Mental Illness Journey

Anyone with a mental illness knows that recovery is not a straight line. Thoughts don’t regain their rationality the second someone decides to become medication compliant, when an anorexic takes a bite of food, or even the day a depressed person decides to walk outside and see beyond their dreary perception of reality. I always wanted to get better, to be able to eat a slice of pizza without demolishing the box and punishing my throat, or to be able to not worry that the carnal impulses of mania would throw me out of the driver’s seat. However, I didn’t want to take the steps to seek help in time, then in the second semester of my sophomore year, I gave up. This led to me

Forget all the stereotypes of mental illness. It has no face. It has no particular victim. Mental illness can affect an individual from any background and the black community is no exception. African Americans sometimes experience even more severe forms of mental health conditions because of unmet needs and barriers to treatment. According to the Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 20 percent more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population. That’s why UGA third year Majenneh Sengbe is taking action as the co-founder of her upcoming organization Black Minds Daily.

The subject of my case study is a 29-year old man named Eric Miller, self-described as an “unintentional survivor” Eric suffered with drug addiction and mental health issues throughout most of his life. At the age of 19 he was diagnosed as schizoaffective, a terrifying disorder that combines the hallucinations of schizophrenia and the mood disorders of bipolar disorder. His mental health diagnosis was later changed when he entered rehab for his alcohol and drug dependencies in 2010 when he was reclassified as bipolar affective mixed. His new diagnosis was now a lifelong illness that combined the mania and depression of bipolar disorder at the same time, creating uncontrollable thoughts of suicide and chronic intense insomnia. Having spent most of his teenage years unaware of his condition Eric had a relatively normal (but still tumultuous) childhood with a loving two parent family. When he was 17 his parents separated and later

A patient has been in hospital for many years because nobody visits her at the hospital

These individuals were struggling like me day to day to survive. These encounters humbled me and it was there that I developed an affinity to individuals with mental illness. I went on to work part-time with APD (Agency for Person’s with Disability). That opportunity provided me with the insight to individuals suffering from not only varying mental illnesses but behavioral and developmental disabilities, as well. That experience solidify my desire to care for individuals suffering from mental

Mental Illness: A wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior (Mayo Clinic, 2015). Mental illness affects people of all ages, education, income levels, and cultures. While many Canadians will not have to deal with persons suffering from mental illness in their day to day, police officers have seen an increase in calls for emotionally disturbed peoples (EDP) (Boyce & Rotenberg & Karam, 2015). This has put pressure on police services to educate their officers and develop a better understanding of mental illness. Previously, mental illness was characterized by mental institutions, a lack of understanding by both the police and people, as well as legislation that often demonized the affliction

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.

My struggle with mental illness began in 7th grade. I began having obsessions I knew were abnormal for any normal person, but I couldn’t stop them. My thoughts were an unstoppable train running through everything else. School took a backseat to just trying to be normal. I silently struggled with my thoughts for four years. I tried my hardest not to let on that I wasn’t normal, at risk of people thinking I was crazy. But the summer before my junior year,

The term ‘Recovery’ carries many differing definitions both in the Medical and Mental Health domains. In medical terms, recovery is the act of regaining or returning to a normal or health state, being cured or experiencing no current symptoms (Mental Health Foundation UK, 2015).

When an illness is diagnosed, one’s ordinary reaction is to inquire about the time it will take to get better and make a full recovery. This holds true to mental illness as well, except that time is uncertain, as these illnesses are often long-lasting with residual symptomatology. Recovery generally is understood as a process of being rehabilitated back to one’s former state. Recovery differs among multiple health care disciplines, especially within a mental health care setting. Recovery from mental illness is a unique and individualized process where the one with a mental illness develops their own definition of recovery over an extended period of time (Harding, Brooks, Asolaga, Strauss & Briere, 1987) . This is important

“Mental Health is one of the fasting growing health problems we are facing around the world. Mental illness affects at least on in four people at some time in their lives. Mental illness conditions are broken down into several conditions as described by the World Health Organization (WHO) European Ministerial Conference. Mental Health conditions are but not limited to depression, anxiety, alcohol use disorders, Alzheimer’s, dementia, schizophrenia, bi poplar and panic disorders. Mental Health is a well-researched diagnosis, much is known about what works in mental health care and treatment and how to prevent mental disorders and support well-being, but many people receive little or no treatment or support for their mental health diagnosis. Therefore, in during a disaster the mental ill are confused and less

The following essay will begin by demonstrating what is understood by the concept of mental health. It will attempt to identify different explanations for the underlying issues causing mental illnesses and it will then centre around a case study focusing specifically on one mental health problem. A description of what the causes and effects of the chosen illness will be given and information on the available treatment will be presented. To round up the assignment a brief explanation of the chosen case study will be included with an attempt to distinguish the common issues identified and how they relate to the literature information provided throughout. In this assignment, the case study chosen will target depression.

Mental health disorders are becoming more and more prevalent in the United States today, especially since the world consists of more prestigious medical professionals that can diagnose individuals. What does a mental health disorder entail and how can one be effectively diagnosed? Many people do not realize they are suffering from a mental illness, which can sometimes be extremely detrimental to a person’s health and can eventually lead to death if not treated. Extensive research has provided the world with more knowledge on the causes, symptoms, and treatments of several mental health disorders with the help of the DSM-5. Any individual can be diagnosed with a mental health disorder, even those “perfect” celebrities people idolize. Robin Williams, a well-known actor and comedian, took his own life in August 2014 from the detrimental effects of bipolar disorder and depression.

The United States has their own view on mental illness when compared to other developed countries. The developed countries that were analyzed with the United States were England and France. Our research question was “Does the United States view mental illness differently than other developed countries?” The research that I conducted was over the policies and ideologies of mental illness in the United States.

I picked wild, beautiful flowers with my dad, visited the orphaned piglets at the farm that seemed a galaxy away. I sang Christian songs at the top of my lungs, stared for hours at the cotton candy colored sky, and inhaled a mixed scent of burnt wood, exhaust, and vanilla ice cream. But all of this would change. I was introduced to the news that I would be leaving the very country and town I grew to love and call home. Upon hearing the news, my whole world shattered into thousands of shards of microscopic glass and I knew at that exact moment, it would be near impossible to pick them all up, and piece my world back together again. The happy, bright, filled-with-fun world I knew disappeared, and I entered the one where Bipolar II Disorder ruled like a tyrant. As a human, I have judged countless situations in the time I have been alive. Receiving professional help was a situation I misjudged