If one has mental disorders, and doesn't get them treated...?

Question

is it possible that more, serious disorders will develop?

Answer 1

it is more likely that the disorder one has wils get worse.

for example, you may be clinically depressed, but after being that depressed for 30 years you will be REALLY depressed. maybe not able to even work up the energy to see a doc about it.

Schizophrenia can develop in the late teenage years. If it is treated, you can have a mostly normal like - but without treatment, there are so many things that are radically different about the behavior of a schizophrenic that your life may fall completely apart. so it gets worse with time, and effects you life more, but i don't think there is evidence that a more serious disorder will happen.

If I were answering this question on a college test, i would say that we have no evidence that a person with one untreated mental disorder is likely to develop another. But the existing disorder can get worse and worse.

However, there is a likely exception. If the mental disorder is caused by a brain injury, or if one has a seizure disorder ( not the same as a mental disorder) where there are many seizures per day, or if there is a tumor, things CAN get worse if there is not treated.

and the tumor thing is a real issue. brain tumors can be removed, not all are malignant, but they can be growing, continuing to make new problems.
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all this may depend on what the mental disorder is. and also if this is a diagnosis from a professional, as opposed to me or you saying that some other person has a mental disorder.

Answer 2

They can Decompensate depending on the nature or Family of the Primary disorder.
There are Hundreds of Families of Disorders according to the DSM IV and Thousands of Psycho Pathologies within those Families and the Conditions and Circumstances under which they choose to live and subject their emotional Stressors and how they feed themselves.
Often, Dual Diagnosis/Co Occurring Disorders or people who indicate substance abuse with a Mental Illness will always fare poorly. They will include outside and Societal intervention to a number.
What you put into your Mind is as important as what you put into your Body.

Answer 3

I would assume that it could definitely make things worse, I don't know if other disorders could develop. But why would you want to suffer like that? The only thing you can do to stop the effects of the disorder is to get treatment.

Answer 4

It would really depend on the individual and the disorder. It's all relative to you. If it's something like depression, it could lead to suicide in some instances. Sometimes there are other underlying causes to disorders. It's always a good idea to get some help. :)

Answer 5

it wouldnt surprise me, but i dont think there is any research about it. i'm thinking depression. if its not treated, it can get much worse, to the point i think it can become manic depression. or possible tranform into some type of ocd depending on how you try to control it yourself. i also wouldnt be surprised if extreamly depressed people have personality disorders. my mom knows this woman who was severely depressed as a kid and now has several personalities, some of them extreamly strong, like she created them to cope.

but, i dont know what you mean by mental disorders, if you had anything in mind, and i dont know what you mean by SERIOUS disorders. this is just my opinion.

Answer 6

Depends what theories you believe. I happen to think that most mental disorders are failed attempts to cope with difficult situations. As long as the difficult situation persists, the person keeps trying to use the failed method of coping, such as giving a "thumbs down" to every answer in a question.

When the failed method doesn't work, the person tries it more. "Obviously, I'm not cutting/drinking/hallucinating ENOUGH. So I just need to do it more..."

So if it's YOU we're talking about, you need to find other more functional ways to cope. If it's someone you are trying to help, point out to them that what they're doing isn't working, they need to try something else.

If you need ideas of some positive ways to cope, let me know.

Answer 7

Many mental disorders are caused by chemical imbalances.

It is important to have a thorough history done and plenty of blood testing to be aware of any chemical imbalances.

Answer 8

usually people who have untreated mental disorders tend to self medicate themselves as a way of dealing with they're going through

Answer 9

Yes and no! Depends on the condition and how severe it is!
Check with your family doctor and ask for a recommendation
for further help!

Answer 10

Yes. The risk/danger is there.....

My ex has bi-polar disorder. he was diagnosed in his mid-thirties after a full blown manic episode started to develope into psychotic behavior. He was treated successfully for a few years after but then got the idea into his head that he could micro-manage his disorder....you see he liked being mildly maniac, thought he was creative during it and it gave him energy. His psychiatrists tried to tell him that micro-managing the disorder wasn't within the relm of medicine.....and if the mania wasn't controlled/repressed he would continue to slide from mild mania to full blown mania, then become psychotic. My ex wouldn't listen. He started taking his meds improperly and mixed them with over the counter medictions and alcohol....
.....the end result was several involuntary commitments....and an episode of medication induced seisures.....after that he behaved but that didn't last...it was during one of his manic episodes that he walked out on me and the kids.....by that time I wasn't able to handle it anymore as he started to become physically abusive while manic. A long conversation with his psychiatric ( a wonderful man, straight forward & tell it like it is doctor) where he apologised to me for not being able to treat my ex successfully and advised me at that point to do what was best for my kids & myself), I let the ex go and started a new life for myself.

At this point in time my ex is so bad his own family can't tolerate him anymore. He's not allowed to drive anymore because of constant manic/psychotic episodes followed by abuse of his meds.....he's literally burnt his brain out. He cannot retain anything as far as short term memory, his long term memory is spotty....he has difficulty in concentrating or understanding conversations and is prone to black-outs and seisures...all self induced due to medication abuse/allowing himself to go manic one too many times. The only job he can hold is packing boxes....and he has to bike to work. He now lives near a brother who stops in to see him once in a while, who has to have power of attorney since the ex is unable to manage his own affairs.....
.....all of this his former psychiatrists (he's had several)warned him about if he didn't follow dr's advice and take his meds...and take them properly. And there is always the risk that with the next manic episode he'll slide into a pychotic mania that no treatment can bring him out of. If that happens he be in an institution for the rest of his life........or he'll start messing with the meds again and this time kill himself.

The only upside to all of this is that one of our kids is also bi-polar (it's believed to be hereditary) and seeing her father scared her so she takes her meds/stays with the program and is considered a success story by her dr's)

A tragedy, for this is a smart guy with a college education....he is not a bad person and his life didn't have to be this way....but his Mother enabled by letting him run home to hr constantly and she excused justifed his bad behavior when the drs told her not to, which gave him the excuse to continue...his family enabled by keeping their mouths shut and not calling the Mother on the carpet for it....Me and my kids are fine for we have moved on and have happy productive lives....the only one who truely paid the price is my ex, especially since his mother has passed and his family can't tolerate him any more......

To anyone with a mental health issue...get help, get treatment, and follow the Doctor's advice TO THE LETTER.
It won't be an easy road, but your life willl be far better dispite the disorder if you keep on the right path then if you don't.
In the end the only one who truely pays the price if you don't is you. Good Luck to all......