when does your mental health become a problem

7/28/2019 When Does Your Mental Health Become a Problem

1/3

When does your mental health becomeproblem?

People often

experience sadness in response to difficult life events, but when does this become a mental health

problem?

One in four people are expected to experience a mental health problem,yet stigma and discrimination are still very common. Myths such asassuming mental illness is somehow down to a 'personal weakness' stillexist.

How do we define mental health?

A person who is considered 'mentally healthy' is someone who can cope withthe normal stresses of life and carry out the usual activities they need to inorder to look after themselves; can realise their potential; and make acontribution to their community. However, your mental health or sense of'wellbeing' doesn't always stay the same and can change in response tocircumstances and stages of life.

Everyone will go through periods when they feel emotions such as stress andgrief, but symptoms of mental illnesses last longer than normal and are oftennot a reaction to daily events. When these symptoms become severe enoughto interfere with a person's ability to function, they may be considered to havea significant psychological or mental illness.

Someone with clinical depression, for example, will feel persistent and intensesadness, making them withdrawn and unmotivated. These symptoms usuallydevelop over several weeks or months, although occasionally can come onmuch more rapidly.


2/3

Mental health problems are defined and classified to help experts refer peoplefor the right care and treatment. The symptoms are grouped in two broadcategories - neurotic and psychotic.

Neurotic conditions are extreme forms of 'normal' emotional experiences such

as depression, anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Around oneperson in 10 experiences these mood disorders at any one time. Psychoticsymptoms affect around one in 100 and these interfere with a person'sperception of reality, impairing their thoughts and judgments. Conditionsinclude schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Mental illness is common but fortunately most people recover or learn to livewith the problem, especially if diagnosed early.

What causes mental illness?

Continue reading the main story

How common are mental illnesses in the UK?

Anxiety will affect 10% of the population

Bipolar disorder will affect one in 100

One in every 150 15-year-old girls will get anorexia, and one in every 1000 15-year-old boys

20% of people will become depressed at some point in their lives

OCD will affect 2% Personality disorder will affect one in 10, though for some it won't be severe

Schizophrenia will affect one in 100

Source: Royal College of Psychiatrists

The exact cause of most mental illnesses is not known but a combination ofphysical, psychological and environmental factors are thought to play a role.

Many mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder can run in families, whichsuggests a genetic link. Experts believe many mental illnesses are linked to

abnormalities in several genes that predispose people to problems, but don'ton their own directly cause them. So a person can inherit a susceptibility to acondition but may not go on to develop it.

Psychological risk factors that make a person more vulnerable includesuffering, neglect, loss of a parent, or experiencing abuse.

Difficult life events can then trigger a mental illness in a person who issusceptible. These stressors include illness, divorce, death of a loved one,losing a job, substance abuse, social expectations and a dysfunctional family

life.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/0/22028518#story_continues_1http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21613924http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21968714http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/0/22028518#story_continues_1http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21613924http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21968714


3/3

When is someone thought to be mentally ill?

A mental illness can not be 'tested' by checking blood or body fluids. Instead itis diagnosed, usually by an experienced psychiatrist or clinical psychologist,after studying a patient's symptoms and monitoring them over a period of time.

Continue reading the main story

How ICD-10 classifies bipolar affective disorder:

'A disorder characterized by two or more episodes in which the patient's mood and activity levels are

significantly disturbed, this disturbance consisting on some occasions of an elevation of mood and

increased energy and activity (hypomania or mania) and on others of a lowering of mood and

decreased energy and activity (depression). '

Many different mental illnesses can have overlapping symptoms, so it can be

difficult to tell the conditions apart.

To diagnose a mental health condition, psychiatrists in the UK may refer to theWorld Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases (ICD)system. This lists known mental health problems and their symptoms undervarious sub-categories. It is updated around every 15 years.

Some experts argue that the current system relies too strongly on medicalapproaches for mental health problems. They say it implies the roots ofemotional distress are simply in brain abnormalities and underplay the socialand psychological causes of distress.

They argue that this leads to a reliance on anti-depressants and anti-psychoticdrugs despite known significant side-effects and poor evidence of theireffectiveness.

For symptoms and more information, visit NHS Choices
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/0/22028518#story_continues_2http://apps.who.int/classifications/icd10/browse/2010/en#/Vhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20986796http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20986796http://www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/Mentalhealth/Pages/Mentalhealthhome.aspxhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/science/0/22028518#story_continues_2http://apps.who.int/classifications/icd10/browse/2010/en#/Vhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20986796http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20986796http://www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/Mentalhealth/Pages/Mentalhealthhome.aspx

when does your mental health become a problem

Documents