So once you have a mental illness........?

Question

Does that mean you're mentally ill for the rest of your life even if you get treatment for it?

Even after your treatment was successful and complete, will that mental illness always be with you for life like an incurable cancer?

Answer 1

The short answer is no. If you obtained treatment and the treatment was successful and you have no need at this time for ongoing medication or psychotherapy you would no longer be classified as mentally ill. Could you become mentally ill again at some point in your life? Sure, anyone could. But that fact does not make you mentally ill now, only perhaps more susceptible to emotional problems at some future time. There are some folks with mental disorders such as schizophrenia who do require very long-term treatment, at least including medication. In that case they would be considered to be mentally ill for the entire time that they need some degree of treatment for their disorder. Even in these cases, they may have periods of remission during which their symptoms are usually being managed through medication. In your case, if your treatment was completely successful then you would no longer be considered mentally ill.

Answer 2

I believe that's how it works, yes, at least for insurance-disclosure purposes. Even when a mental illness is "treated" there are no competent professionals who will say that the illness is completely "cured." You must always disclose or risk losing coverage when you need it most. (This is just my understanding of the issue, not a legal opinion, as I've never researched this.)

(Note that some conditions that appear to be "mental illness" but which were clearly caused by some specific biological problem, such as a brain tumor, may be "cured.")

I've been diagnosed with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), and with Depression. The PTSD is essentially "resolved" after years of therapy, and I take medication which has successfully treated the depression.

I'm absolutely certain that if I ever omitted that information from a health insurance application, and later needed coverage for treatment for a mental illness, the insurance company would absolutely refuse to cover it and might terminate my insurance. At one time, I applied for and was denied disability insurance because I'd been treated for a mental illness -- they didn't care what or why.

How do you "get around this" and get health insurance that includes coverage for mental illness? The most practical way is to get hired by a company that provides good group health insurance, with no exclusions for prior conditions. Another way is to participate in a state's "high risk pool" which accepts anyone but at very high rates for limited coverage; after a year or two you can convert that policy to an individual policy, also with very high rates and limited coverage.

NOTE that different rules almost certainly apply to questions about mental illness on employment or education applications; I think it would be completely illegal for an employer to ask any questions about past mental illness unless there is a clear and direct relationship to the job functions. The Americans with Disabilities Act provides some remarkable protection against unreasonable discrimination based on a disability (and disability is defined to include someone's belief that you are disabled, even if you are NOT disabled).

Answer 3

If the "treatment" was "successful" and "complete" then you should no longer be mentally ill, right? Unfortunately, those who provide the "treatment" actually know very little about what actually causes mental illness. The "chemical imbalance" theory has been used since the days of Freud to explain how we can become mentally ill and is the main selling point for using medication. Yet there is still no way to physically test the level of efficacy (through blood tests or maybe someday test the function of neurotransmitter chemicals) of medication treatment. Only through trial and error and subjective observation (How do you feel today?) do doctors somehow determine wether or not the treatment is working. Mental illness is one of the most frustrating health conditions to cope with and I hope someday within my lifetime the pharmaceutical companies and doctors will figure it out. Maybe then the stigma will go away but I doubt it.

Answer 4

Some people go into complete remission and never have symptoms again.

Others have symptoms of mental illness and need to have treatment for the rest of their lives.

Some diagnoses are always considered short term; such as Adjustment Disorders and Brief Reactive Psychosis. Someone can have Major Depression, Single Episode, and the symptoms never come back once they have resolved. Some people have diagnoses that are usually long term such as Bipolar or Schizophrenia and go into complete remission.

I have tried getting off my medication a few times but I always wind up taking it again. I have been diagnosed with two kinds of depression: Major Depression, Recurrent, and Dysthymic Disorder. It's probably permanent for me.

Answer 5

As long as you continue to stay on treatment you can behave and function normally. Does diabetes ever go completely away? No however, you can treat it and live a very productive and normal life. Most people who have a mental illness have varying degrees of it. Anxiety, depression, postraumatic stress, ocd,add, I can go on and on. As long as it can be controlled with medication what is the big deal if you always have it. There are worse fates in life.

Answer 6

When's there ill, there's always a cure. Mental illness is due to lack of self-esteem, unhealthy social life & relationship, and no spiritual growth and prolonged negative thoughts + emotions (depression).

In my opinion, this illness can be cured if one goes to church & accept the Lord for spiritual healing.

medicine can do no good if s/he still thinks negative thoughts and isolate from the society.

Think about that.

Answer 7

no, if you have a mental illness now, like depression, it doesnt mean that you will have a mental illness or have that "title" on you. you can get over a mental illness just like you can a physical illness. the only difference is, ones in your head, the other is physically there

Answer 8

I agree....Once you are diagnosed with a Mental Illness, it is yours for life. I think if it is a disorder, I think then that's different like panic disorder, can be cured. Other illnesses are controlled.

This is the way my 'shrink' explained it to me.

Answer 9

Yes. Wow. I've just realized the full extent of my mental illness and the effects it will have on the rest of my life.

Oh my!

Answer 10

it depends... some mental illnesses can be manageable, such as bipolar disorder.

sometimes a person can overcome anxiety or panic.

schizophrenia is not cureable.. but manageable; however it is a disease of the brain and can cause a lot of damage and shrinking of the brain.

for more information, you can do a web search on MANAGING MENTAL ILLNESS or CURING MENTAL ILLNESS.... lots of info on the web