Introduction To Mental Health And Illness

Introduction: Like many subject understanding mental health is complex and consists of different terms and definitions. For many people being diagnosed with a mental illness is stigmatizing experience.
It is important to understand that all human being at some point in their life are affected by mental distress , that may be due to stress at work, due to loss of a family member or a close friend etc but not all of them suffer from a metal disorder that could be named and given a diagnosis.
Only some group of people suffer from certain medical conditions that could be diagnosed as mental or psychiatric disorders.
Mental disorders may need treatment just like other illness like diabetes or heart disease but at times it is difficult to mange patients with mental illness because patient's acceptance for the illness, use of medications or counselling alone, and needs for hospitalization differ.

One way of understanding mental distress is to view it from the stand point of those who have experienced it.

Definition Of Mental Illness: A mental illness is a disease that causes mild to severe disturbances in thought and/or behavior, resulting in an inability to cope with life’s ordinary demands and routines.

There are more than 200 classified forms of mental illness. Some of the more common disorders are depression, bipolar disorder, dementia, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders. Symptoms may include changes in mood, personality, personal habits and/or social withdrawal.

Violence And Mental Illness Are Usually Not Connected: it is a misperception by majority of the people that the violence caused in the society is from mentally sick people which is not true. Instead studies have shown that people who act violently are mostly young males of low socioeconomic status and under the influence of drugs or alcohol and not any mental medical condition.
The media presents a picture of links with metal distress and violent behavior and this leads to people not getting medical help for their mental illness as they are scared to be rejected by the society.

Relation Between Public Health And Mental Health: 
The term public health has two meaning:

1. The first dealing with medical conditions that are a threat to the public and 
2. second in the epidemiological context, measuring disease and planning strategies to prevent illness.

Mental health problems place a considerable burden on public health, the economy and the individual and social relationships.

There is evidence from studies that people suffering from mental illness have worse physical conditions compared to the general population.

People At Risk  To Mental Illness:
There are some particularly vulnerable groups that include:

• abused people
• people who misuse drugs
• alcoholics
• prisoners
• refugees
• homeless people
• people with disabilities.

Role Of  Medical Professionals  And Social Services : People with mental illness usually isolate themselves and they need help from medical professionals as well as social services.
It is important to :

• Provide support for those suffering silently with some kind of mental distress or illness.
• Provide a secure environment where people can feel safe and share there problems.
• A service which can help people meet their emotional, social, physical and spiritual needs. 
• Provide a range of services on an individual, group and community basis. 
• Support people to live a normal life as much as possible. 
• Offer support to the family and care givers. 
• Help in hospital admission whenever needed.  

Stigma And Discrimination In Metal Health: The stigma of mental illness and distress refers to an idea that such an experience is a disgrace and an embarrassment not only for the person suffering from it but also to those around them.
To be mental distressed is sometimes considered to be a sign of personal weakness and failure.
Mental illness is considered to be something from which a person can never recover and therefore leaves people tainted for life if diagnosed with a disorder at some point.
Due to this stigma , people fear to apply for jobs, isolate themselves and try to conceal their past history. People feel that they need to keep their distress a secret from others.

Managing Mental Health Problems: 
The treatment for mental illness depends on the type of mental disorder a person may have , its severity and what works best for them. In many cases, a combination of treatments works best.

In cases of  mild mental illness with well-controlled symptoms, treatment from one health care provider may be sufficient. However, often a team approach is appropriate to make sure all the psychiatric, medical and social needs are met. This is especially important for severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia.

The treatment team may include :

• Family or primary care doctor
• Nurse practitioner
• Physician assistant
• Psychiatrist, a medical doctor who diagnoses and treats mental illnesses
• Psychotherapist, such as a psychologist or a licensed counselor
• Pharmacist
• Social worker
• Family members

Role Of Medicines: Although psychiatric medications don't cure mental illness, they can often significantly improve symptoms. Psychiatric medications can also help make other treatments, such as psychotherapy, more effective.