Mental Illness Journey

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.

* An unusually sad mood that does not go away * Loss of enjoyment and interest in activities that used to be enjoyable * Lack of energy and tiredness * Loss of confidence in themselves or poor self-esteem * Feeling guilt when they are not at fault * Wishing they were dead * Difficulty in concentrating or making 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.

Introduction 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.

Personally, I was stuck in the terrifying situation of living without care during the early stages of my bulimia and bipolar recovery, and it ended up pushing me to a major relapse. When I was sick, I would skip breakfast and lunch, then eat the tiniest dinner I could consume. Regularly, would go on massive binges out of pure hunger, then force myself to vomit. But I had no intention of every stopping, then one day, I was standing at a Donald Trump campaign rally, large protest sign in hand, and I collapsed on standing. Strapped to an IV in an ambulance speeding to the closest hospital, every fiber of my being knew that this could never be my future. I was angry that I starved my brain and sat shivering in my bed at night instead of dancing or reading poetry or kissing a boy. A Interlochen, I had lots of trouble finding one of the therapists on campus who would speak to me, since they were booked up, and it was impossible for them to realize how critical my condition was. Eventually, I snapped and pretended to have an emotional breakdown to not have to wait three weeks between appointments. But at that point it was too late; too soon my fake emotional breakdown would become reality. Having to do something rash is not rare when seeking out treatment. In one heartbreaking interview with USA Today, Kelly a woman who had battled

There lies a hidden anxiety in every part of society towards those with a mental illness. A panic that consists of the individual becoming a threat to those around them or a threat to their own physical well-being. For instance, as stated by Stephen Rice, Jessica Richardson, and Keegan Kraemer in “Emotion Mediates Distrust of Persons with Mental Illnesses”, A very popular belief relating to this is “that individuals with a mental illness are either very dangerous, violent, or both (3).” In addition, Rice, et al. further state “ that due to the unfortunate portrayal of individuals with mental illnesses in media as those who cause harm with no remorse, consequently this belief is just strengthened even more in society (5).” Though mental illnesses

The subject of my case study is a 27-year old man named Dan Wilks, self-described as an “unintentional survivor” Dan 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 Dan had a relatively normal (but still tumultuous) childhood with a loving two parent family. When he was 17 his parents separated and later divorced pushing his own mental health issues into focus in the wake of the

What is the dance of Mental Illness? It is not surprising that with tragic events like ongoing wars, terrorist threats, and an uncertain economy that Americans are experiencing powerful emotions. It is appropriate and healthy for most people to have feelings of anxiety, sadness, anger, and grief. Some people however are having debilitating reactions to life. This is especially true for those who live with serious mental disorders like bipolar disorder, depression, substance abuse, anxiety, and or PTSD. Some of these people are disabled and caught in the Dance of Mental Illness. This paper will make known the Dance of Mental Illness, and will show that it is treatable through a biblical approach. The mental illness dance is a person who is

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

Hello Shane, mental illness is a tough subject to talk about because most just ignore this sensitive topic. I do agree with you in the last few years this has become a subject that is heavily addressed by law enforcement. This is an excellent topic to discuss whether or not the mentally ill can only be victims, and or perpetrators. I believe that the mentally ill persons can be perpetrators as well as victims either in violent crimes or crimes sexual in nature.

Robin Williams: Struggling with Mental Health Disorders 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

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

You enter the vortex, a spinning tunnel in the carnival fun house, the neon lights rotating around you, the music creating an outer space like ambience. You try to take a step, but it feels as if you are wearing heavy winter boots, the weight making it hard to lift your foot off of the ground. When you finally take a step, the ground begins to sway and you grab the railing to support yourself from falling over. As you step out of the tunnel, you realize it was all an optical illusion, and if you had just closed your eyes, you could’ve walked straight through the tunnel. I step into this tunnel on a daily basis; in fact, all POTS patients do.

Mental Illness and Seeking Help Over twenty one million adults in america battle some sort or form of mental illness. Fifteen million of those adults suffer from depression. The other six million of those have to deal with some sort of other psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder (Bernstein 1). In a country where mental illness is widely known about and accepted as a problem, why are there so many who still do not seek treatment and help for their condition, and what can we do to help?

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).