Do You Believe In Mental Illness?

Question

What ever happened to being sad happy and mad?
Don't you think this is strange that all of a sudden everyone is crazy?
You never heard about the cowboys and indians having anxiety disorder and depression!
Even I have fell victim of thinking I have disorders thanks to the media.
I have came to the conclusion that 90%-98% of people that think they are mentally ill really aren't.
I used to be on all types of medication and calling the doctor everytime I seen a comercial for " Are you experiencing....?" But then I came to the realiztion it was all in my head.
Thank goodness I am back to to the three simple basic emotions.
What are your thoughts on this?

Answer 1

Illness is in the eye of the beholder. An epileptic in ancient Greece was holy, not crazy.

So the distinction is arbitrary. You have issues. You deal with them if you choose. Sometimes this involves some sort of neurological manipulation in the form of drugs, meditation, diet change, breating exercises, and so on.

You may be able to do it entirely without any external influence, but remember *all* mental processes are chemically mediated at some point. Even dealing with it "in your head" modifies your brain chemistry.

And so what? The point is that you've solved your problem. What doesn't matter a whit is how you *think* about how you've solved your problem.

Answer 2

Mental illness does exist, degrees of behavior which template patterns within our culture, some form of brain chemistry disorder, it would seem that some of what may be referenced to as mental illness may only be anxiety and motivation, the distinctions are
too complex to answer here.
There is a very interesting book by:
Julian Jaynes " The Origins Of Consciousness In The Break
Of Down of The Bicameral Mind "
It isn't an easy read if one is not use to the ideas of psychology
and jargon, but it is an interesting look at a thinkers view of
perhaps what our past mentality may have been like ....
Jaynes postulates that schizophrenia as we see it today is a contemporary fall back to a previous mentality ..
Yes !!
Shocking indeed, yet he makes an interesting case for thought ..... I could go on and on but this is not the forum to use up space for discussions so profound and never ending ideas of our mental evolution ......

Answer 3

I think that one reason we don't hear of many famous people being mentally ill is because of the stigma of the illness. Even now, it goes on. Usually untreated. Many homeless folks are severely mentally ill.

Remember:

The brain can get sick just like any other organ in the body.

Medical science is constantly growing in treatments of mental illness as research continues.

Yeah, it's great you can say you're mad or sad or glad. But an imbalance in brain chemistry can be a hard nut to crack. For me, medications are an important tool, but certainly not the only one. And I realize everyone has to find their own path on the journey of life, so good luck on yours.

Answer 4

YES....I believe in mental illness. Some people have serious chemical imbalances in their bodies. These people need medication to replace that chemical so they can function properly again. I agree that some people only "think" they have a problem mentally, but that has to be deicded by a doctor. What about bipolar disorder and manic depression? Both of these conditions need medications to put people on an even keel. Without that, they could not function properly in society.

Answer 5

Just because we didn't have a name for mental illness in the past doesn't mean it didn't exist. People may have a personality which leans toward certain mental conditions, but if it doesn't affect their everyday lives, it's not necessarily mental illness. In college, I took an abnormal psychology class, and had a problem because I kept diagnosing my friends. People can get depressed at times, for example, but if it continually interferes with their everyday lives, and changes their outlook on life, it can be clinical depression.

My ex-mother-in-law is another example. She not only believed the world was out to get her, she had specific people pegged as the ones (people she hadn't even seen in years, and who showed no signs of wanting to see her). She claimed that another woman who was murdered looked just like her, and that she was the real target. I'd say that's beyond the pail enough to descend into mental illness.

Answer 6

mental illnesses do exist; things like schizophrenia, psychosis, etc.

however a lot of what is being diagnosed should be treated with therapy, or a day at the beach with an ice-cream (that would cheer me up!). most of it is due to pressure from the drug companies I think. they come up with a pill that solves whatever problem, and suddenly all doctors start finding these "illnesses".

a good example is ADHD. while some kids might have it, a recent study has shown that in most cases they kids just aren't getting enough sleep at night. they are acting squirrelly coz they are over tired. yet they are being prescribed Ritalin anyway.

Answer 7

Some people really are mentally ill. I think some cannot control it though. Medications are poison. Our bodies do not need it. Doctors get rich prescribing us medications for things we do not even have. I refuse to take any medications unless I am dying or something to that effect.

All medications have side effects. Why in the world wuld you take one just to feel something worse, like a heart attack or dizzyness, etc??? I don't understand it. The commercials make us think we need all of that. People, wake up! Stop taking the poison- you don't need it! Control yourself and make yourself healthy- you will never need any prescription.

Answer 8

Perhaps you shouldn't be too quick to rule it out completely. And it's not as simple as crazy/not crazy. There are people who have dedicated their lives to the fact that mental illness exists in many forms: depression, bi-polar syndrome, panic and anxiety to name just a few--and they all exist largely because of chemical imbalances in the brain. Psychologists and psychiatrists with Ph.Ds are able to diagnose what laboratory scientists themselves have witnessed: the inability of the brain to produce the natural chemicals, the over-production of certain chemicals, and the inability of the mind to relay chemical messages, all leading to mental illnesses. And yes, I believe in mental illness, because of the proclivity in my family toward depressive tendencies, one un-diagnosed case leading to the suicide of a dear cousin. It's not wise to simply dismiss it completely--the really unhappy part is the inability of many people to be able to find or afford a professional that's worth his or her weight in salt! If I had not found such a person six years ago, I wouldn't be here writing this today. As for you, we all are different, and you strike me as one who very well could have a mind that is perfectly functional on all cylinders, and one who is strong enough to survive just about anything. In any case, I wish you well always!

Answer 9

i agree, alot of times doctors give meds too fast, but there is advancement and studies taken that werent available years ago as to mental illness, we now know what part of the brain causes depression, etc, and how best to treat it, Its become a very fast paced world we live in too, and i think that contributes to the anxiety,

Answer 10

Do I believe in mental illness? the fact is, I'm a victim of mental illness.