| Mental Health Matters: | Mental Illness |
Understanding Mental Illness
Mental illness is very common. In Britain,doctors diagnose six million people as mentally ill every year. But there is a great deal of controversy about what it is, what causes it and how people can be helped to recover.
Many people who have been diagnosed as mentally ill say that being labelled and treated in this way has caused them alot of hardship. Because of this, MIND prefers to talk about mental or emotional distress, rather than mental illness.
What is it?
Mental distress is about feelings, and behaviour.
What about Diagnoses
Psychiatrists have attempted to classify mental distress into different categories, with their own names. Some of these names are easy to understand, such as depression or anxiety. Phobias are fears of objects or situations which most people can face without anxiety. Claustrophobia is fear of enclosed spaces. Agoraphobia is fear of being away from the security of the home. A dramatic disturbance in a person's thoughts and feelings, accompanied by behaviour which appears bizarre to others, may lead to a diagnosis of schizophrenia. manic depression is characterized by periods of deep depression and of very excited behaviour.
Causes of Mental Distress
Each person's views about the causes of mental distress are shaped by their life experiences, their political or religious beliefs or their training. The following are some of the possible causes:
- Difficult family background
- Suppression of feelings
- Stressful life events
- Bio-chemistry
- Genes
The Mental Health System
The most powerful image of the mental health system is the large mental hospital on the edge of town, surrounded by a high wall. people would disappear into them, never to be seen again. In fact these Victorian institutions are slowly being closed down because it has become unacceptable to incarcerate people with mental health problems and isolate them from their communities.
Drugs
By far the most common treatment is a prescription of psychotropic drugs,given by the G.P. Some calm you down,help you sleep,lift depression or stop you having disturbing thoughts. They have many benefits but also many disadvantages.
Hospital Treatment
Hospital can provide a place of 'asylum' which offers shelter and protection. It can also be an opportunity for the staff to assess your needs. Unfortunately,though, a stay in hospital is often a distressing experience. In recent years people who use the services have been meeting together to think about what they want from the mental health system. They want to have more say in their own treatment and have more informed choices.
For Friends And Relatives
If someone you are close to becomes mentally distressed it is likely to provoke strong feelings. It can be hurtful to see their suffering and you may feel angry if little help is offered. It can also be frightening to be with a person who is feeling desperate or acting strangely. It can disrupt your life and you may find yourself in a caring role you did not choose.
Attitudes Towards Mental Health
If there is one word which describes the general attitude towards mental distress it is fear. We are fearful of experiencing painful emotions, of being out of control or of losing all we have. We may also be scared of drugs or of being locked up in a mental hospital. Other examples of attitudes include:
- Lack of sympathy and understanding
- Ineffectual treatments
- Unpopular cause
- Discrimination
All this makes it harder for people to recover from mental distress
Positive Mental Health
We are used to being encouraged to look after our physical health, perhaps by being encouraged to give up smoking, taking regular exercise and cutting down the amount of fat in our diets. By following this advice we may not only avoid serious illness,but also positively improve our sense of physical well-being. We can try to help our Mental well being by some of the following:
- Learning to relax
- Learning to deal with difficult situations
- Setting goals
- Expressing feelings
- Facing up to problems
- Finding someone to talk to
How Mind in Manchester can help.
Contact the Information service on
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0161 272 8205 |
The Information service provides information about mental health services and groups in Manchester over the telephone and in writing via letter, fax and email. The Information service is generally staffed during the daytime. An answer machine is available at all times and we will endeavour to return your call within 48 hours.
Write to us at:
Unit 25,
The Progress Centre,
Charlton Place,
Ardwick Green
Manchester
M12 6HS
Email us at:
info@mind-in-manchester.org.uk