Mental Illness-What are Proven Ways to Treat It? | Mental Health

By ScottAllenBarker
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Mental illness is any disease or condition affecting the brain that influences the way a person thinks, feels, behaves and/or relates to others and to his or her surroundings. Mental illness is said to be the cause of many of our society's social ills, such as suicide, murder, divorce, child abuse, sex offenses, depression and various addictions. Mental illnesses produce some of the most challenging health problems faced by society, accounting for vast numbers of hospitalizations, disabilities resulting in billions in lost productivity, and sharply elevated risks for suicide.

Disorders

Perhaps the most well known of these disorders is Alzheimer's disease. Also included are dissociative disorders, in which a person's sense of self is disrupted, and somatoform disorders, in which there are physical symptoms in the absence of a clear physical cause, such as hypochondriasis. In addition to these common manifestations of anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder are generally believed to be related to the anxiety disorders.

Symptoms

Although the symptoms of mental illness can range from mild to severe and are different depending on the type of mental illness, a person with an untreated mental illness often is unable to cope with life's daily routines and demands. For instance, some disorders have similar symptoms and clinical features but are actually very different in terms of their underlying biology. Persons suffering from any of the severe mental disorders present with a variety of symptoms that may include inappropriate anxiety, disturbances of thought and perception, dysregulation of mood, and cognitive dysfunction.

Treatment

A number of professions have developed that specialise in the treatment of mental disorders, including the medical speciality of psychiatry (including psychiatric nursing, the division of psychology known as clinical psychology, Social Work, as well as Mental Health Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Psychotherapists, Counselors and Public Health professionals. Effective treatment is available that can eliminate or minimize symptoms, improve a person's ability to function and ultimately improve the quality of their life.

About the Author

Author: Scott Allen Barker specializes in writing articles on a variety of health/mental health related subjects. For more information on mental health/health issues, please visit treating mental illness, and health information

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