What is mental illness?

[khaimera]

I often think about the answer to this question and can never come up with one. As a licensed mental health therapist its my job to help people who suffer from "mental illness". The quotes are intentional becuase I have argued, like others before me, that mental illness does not exist. Rather, it is an invention of man to try and explain the unexplainable.

Technically, according to the DSM-IV or the ICD 10 if you are not from America, mental illness is defined as a set of behaviors or psychological symptoms that cause either significant disctress or a disruption in functioning. Thats just an all encompasisng politically correct defintion. But then again, who decides what is an ilness? How sad to you have to be to be diagnosed with depression?

So my question to you is, how would you define mental illness and how do yo know if you have one.

Also, if you have any questions regarding mental illness I will do my best to answer them. I've studied psychology for 8 years and have been working in the field for 3.

 

[SomethingUnrelated]

Wikipedia says : A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern that occurs in an individual and is thought to cause distress or disability that is not expected as part of normal development or culture.

I can't think of a better one.

 

[Neonbob]

Hm.
I do not think I can define a mental illness well enough to validate me posting a definition of my own here, and I'm not going to use wikipedia(lazy).
So I'll just give you some questions.
This isn't so much to do with mental illness as it is with you, but...
What is the most interesting mental illness, in your opinion?

And what is the one you've run into most often?

 

[Cargando]

I think of it like psychological sickness. It can be physical (eg. brain damage) or purely mental (such as depression).

 

[khaimera]

Wikipedia says : A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern that occurs in an individual and is thought to cause distress or disability that is not expected as part of normal development or culture.

I can't think of a better one.

But who defines what is normal? That last part of the definition was added becuase some cultures use practices that others might deem as sadistic or just plain bizarre.

 

[Abedeus]

Wikipedia says : A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern that occurs in an individual and is thought to cause distress or disability that is not expected as part of normal development or culture.

I can't think of a better one.

But who defines what is normal? That last part of the definition was added becuase some cultures use practices that others might deem as sadistic or just plain bizarre.

Society. Where void, group of people nearby. Where void, your normal behaviour.

Also, being poor. Cookies for reference are in order.

 

[khaimera]

Hm.
I do not think I can define a mental illness well enough to validate me posting a definition of my own here, and I'm not going to use wikipedia(lazy).
So I'll just give you some questions.
This isn't so much to do with mental illness as it is with you, but...
What is the most interesting mental illness, in your opinion?

And what is the one you've run into most often?

Its definitely not easy to define and even the medical community cannot agree on a defintion.

To answer your questions. The most interesting, and also most rare, is dissociative identity disorder. It used to be called multiple personality disorder. It is very rare, and very hard to treat.

The one I see the most is depression. And given the state of the world, it will become more and more prevalent. Second would be social anxiety.

 

[Cmwissy]

As a 'Pseudo-psychotic' (meaning I'm probably psychotic but they don't want to 'label' me just yet)

I was diagnosed and put into a hospital for these reasons.

.Not cutting my hair
.Not washing
.Not Going to school
.Being happy
.Playing video games

As you can see - it is mostly vanity based things that I refused too do - I would answer back to my Psychiatrist - I would outwit her, easily.

She would say 'People need to wash to feel good about themselves'
I would reply 'No, people need to wash because they society has ingrained into them the idea that by being aesthetically pleasing, good things will happen'

She would shut up.

I didn't go to school because it was a cage - I can safely say I've learnt more of the abuse of the internet than the abuse of school.

When I was in school - I knew nothing, i tiped lik dis lol, and I had little attention span.

When I left school - I saw options, I could be free to be myself.

And lastly - I played video games, the escapist (A gaming community) probably understands this one fully.

I play games to have fun.



In final - I am happy - I am not ill, society had labeled me as such because I am not like them.

 

[Lord George]

Well I believe some problems such as Schizophrenia are not mental illness's but simply a different way of seeing the world and mind, for example its likely William Blake may have been Schizophrenic with the whole seeing and talking to angels thing and the guy was a freaky genius so you know. I know personally that some of the things I've seen and heard have inspired my writings in quite creative ways.

 

[Mako SOLDIER]

With all due respect, as a sufferer of depression (and genralised anxiety and panic disorder, both of which are technically disorders of the nervous system), I have no time for the opinion that mental illness does not exist. Try explaining that to the scizophrenic who's driven half mad by the audio and visual hallucinations that just won't stop no matter what they do. Try telling someone who has become convinced that they're under surveillence or that their brain is frying in their head (all things I've known people to experience) that they just need to pull themselves together.

Sorry to be agressive, but people who dismiss mental illness make me sick and deserve to experience it for themselves, just so they know what it's like. After all, you don't go up to people who have ancer or aids and tell them they're just making it up, and mental illness can be just as debilitating (and contrary to some beliefs, is a measurable proven thing).

In fact, if you don't believe that mental illness exists, why are you a therapist?

 

[Ammadessi]

Saying mental illness doesn't exist is a poor way to get those of us who are mentally ill to help you understand. Just saying, it's kind of like me walking up to an amputee and saying "well I don't really believe that you have no legs, but..."

I've been diagnosed with bipolar disorder for 12 years, and am currently medicated for it. Without medications I would be in a psychiatric hospital or dead, simple as that.

Without medication I am a completely different person. Without medication I am unable to care for myself or be a productive member of society. I have wanted to die, I have wanted to kill myself, I have been admitted to a psychiatric hospital for being a threat to myself. I have wanted to crawl out of my own skin and throw myself in front of a train just to get away from myself. I became a hermit because I was sure that everyone was saying nasty things about me when I left the house.

I have been stable for 4 years now. I look back and that and it's just horrifying.

Mental Illness exists, and it's nigh impossible to describe to someone who hasn't been touched by it.

 

[khaimera]

As a 'Pseudo-psychotic' (meaning I'm probably psychotic but they don't want to 'label' me just yet)

I was diagnosed and put into a hospital for these reasons.

.Not cutting my hair
.Not washing
.Not Going to school
.Being happy
.Playing video games

As you can see - it is mostly vanity based things that I refused too do - I would answer back to my Psychiatrist - I would outwit her, easily.

She would say 'People need to wash to feel good about themselves'
I would reply 'No, people need to wash because they society has ingrained into them the idea that by being aesthetically pleasing, good things will happen'

She would shut up.

I didn't go to school because it was a cage - I can safely say I've learnt more of the abuse of the internet than the abuse of school.

When I was in school - I knew nothing, i tiped lik dis lol, and I had little attention span.

When I left school - I saw options, I could be free to be myself.

And lastly - I played video games, the escapist (A gaming community) probably understands this one fully.

I play games to have fun.

This is a great example of society deciding what is normal and what is not. Sure being clean is appreciated by others, but if its not your thing and you're truly happy with it, run with it.

 

[Cmwissy]

With all due respect, as a sufferer of depression (and genralised anxiety and panic disorder, both of which are technically disorders of the nervous system), I have no time for the opinion that mental illness does not exist. Try explaining that to the scizophrenic who's driven half mad by the audio and visual hallucinations that just won't stop no matter what they do. Try telling someone who has become convinced that they're under surveillence or that their brain is frying in their head (all things I've known people to experience) that they just need to pull themselves together.

Sorry to be agressive, but people who dismiss mental illness make me sick and deserve to experience it for themselves, just so they know what it's like. After all, you don't go up to people who have ancer or aids and tell them they're just making it up, and mental illness can be just as debilitating (and contrary to some beliefs, is a measurable proven thing).

Agreed, these people should not be treated as such 'Crazy though' I have had hallucinations - lots of them.

Nature vs nurture here - Nurture for me; wins.

We are who we are because we are ingrained into that - we should not blame the 'mentally ill' we should blame the people who made them like that.

 

[Cmwissy]

Snip

This is a great example of society deciding what is normal and what is not. Sure being clean is appreciated by others, but if its not your thing and you're truly happy with it, run with it.

Thanks - these people preach tolerance yet cant see past their own vanities.

 

[Piecewise]

mental illness does not exist

I suppose, if mental illness doesn't exist, I should ask whats wrong with the homeless man who stands in an alley near my house, screaming nudely at a wall about how the government took his soul? Or with my girlfriend, who is a ball of sunshine on her meds but seriously hide-the-sharp-objects suicidal off them. Or perhaps my best friend who suffers from visual and auditory hallucinations on a daily basis to the point that he often dodges or side steps things that aren't there.

I can understand the problem of deciding where the borderline lies; what is just a little too sad to be normal and what is just sad enough to be ok, but just boldfacedly stating that mental illness does not exist strikes me as, well, idiotic.

If you were to ask me I'd probably give a pretty wide variety of things that need mental help. Basically anything that really gets in the way of either the persons life or seriously harms society. Besides that, not much.

 

[FinalGamer]

I'd call mental illness as any psychological condition that imposes difficulty upon everyday things from washing yourself to eating to social interaction.

Bipolar disorder could be that. But what about something like Asperger's Syndrome and Autism? Is that considered a mental illness by that definition?

 

[Cmwissy]

mental illness does not exist

I suppose, if mental illness doesn't exist, I should ask whats wrong with the homeless man who stands in an alley near my house, screaming nudely at a wall about how the government took his soul? Or with my girlfriend, who is a ball of sunshine on her meds but seriously hide-the-sharp-objects suicidal off them. Or perhaps my best friend who suffers from visual and auditory hallucinations on a daily basis to the point that he often dodges or side steps things that aren't there.

I can understand the problem of deciding where the borderline lies; what is just a little too sad to be normal and what is just sad enough to be ok, but just boldfacedly stating that mental illness does not exist strikes me as, well, idiotic.

If you were to ask me I'd probably give a pretty wide variety of things that need mental help. Fundamentalists, religious or otherwise, for one; because holding an irrational idea regardless of the facts seems rather off. Flat earthers, Young earth creationists, those people who like sharia law, people who want to put other people in prison camps (I've heard Christians who want to put atheists in camps and vice versa), people who hear or see things that aren't there to the point that it messes with their life, and etc.

Too me - Mental illness is a bad world effecting somebody - then blaming him/her for it.

 

[KaiRai]

Mental illness is a must to become a British member of parliament. Haha.

Isn't mental illness when a decision of any kind, in which the mind is not in complete function and is not reinforced by rational backing of the mind?

Or something like that....? =/

 

[Mako SOLDIER]

With all due respect, as a sufferer of depression (and genralised anxiety and panic disorder, both of which are technically disorders of the nervous system), I have no time for the opinion that mental illness does not exist. Try explaining that to the scizophrenic who's driven half mad by the audio and visual hallucinations that just won't stop no matter what they do. Try telling someone who has become convinced that they're under surveillence or that their brain is frying in their head (all things I've known people to experience) that they just need to pull themselves together.

Sorry to be agressive, but people who dismiss mental illness make me sick and deserve to experience it for themselves, just so they know what it's like. After all, you don't go up to people who have ancer or aids and tell them they're just making it up, and mental illness can be just as debilitating (and contrary to some beliefs, is a measurable proven thing).

Agreed, these people should not be treated as such 'Crazy though' I have had hallucinations - lots of them.

Nature vs nurture here - Nurture for me; wins.

We are who we are because we are ingrained into that - we should not blame the 'mentally ill' we should blame the people who made them like that.

Well yes, I agree, I would never call someone crazy, nor should we blame people for it. I mean, we don't socially shun people who have, for instance, kidney disease, we try to help them (well, if we're doctors we do). However, I do not believe that things like scizophrenia are a matter of nurture. Sure, depression is often the root of many other mental disorders, but some people cope fine with whatever life throws at them and others develop depression or anxiety. I know this can partly be due to thought processes, but at the same time, I have one friend whose brain just doesn't produce enough seratonin due to a physical abnormality.

Also, if mental disorders were entirely about life experience then certain drugs (marijuana, I'm looking at you. 'Safe' my arse) would not be able to trigger them as easily as flicking a switch. Thing is, they do.

 

[Cmwissy]

I'd call mental illness as any psychological condition that imposes difficulty upon everyday things from washing yourself to eating to social interaction.

Bipolar disorder could be that. But what about something like Asperger's Syndrome and Autism? Is that considered a mental illness by that definition?

'Everyday things' Like cheating on your wife, or burning your cat alive, or maybe starving yourself for a god?

There is more to life than the basic Middle-class white, Brushing your teeth, Having 3 meals, going to work and cheating on your wife.

Y'know what I say to that... BORING.

I will have fun without having someone label me as mentally ill.