Mental Health Disorders And How Can One Be Effectively Diagnosed?

Psychotic disorders can be described as a mental health disability in which a person experiences changes in thinking, perception, mood and behaviour which can severely disrupt their lives. Some of the main psychotic disorders include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychotic depression, schizo affective disorder and drug induced pychosis. Some common symptoms when a psychotic disorder is developing include depression, anxiety, irritability, suspiciousness, blunted or flat or inappropriate emotion, changes in appetite, changes in thinking, difficulties in concentration or attention, a sense of alteration to ones self or the outside world, odd ideas and unusual perceptual experiences. Some behavioural symptoms can include sleep disturbance, social isolation or withdrawal and/or reduced ability to carry out work and social roles.

To understand the importance of treating mental illness ourselves, we must first understand how just a few mental illnesses can affect individuals in a variety of ways. Certain mental

You’re walking down the street, passing hundreds of people as you go. Do you ever stop and think that every single person walking past you has their own story and their own daily struggles? Even the person next to you may have something about themselves that they have never told anyone. A statistic from the National Institute of Mental Health, or NIMH, stated that in 2010 7.4% of the population had some sort of mental or behavioral disorder. This means that around 510,600,000 people suffered from some form of mental or behavioral disorder in 2010 alone. Now, with all this information we must first ask, what is a mental illness?

A common occurrence in the play is Willy constantly alternating between past and present, shown by the numerous times where he is living his past and believes it is happening in the present. This mental condition pertains to bipolar II disorder, where Willy suffers from delusions and hallucinations in extreme forms causing racing thoughts (An EMS Guide…). Not only does it reflect the complications of his bipolar disorder, it shows that his tangential thinking is out of his control, as he imagines “sounds, faces, voices, [that] seem to be swarming upon him” (Miller 136). This indicates that Willy as a character cannot differentiate his own thoughts from reality, which concerns his family to a point of guilt, shown when Happy says “[s]omething’s happening to [Willy]… [h]e talks to himself” (Miller 21). Not to mention, hallucinations are similar to conditions for posttraumatic stress disorder, specifically when the victim experiences a vivid recall to an event (Gurevich). In particular, at one point Willy constructs Ben’s persona indicating the madness dwelling in Willy’s mind. He then tries to relate the idea of success with Ben’s achievements when explaining “[Ben] was rich… [t]hat’s just the spirit I want to imbue [my children with]” (Miller 52). In doing so, Willy feeds false hope from his past into his children since he fails to

Mental illness is an increasing problem in America. Currently about 26.2% of Americans suffer from a mental disorder. A mental illness/disorder is a medical condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, and ability to relate to others and daily functions. Mental illness can affect humans of any age, race, gender and socioeconomic status. However the care that is needed to effectively cure and help the people affected by the illness is not equal for everyone here in American, especially for African Americans.

Our progress in learning the causes and treatments for mental illness has been steady as we build on the medical model of mental illness, which Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman (2010) describe as a model that, “views emotional and behavioral problems as a mental illness, comparable to a physical illness (pp. 341). Only in modern times have we been able to effectively treat mental illness with behavioral therapy, social support, medicine, and other research-based programs. However, there is still much work to be done in regard to access, proper facilities, policy and a host of other challenges that affect this issue.

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

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines it as, “Mental illnesses refer to disorders generally characterized by dysregulation (sic) of mood, thought, and/or behavior…” (CDC, 2016). There are also a lot of factors that can lead to mental illness, such as genetic inheritance, physical or emotional trauma, and drugs and alcohol. Because there are so many variables that can lead up to mental illness, it is hard to agree on what ailments are serious concerns. However, knowing that many people are at risk due to the variety of causes and symptoms should make our health care system make mental health a

The award winning actor Robin Williams died at the age of 63 by suicide. He had suffered from severe depression, addiction, and bipolar disorder for a portion of his adult life as a comedian. The media portrays many of these diagnoses to be depraved and caused by a lack of one taking care of themselves in the western culture; however, this is not always the case with most mental illness diagnoses. The awareness of mental health disorders has grown significantly in the public’s eyes in the past few decades, partly contributed to medical science advancements and the rest is due to celebrities in our culture bringing awareness to the public. Even with more mindfulness than ever before about mental health there is still much to learn and teach about mental health so that we can prevent mental illnesses ending in suicide.

“A mental disorder (mental illness) is a psychological pattern that is generally associated with a defect or disease of the individual’s mind. It causes a disability that may affect an individual’s behavior patterns in ways that are not part of one’s normal development or culture. Mental disorders are common in the United States. Within any given year, nearly 25 percent of adults and slightly over 20 percent of children are diagnosable for one or more mental disorders. While mental disorder appears to be widespread among the population, the main burden (or threat) emanates from about 6 percent of those who suffer from a debilitating mental illness.” (National Institute of Mental Health, 2011)

Over forty million Americans suffer from a mental health condition; and, unfortunately, fifty six percent do not receive any treatment at all. “Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in thinking, emotion and behavior”(Psychiatry.org). People live with their conditions even though their quality of life and personal relationships may be negatively affected. When one lives in a state of denial about having a mental illness, they are cheating themselves out of living life to their fullest potential and will achieve true freedom only when they face the illness head on and seek recovery.

In America alone, one in four adults suffer from diagnosable mental disorders in a year. Despite such a large number of people being afflicted; even the most common disorders and their side effects aren’t common knowledge. This leads to misconceptions and narrow minded thinking in regards to mental disorders. This essay will address the most common disorders and their effect on everyday life as well as the not as common but more severe disorders.

Mental Illness refers to a wide range of conditions or disorders that impact your mood, behavior and thinking. In the United States, more than 26.2 percent of adults, ages 18 and older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. That is one in every four adults, an estimated 57.7 million people (Kim Foundation). However, only 6 percent of people with mental disorders suffer from serious mental illness which is results in serious functional impairment, and interferes with or limits one or more major life activities (NIH, 2012). Mental illness range from depression, attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia, and even autism and these disorders range on the spectrum of intrusion in a person’s life.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a mental illness can be defined as a disorder, or multiple disorders that can all be on a spectrum, that can affect mood, cognitive abilities, and the way one acts. Mayo Clinic’s definition also includes the specification that, to be considered a mental illness, the symptoms generally effect a person’s ability to function in common life situations, all while causing quite a bit of stress. It becomes obvious that these types of diseases can be just as damaging as physical illnesses, hence the drastic need for treatment and continuing advancements in the methods of treatment.

There are lists upon lists of mental disorders and illnesses, and a lot of them people are not aware of. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), bulimia, anorexia, anxiety, schizophrenia, and depression are just a few of the most well-known and common mental illnesses. In America, about 18 million people are diagnosed with depression, 15 million with anxiety, 5 million with OCD, and 3 million with schizophrenia (Raley and Johnson 50). There are even more people