When can psychological discomfort turn into a mental illness?

People experience a variety of emotions, some of which are pleasant, such as contentment and bliss, and others that are unpleasant or even painful, such as anxiety, wrath, or grief. Frequently, emotional discomfort or anguish is transitory and suited to the circumstances. When confronted with a tough decision or losing a loved one, it is normal and even beneficial to experience anxiety or grief.

However, when painful mental states persist and interfere with our capacity to function properly in our daily lives and relationships, it may indicate that we suffer from a form of mental illness.

In addition to mood, mental diseases typically have physical symptoms, changes in thinking, changes in behaviour, and occasionally abnormalities in perception, such as hallucinations, intense nightmares, or flashbacks.

 

Understanding mental illness 

Mental illness is intricate. Medical science, philosophy, psychology, and other fields continue to debate whether the conceptual "mind" and physical "brain" are distinct or interdependent. Some experts believe that mental disease starts in the body and brain, impacted by genetics, inflammatory processes, neurological development, and even gut hormones. Other experts argue that mental illness develops in mind from unhelpful or destructive learnt responses or traumatic life experiences.

People's mental health is influenced by their environment, including their family and kin, community, culture, country, and spirituality.

Trauma experiences are significant. It is profoundly disrespectful to apply a disease label like "depression" to a person who has endured adversity such as intergenerational trauma, domestic violence, racial discrimination, poverty, or any other form of systemic abuse without acknowledging the crucial role of their trauma experiences in their health.

Management of mental health requires an awareness of the interrelationships between these factors.

 

Recovering from mental illness

Mental illness can range in severity from moderate to severe and from a single episode to a lifetime disease. Multiple conditions, such as depression, are frequent (such as depression and anxiety). It is typical for physical and mental illnesses to co-occur (eating disorders and diabetes, heart disease and depression). Psychiatric conditions can evolve. For many individuals, there will be times of stability, crisis, and persistently bad mental health.

Because there is such variance in people's diseases and life experiences, there will be a variety of therapy techniques. Often, treatment entails social interventions, such as obtaining safe housing, addressing lifestyle difficulties, or alleviating financial strain. It may also incorporate self-help techniques, helplines, or psychological treatment.

Individualized treatment is required. Just because a treatment is described as "evidence-based" in one setting does not imply that it can treat everyone across the spectrum. Most data are derived from studies conducted on urban, middle-class, well-educated and primarily white individuals. There may be more effective psychological strategies for a person from an entirely different milieu.

 

When to seek help

If you have thoughts of self-harm or your symptoms are severe enough to interfere with your ability to manage daily life, it is essential to engage with a mental health expert to obtain a thorough diagnosis and develop a treatment plan.

 

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