Is Stress a Mental Illness or can it lead to it?
Posted: Tuesday, July 22, 2008
by LeahG Artist
Cartoon & Illustration Services
Mental Illness is something that many of us fear. We fear having a mental illness and we fear observing it in others. I believe this fear stems from a fear of loss of self control and that we may present ourselves abnormally to others resulting in rejection or that we may do things that are uncharacteristic, harmful and even dangerous.
So what causes mental illness?
There is no concrete answer to this question yet. Some experts believe that chemical changes in the brain are responsible for some forms. I would be inclined to agree with this as I myself once had a very bad episode of depression following a contraceptive implant. One moment I was fine, the next suicidal. I was fortunate in that I was able to identify the cause and I found some feedback on the Internet from other women who had had this same implant who reported the same symptoms shortly after having it.
I thus had it taken it out after a good 20- minute tug of war while the Doctor and his student colleague pushed and pulled it through 3 weeks worth of scar tissue. It was worth the pain! Aside from feeling very afraid the feelings would return, and being in shock that my brain could deceive me so dramatically I felt immediately better.
It is fairly well reported that some recreational as well as therapeutic/medicinal drugs may affect the brain chemistry sufficiently that we behave differently and think differently to that which we normally would. Recovery from this type of experience can leave us shaken and afraid it will reoccur especially if the symptoms are the result of taking medication as we need that medication to be well.
One of the reasons people take recreational drugs is that they enjoy the shift in thought patterns, the perceived heightened senses and raised confidence levels etc. But this usually results in a 'downer' afterwards and feelings of paranoia, anxiety, stress etc depending on the type of drug taken. This can lead the user taking more of the drug to combat the 'downer' and the result is a vicious cycle of drug taking to avoid the symptoms that the very drug they take are causing.
Thus is better to say NO to all recreational drugs unless you want to trigger a cycle of mental illness or mental ill health.
Other factors that contribute to mental illness could be a life event. The death of a loved one, divorce. It is also thought that some people more than others may have a genetic predisposition to being more affected by life events than others.
So what exactly is Mental Illness as defined by the experts?
Daniel Hall-Flavin, M.D., a psychiatrist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., offers a modern interpretation of mental illness:
"Mental illness is a term that refers to all the different types of mental disorders, including disorders of thought, mood or behavior. To be classified as a mental illness, the condition must cause distress and result in a reduced ability to function psychologically, socially, occupationally or interpersonally.
This means that someone who has a mental illness may have trouble coping with emotions, stress and anger, for instance, and trouble handling such things as daily activities, family responsibilities, relationships, or work and school responsibilities. You can have trouble, to a greater or lesser degree, with one area or all of them. And you can have more than one type of mental illness at the same time."
Can Stress lead to mental illness or mental health problems?
Stress brought about by an event may lead to a mental illness if you have a history of depression as it may make you more vulnerable to change, disappointment, loss etc. but it is not necessarily the case. Quite often people will endure their stress, obtain help or recover from it over time.
From the above link:
"People who have experienced depression in the past are more vulnerable to depression after a major loss. People with an active, problem-solving style are less likely to experience mental illness such as depression than are those with a passive, emotion-focused style."
How can you tell if someone is suffering from a mental illness?
There are to date no formal tests for mental illness i.e. blood tests etc. and it can only be diagnosed following a detailed account of symptoms, behaviors and observations.
The Mayo Clinic for mental health defines some symptoms of mental health problems as follows:
- Behaviors, such as repeated hand washing
- Feelings, such as sadness
- Thoughts, such as delusions that the television is controlling your mind
- Physiological responses, such as sweating
If you are worried that you or someone you know may be suffering from a mental illness, see your Doctor or health care provider for advice and assistance. Do not suffer in silence. There is help available.
You may find it helpful to keep a diary of how you feel or behave from day to day.
Sometimes we feel that our symptoms have gone on for much longer than they in fact have or reoccur more frequently than they really do so a diary is a great way to correctly establish how often we feel the way we do.
This doesn't have to be time consuming, it could be as simple as a smiley face for happy days and a sad smiley for bad days. If you have an unusual temper outburst or particularly negative thoughts then perhaps write a few lines more on that. If you ever feel suicidal, consult someone as soon as you can. These feelings may pass, they may persist, either way it is better to discuss them with a professional. Your Doctor may refer you to a mental health specialist such as a counselor or therapist.
For more articles relating to stress check out Leah's website: www.creative-blogger.com
Leah is not a medical professional and this information is not guaranteed to be correct but is to the best of her knowledge uptodate at the time of writing. Please consult a professional if you feel you are suffering from a medical illness or mental health illness.
Leah left the retail and health management world a few years ago to become a freelance writer and artist. She now enjoys creating funky vibrant cartoons and illsutrations for websites, promotional materials and as gifts. Leah would love to illustrate her own children's books in the future. Presently she is creating cartoon and cartoon mascots for business clients.
Visit LeahG's Cartoon and Illustration Services website here for updates and latest art work.
Good article, Leah...you always have such informative stuffKudos!!!RoschelleThanks Roschelle, I try ! :)
My mother has much difficulty dealing with normal stress. She is often depressed and very angry and wants to just give up. Little stressors cause her to explode. When I suggest she get mental heath treatment she thinks that I am calling her "crazy" and will not seek a professional because doing so would be admitting that she is crazy. Mine and my siblings suggestion brought on with sincere concern causes her to go ballistic. How do I go about getting her the treatment she needs?I don't know her age but could it be the menopause bringing on these changes? I suffer myself from PMT and it can really interfere with normal behavior patterns.
