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Mental lllness
(Extract from the Mind Publication "Understanding Mental Illness ")
Mental illness is very common. About 6 million people in Britain have a mental illness diagnosis. But there is a great deal of controversy about what it is, what causes it, and how people can be helped to recover.
What is Mental Illness?
Basically, people diagnosed as mentally ill have feelings or behave in ways which are unacceptable to themselves or others.
The vast majority are treated with psychotropic drugs – drugs that effect the mind or brain – such as tranquillizers and antidepressants. There are more than 300,000 admissions to psychiatric units each year.
Some people find that drugs and other medical treatments are helpful, others do not. For some the treatment is only part of what helps recover, and not necessarily the main part. Many who have been diagnosed as mentally ill say that being labelled and treated in this way has caused them a lot of hardship.
Because of this, Mind prefers to talk about mental or emotional distress, rather than mental illness. Seeing people’s problems with feelings and behaviour as illnesses that require medical treatment is too narrow a view. It discourages us from thinking about the many influences on a person’s life, which can cause this distress. And it stops us from exploring the various non-medical options open to people for overcoming their difficulties.
Topics also included in this leaflet are:
How is mental illness diagnosed?
What forms can mental distress take?
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Phobias
Depression
Manic depression
Schizophrenia
What are the causes of mental distress?
Difficult family background
Supression of feelings
Stressful life events
Biochemistry
Genes
How can the mental health system help?
Medication
ECT
Talking treatments and alternative approaches
Community care services
Hospital treatments
What can friends and relatives do to help?
How can i improve my mental health?
Learning to relax
Learning to deal with difficult situations
Setting goals
Expressing feelings
Facing upto problems
Finding someone to talk to
A matter of opinion
Useful organisations
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