the community still struggles with being discriminated against and fitting into the norms of society. One of the most important topics that society is discussing and debating is the acceptance of the LGBT community, which stands for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, and Transgender. We’ve researched different religions views and opinions of the LGBT+ community, the accomplishments and challenges in the struggle for LGBT+ equality, protecting our children; overcoming the narrative that gays and lesbians are harmful to our children, Urban encounters, and sexual health among gay and bisexual immigrant men. From our knowledge, derogatory questions and remarks have been made towards lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and Transgenders. Some of the remarks or questions may have been, “You’re going to hell”. “Being gay is a disgrace to your family”. “ So, are you a girl or a boy?” “How do you make babies with the same sex? And “Oh, it’s just a phase”.

The fifteen years I spent dancing classical ballet planted the seeds of my professional goals. While I learned the importance of etiquette, perseverance, and discipline, I also discovered the impact that staying healthy had on my mind and body. Once I entered college, I continued to seek out ways to include exercise and nutrition in my daily habits. As a psychology major, I became interested in the ways exercise and nutrition relate to mental health.