Chance are you know someone close to you with amental illness
By Melvin J. Howard
It all starts with the brain emotional memoriesdiffer from normal memories in that they result from traumas. They arefrightening at the time, but even worst, these memories can become enduring anddistort our outlooks thereafter. They appear to react more strongly to negativethan positive events. Emotional memories are locked in a separate neuralcircuitry in the brain, mediated primarily by two of the limbic organs, thehippocampus and amyagdala. According to WHO (World Health Organization), mentalhealth is "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes hisor her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productivelyand fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or hercommunity". WHO stresses that mental health "is not just the absenceof mental disorder".
Mentalhealth (disorders) can affect anyone Doctors, Lawyers, and even Politicians
Experts say we all have the potential for sufferingfrom mental health problems, no matter how old we are, whether we are male orfemale, rich or poor, or ethnic group we belong to. In the UK over one quarterof a million people are admitted into psychiatric hospitals each year, and morethan 4,000 people kill themselves. They come from all walks of life. According to the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health, USA) mentaldisorders are "common in the USA and internationally". Approximately57.7 million Americans suffer from a mental disorder in a given year, which isapproximately 26.2% of adults. However, the main burden of illness isconcentrated in about 1 in 17 people (6%) who suffer from a serious mentalillness. Approximately half of all people who suffer from a mental disorderprobably suffer from another mental disorder at the same time, expertssay. In the UK, Canada, the USA and much of the developed world, mentaldisorders are the leading cause of disability among people aged 15 to 44. Themost common forms of mental illnesses are:
Anxiety disorders - Most people with an anxiety disorder will tryto avoid exposure to whatever triggers their anxiety. Examples of anxietydisorders include: Panic disorder - the person experiences suddenparalysing terror or imminent disaster. Phobias - these mayinclude simple phobias - disproportionate fear ofobjects, social phobias - fear of being subject to the judgment ofothers, and agoraphobia - dread of situations where getting away orbreaking free may be difficult. Obsessive-compulsive disorder - theperson has obsessions and compulsions. In other words, constant stressfulthoughts (obsessions), and a powerful urge to perform repetitive acts, such ashand washing (compulsion). PSTD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) -this can occur after somebody has been through a traumatic event - somethinghorrible and scary that the person sees or that happens to him or her. Duringthis type of event the person thinks that his/her life or other people's livesare in danger. The sufferer may feel afraid or feel that he/she has no controlover what is happening. Mood disorders - these are also known asaffective disorders or depressive disorders. Patients with these illnessesshare disturbances or mood changes, generally involving either mania (elation)or depression. Expertssay that approximately 80% of patients with depressive disorder improvesignificantly with treatment. Examples of mood disorders include: Majordepression - the sufferer is not longer interested in and does notenjoy activities and events that he/she previously got pleasure from. There areextreme or prolonged periods of sadness. Bipolar disorder - alsoknown as manic-depressive illness, or manic depression. The sufferer oscillatesfrom episodes of euphoria (mania) and depression (despair). Dysthymia -mild chronic depression. Chronic in medicine means continuous and long-term.The patient has a chronic feeling of ill being and/or lack of interest inactivities he/she once enjoyed - but to a lesser extent than in majordepression. SAD (seasonal affective disorder) - a type of majordepression. However, this one is triggered by lack of daylight. People get itin countries far from the equator during late autumn, winter, and early spring.Schizophrenia disorders - The sufferer has thoughts that appearfragmented; he/she also finds it hard to process information. Schizophrenia canhave negative or positive symptoms. Positive symptomsinclude delusions, thought disorders and hallucinations. Negative symptomsinclude withdrawal, lack of motivation and a flat or inappropriate mood. Treatmentsand strategies for mental health problems
There are various ways people with mental healthproblems might receive treatment. It is important to know that what works forone person may not work for another; this is especially the case with mentalhealth. Some strategies or treatment are more successful when combined withothers. The patient himself/herself with a chronic (long-term) mental disordermay draw on different options at different stages in his/her life. The majorityof experts say that the well-informed patient is probably the best judge ofwhat treatment suits him/her better. It is crucial that healthcareprofessionals be aware of this.
Often people wait a longtime before they ask for help they and their family feel that something iswrong but they don’t know what. They also may be reluctant to ask for help inaddition, diagnosing a mental disorder can take time months or even years.Observations by family and friends in the disturbance in your behaviour are thefirst indicators. This should be followed up with psychological tests of anexperience health professional your doctor or a specialized mental healthprofessional such as psychiatrist or psychologist. There are a number ofreasons people struggle with mental disorder they simply don’t know what’swrong they just feel different. Or they feel the can beat it on their own.Exasperated family and friends are at their wits ends to deal with the issue.Yet we know that the earlier people get help, the better the outcome. One wayto get the help you need for yourself or someone you know is to educate yourselfabout what a mental disorder looks like.
As reported by (Reuters) - Europeans are plagued bymental and neurological illnesses, with almost 165 million people or 38 percentof the population suffering each year from a brain disorder such as depression,anxiety, insomnia or dementia, according to a large new study. With onlyabout a third of cases receiving the therapy or medication needed, mentalillnesses cause a huge economic and social burden -- measured in the hundredsof billions of euros -- as sufferers become too unwell to work and personalrelationships break down. "Mental disorders have become Europe's largesthealth challenge of the 21st century," the study's authors said. At thesame time, some big drug companies are backing away from investment in researchon how the brain works and affects behavior, putting the onus on governmentsand health charities to stump up funding for neuroscience. "The immensetreatment gap ... for mental disorders has to be closed," said Hans UlrichWittchen, director of the institute of clinical psychology and psychotherapy atGermany's Dresden University and the lead investigator on the European study.
Help Yourself
Alterations in lifestyle, which may include a better diet, lower alcohol andillegal drug consumption, exercise and getting enough sleep can make enormousdifferences to a mental health patient's mental health.
Diet and mental health
Itis an accepted fact that food affects how people feel, think and behave. Mostexperts accept that dietary interventions could have an impact on a number ofthe mental health challenges society faces today. So, why is it thatgovernments and public health authorities in developed economies invest solittle in developing this knowledge? The evidence is growing and becomingmore compelling that diet can play a significant role in the care and treatmentof people with mental health problems, including depression, ADHD (attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder). Experts are talking about an integratedapproach, which recognizes the interplay of biological, psychological, socialand environmental factors - with diet in the middle of it as being key.Individuals can do something about their diet themselves and improve theirmental health.
It is estimated that in the UK people eat 4 kilogramsof food additives each year. Scientists are not sure what effect decades ofsuch consumption may have on the brain. Governments are reluctant to fund,conduct or publish rigorously controlled large-scale studies, which look at theeffect of additives on human mental health. Changing farming practices haveintroduced higher levels of different types of fat into our diet. For example,chickens reach their ideal weight for slaughter twice as quicklytoday compared to three decades ago - this has changed the nutritional profileof meat, according to a report by the Mental Health Foundation (UK). Threedecades ago a typical chicken carcass used to be 2% fat - today they are awhopping 22%. The omega-3 fatty acid content in chicken meat has dropped whilethe omega-6 fatty acids have risen. The same is happening to farmed fish.
Ourbrains' dry weight consists of approximately 60% fat. Our brain cellmembranes are directly affected by the fats we eat. Saturated fats make ourbrain cell membranes less flexible. Saturated fats are those that harden atroom temperature. 20% of the fat that exists in our brain is made up ofessential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6. The word essential here meanswe cannot make it ourselves, so we have to consume it in order to get it. Fatty acids perform crucial functions in the structuring of neurons (braincells), making sure that optimal communication is maintained within the brain.Nutritionists say omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids should be consumedin equal amounts. If we consume unequal amounts there is a higher chance ofhaving problems with depression, concentration and memory. It is crucialomega-3 intake is kept up. While one study shows a link between omega-3 intakeand mental skills, others show there are benefits for cardiovascularproblems, diabetes, ADHD, and a whole host of other problems:
Trans-fat, which has appeared in growing quantities into much of the food weeat over the last few decades, assumes the same position as essential fattyacids in the brain. In other words, the proper vital nutrients are not able toassume their right position for the brain to function effectively. Trans-fatsare commonly found in cakes, biscuits, shortbread, some pastries and many readymeals. Neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, are made from amino acidswhich we often have to get by eating it. If you want to feed your brain withgood stuff eat less intensively farmed chicken and meat, and go for organicchicken and non-farmed oily fish, such as tuna, sardines, trout, orsalmon.
Run, jog, walk get out of your car and exercise
A Harvard University study found that exercise may help people withdepression by enhancing body image, providing social support from exercisegroups, a distraction for every day worries, heightened self-confidence frommeeting a goal, and altered circulation of the neurotransmitters serotonin,norepinephrine, and the endorphins. Even a very small amount of additionalexercise has been seen to have an important impact on mental health. Exercise can boost an exercise-related gene in the brain that works as apowerful anti-depressant. Apparently, though only 5% of GPs (generalpractitioners, primary care physicians) use it as one of their most regulartreatment responses, compared to 92% who use antidepressants as one of theirmost popular treatment responses. If you have a mental disorder, remember that you can do the exercise yourself.You do not need to wait for your doctor to "prescribe" it for you.Perhaps you should initially check whether you are in acceptable physicalhealth to do exercise. If you are not, insist that your doctor help you devisean exercise plan that suits you. There is evidence that very moderate alcoholconsumption may aid mental health in some cases. However, the evidence isoverwhelming that excessive alcohol has a very bad impact on people's mentalhealth. Whatever your attitude is to alcohol, remember that alcohol will notresolve your mental health problems nor any other problems you might have, andwill most likely make them worse if you are not very, careful.
