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?

[PankySmooch]

Denial

[nailit]

denial??

[237SJ]

I`m not an expert but there is mental illness and there are mood disorders. I read an article (I think it was written by George Best`s liver consultant) which said that as many as 10% of the population suffer from mood disorders and these can lead to addictions.

[nailit]

//many as 10% of the population suffer from mood disorders //
Have been told that I have a personality disorder before. Load of poppycock. And NO I am not in denial. The shrinks that I have known are bonkers themselves.
Tell them that you hare NOT mentally disordered and the more that they insist that you are.

[237SJ]

OK. That`s just what I have heard.

[nailit]

divebuddy, I have been sectioned because I was suicidal but I didnt for one minute think that I was mentally ill. Unable to cope, yes, but not in the same league as someone who hears voices.

[nailit]

237sj...
not dissing you mate, just going on personal experience.

[woofgang]

So polio isn't an illness because anybody could get it in the right circumstances?

It been a while since I was in practice but the definition of a mental illness as I recall was having a set of issues/problems/symptoms that arise in the mind, are outside the control of the sufferer and disrupt the sufferers life or the lives of other people.
There are many people who hear voices or see visions and have integrated that into their daily lives without issue. Some people have a psychopathic character type and never do anything immoral or illegal.

I would call chronic depression an uncontrollable mood swing. I suspect that many of us have suicidal thoughts at some point in our lives, again its when the thoughts are uncontrollable and lead to life disruption. Addiction again is a sliding scale thing. I guess the line there is what the addiction does to the life of the addict and what happens when they can't get hold of what they are addicted too.

[Togo]

//Evidence from the World Health Organization suggests that nearly half of the world's population are affected by mental illness with an impact on their self-esteem, relationships and ability to function in everyday life.[16] An individual's emotional health can also impact physical health and poor mental health can lead to problems such as substance abuse.[17]//
This is lifted from wikepedia nailit. My though is that anyone who can ask the question that you have is either turning a corner to recovery or is not mentally ill. Self awareness will automatically raise your self esteem, we are all subject to self doubt at times. You need to be a little selfish nailit and do what is best for you.

[VHG]

I think a "mental illness" is any time your "brain" is not behaving correctly and it can cover a whole range of things. In the same way a "stomach upset" can cover a whole range of problems with your stomach.

Having suicidal thoughts is a mental illness.

One of my female relatives has a phobia about food (a sort of anorexia) and I think that is a mental illness.

OCD is a mental illness.

You say "The shrinks that I have known are bonkers themselves".

I see this statement as a form of mental illness, not seeing the world in the "right way".

p.s. I have had a nervous breakdown and suffer from depression so do have some background and experience of what I call mental illness.

I think a HUGE number of people have some sort of mental illness in their lives, in fact I think few people go through their lives NOT having a mental illness.

[woofgang]

VHG, many of the shrinks I have known have been fairly bonkers...the difference is its under their control and doesn't damage their lives or others!

[237SJ]

I bought this recently http://www.amazon.co.uk/Feeling-Good-The-Mood-Therapy/dp/0380810336 because I am dealing with the death of my Mum. I have only read the preface so far as I have been busy but I feel better already.

[nailit]

//So polio isn't an illness because anybody could get it in the right circumstances? //
Eh? Polio is so OBVIOUSLY an illness. I dont get the point.
//Self awareness will automatically raise your self esteem, we are all subject to self doubt at times. You need to be a little selfish nailit and do what is best for you.//
Just what Im trying to do.

[VHG]

I will give you an example of what I call a mental illness.

I live in a 3 bedroom house, with two large bedrooms and one small "box room". The family next door have the same setup.

The "man" next door is somewhat of a hoarder and one of the large bedrooms in his house is full of his "junk" (collected over decades).

But they have two daughters who are now both in their late teens and they share the BOX ROOM in the house (about 6 foot square) while the large bedroom is full of his "junk".

He refuses to clear out the room (it has been like that for about 20 years) and the wife and daughters are sacred to ask him to clear out the room because of the way he will react.

To me HE has a mental illness.

That is just one example of mental illness.

[woofgang]

Nailit, I was trying to demonstrate the hole in your "Its not an illness if anybody could encounter it in the right circumstances" statement.

[woofgang]

Nailit, why do you care about a definition of mental illness?

[Togo]

We know you are trying to help yourself, we would not engage otherwise. I could ask if you if you get exercise or any physical challenges. I could also suggest that pilates or yoga may be a way of harnessing your inner resolve.

[Mamyalynne]

It is human nature to want to know differences, to put names to things and to have a firm diagnosis.

Equally as human bodies and minds are so complex that is not always as simple as it sounds.