Mental Illness

[nailit]

What defines mental illness?
Ive had a fair few 'problems' over the last few years but ive never considered myself mentally ill as such.
Hallucinations, hearing voices, uncontrollable mood swings, psychopathy etc I would consider mental illness.
Chronic depression, suicidal thoughts and addiction ( all of which Ive had) I would not consider mental disorders.
The former are obviously 'mental illnesses'
The latter, in my opinion, are 'life problems'...things that anyone could encounter in the right circumstances.
So what actually constitutes a mental illness?

[wolf63]

I would have thought that any activity in your brain that causes behaviour that may result in your own or another person's injury or death would be a mental illness.

I have suffered from paranoia, hallucinations, depression, mania and plain weird behaviour over the years. When I had to give up work in 2003 I was about £15,000 in debt and in a very nasty place - all due to mental illness.

I hope you find your answers nailit - but remember that being obsessed about things, thoughts, memories etc can make the situation much worse.

One of my psychiatrist said that nobody is 'normal' - and it is true.

[woofgang]

I remember one of my psychiatry lecturers saying something similar when I was in college in the early 70's. He said that being sane was a temporary condition.

Mamya I can understand the need to get a diagnosis and something definite, I am just a little concerned about the subtext here.

[Mamyalynne]

A concern I share and don't have any answers - experience yes, but then Nailit has plenty of that already.


Difficult especially when someone has tried so many avenues and often ends up back at square one still asking the question.

[ladyalex]

http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/GRNBOOK.pdf

That is what the World Health Organisations says about definitions of mental illness. (You have to scroll down a bit before you get the diagnostic categories).

I doubt , however, that this is the answer that you want, nailit.

[nailit]

Thanks for all of your answers guys. There was no 'subtext' to my question, just a personal observation and belief. All answers made interesting reading, thanks again.

[AndrewFerris]

Hey there,

Here is a short list of what falls under mental illness:

Anxiety disorders--there are many different extremes
Mood disorders--depression and bipolar for example
Psychotic disorders like schizophrenia
Eating disorders--starving yourself and binge eating
Impulse control and addiction disorders--can be anything from pyromania to gambling
Personality disorders
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Hope this gives you a better idea!

[DaisyNonna]

Not seeing the world in the right way?
According to whom?

[ToniRShell]

Hi Nailit,

It really does sound more like a mood disorder to me. Symptoms like hallucinations are definitely more like a mental illness and usually require a psychiatrist and/or an intense psychotherapy.

Suicidal thoughts, addiction, and chronic depression can be overcome with some work on your part. I think maybe counselling or therapy might be more appropriate because it’s a much different environment compared with seeing a psychiatrist.

I suggest finding a therapist (start here: http://www.findatherapist.com/ ) you can trust and who you feel comfortable opening up to and actually open up to them and give them a chance to help you. Rather than talk about the symptoms, talk about what’s bothering you. If not, I’d take up a hobby or develop a skill. Sometimes, we just need to find a way to channel our energy into something good.