Objective Mental Health Perspective

Do you approach the topic of "Mental Health" objectively?

Do you approach those with mental illness conditions in an objective way?

Because of the stereotypes ingrained in society, it is often hard to think of the topic of 'mental health' without bringing up the idea of 'illness,' however the term MENTAL HEALTH is supposed to mean - MENTAL WELLNESS. The term 'mental illness' already exists for the condition of 'mental illness,' so it is strange, but far too common that the opposite, "Mental Health," is so often merged with the idea of 'illness.'

Because of the same stereotypes ingrained in socitey, it is also often hard to think of people with known mental illness conditions as PEOPLE (first) WITH HEALTH CONDITIONS (secondary).

For the latter, we often fall into 'mind-less' (not 'mindful') and easy connotations and descriptions of 'that mentally ill person' or 'that borderline person' or 'that schizophrenic person.'

How objectively do you use terms when thinking about and speaking about "mental health," "people with mental illness conditions," and "mental wellness" ?

Article: Mental Illness Isn't Contagious

A friend of mine wrote a really good, spirited article telling how frustrating STIGMA is to those who have to manage their Mental Health.

The article is short and will only take you a few minutes to read - but is well worth your time. It's on a HubPage, but don't worry - the following link is designed to open in another window:

Mental Illness Isn't Contagious (article by "Whirling Dervish")

There are several interesting comments about 'media' in this little article.

It should make you think, "Hmmmm"

Heroes Are All Mental

The Television show, Heroes, is about ready to air for the second season. NBC will air the first show of Season Two on Monday, September 24th.

What is both surprising and very interesting about Heroes on NBC is that all the characters seem to exhibit Mental Illness symptoms, yet they are definitely HEROES!

Their quirks are seen as EXTRAORDINARY abilities.

Could this show help change our perception, in North America, about Mental Illness?

Heroes Characters Have Odd Psychological Profiles

This Television series is very popular in North America. The common age group watching, who are closely following every episode, are YOUTH and young adults.

Are you going to watch Season Two?

Resilience Against PTSD

I've just been reading about a study concerned with measuring 'resilience' against PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Researchers have studied the survivors from the World Trade Centre Attack (9/11). Some of their findings were measured against some general information known about Viet Nam survivors. Researchers have been trying to find out why some people are more affected and suffer more mental illness symptoms than others after such traumatic events.

Not a lot of information was displayed about Viet Nam statistics but it seems that World Trade Centre Attack survivors fared a little better than Viet Nam survivors and this is probably because less was known about PTSD back in the 1970's. (This paragraph, my own assumptions - from general knowledge of Viet Nam dates and knowing that much more is known about PTSD Now than in the 70's). Also, some of the data from Viet Nam studies was probably gathered WELL AFTER the fact (I know that more formal and legitimate studies of Viet Nam vets and lasting effects of the war were not initiated until about a decade after the fact - not until after people noticed that Viet Nam vets were still suffering severe symptoms of PTSD long after they were removed from the 'war' situation), while WTC-Attack survivors were approached in a very timely manner (within 6 months) so that researchers could monitor PTSD reactions. This difference in timing will account for researchers knowing quite a bit less, in general, about Viet Nam vets and victims than about WTC survivors.

WTC survivors had 'support options' available to them shortly after the attack, whereas Viet Nam survivors gained 'support options' only a long time after their time of active stress.

The point of this post is to mention what items seemed to be most helpful about managing PTSD - but I felt I should clarify the difference in the two groups studied above because each group actually had very different variables. Usually, such differences can hamper research, however, the drawbacks or 'lack of support' and having less knowledge about PTSD in the one instance actually heightens the focus on 'support' for the study initiated to track the progress of 9/11 survivors.

Bottom line...

IMMEDIATE and APPROPRIATE support for victims of stressful disaster events is CRUCIAL.

For the 9/11 people, those who were able to access appropriate supports soonest were more likely to cope with the disaster and recover with less PTSD symptoms, in general - or - at least they were able to cope even when mental illness and continued stress symptoms occurred in reaction to 9/11 events.

9/11 survivors who had stong support systems (family, counsellors, mental health workers, discussion groups, physicians, etc) and accessed them regularly - showed more signs of recovering health and returning to more normal life skills, activities and work. Those who didn't access or who didn't really have solid support systems were often afflicted with symptoms of mental illness for longer - or they suffered more severe symptoms.

The New York City study of residents in the area near the 9/11 attacks numbered 2 752 and some of these individuals were actually inside the World Trade Centre when the attack happened. Of all these, two-thirds of the people displayed only one or NO SYMPTOMS of PTSD.

This study suggests, as well - that some people are very 'resilient' - moreso than we think! It was amazing to read that for this study, done only 6 months after the World Trade Centre Attack - a great number of people actually had NO SYMPTOMS of PTSD!

That's amazing - and the people from this study were RIGHT THERE...right in the city when the attacks occurred.

Too bad the world didn't realize how important 'support systems' were when the veterans came back out of Viet Nam decades ago! In essence, the Viet Nam Veterans who suffered so greatly for a decade after the war - were the ones who taught scientists, doctors, health professionsals, etc., that special supports are necessary after certain disastrous experiences and events.

Now, in North America, at least, we have a lot of known support protocols for many different severe events - even RAPE victims have better supports now and in a lot of North American cities, special 'teams' are in place when a female is admitted to a hospital and a rape is suspected as the cause of her injuries. With these teams, there are often 'all women' support workers - so that the victim has less emotional discomfort, receives some counselling right away, etc., on top of all the testing and questioning that has to be done.

Sometimes, for severe road accidents, there are special 'trauma team' workers who can come to the bedside of children whose parents were killed in accidents and the 'support' process can start immediately for unfortunate and innocent victims of such disasters.

Though sometimes PTSD is thought of as an 'overused' and convenient 'catch-phrase' for all kinds of things, it's nice to know that long-term stress is still being researched and is still taken very seriously.

PTSD is no joking or small matter. Too little is known about it - so I think that those who would minimize the effects and occurrence of PTSD problems and call PTSD 'convenient' for some - are sorely mistaken. It would be good to sometimes err on the side of caution, anyway, with this sensitive term rather than display the 'suck it up' or 'get over it' attitude, in my opinion.

I'm not sure exactly why this article struck me or why I felt I had to post this information to my blog...

Maybe - just 'cos it matters to me.

A general bit of info about 'Resilience' can be found at about.com and the following link can also lead you to some more in-depth studies on this topic if you're interested:

RESILIENCE

Self Harm

Often, people with Mental Illnesses will deliberately harm themselves. This is a serious issue for obvious reasons. Please consider the less obvious form of self-harm (passive form, 'neglect'), as well - because this is often overlooked when placed beside the VISIBLE forms of self-harm like 'cutting,' visible substance abuse and other visually apparent evidence of self-harm.

NEGLECT if often overlooked - a mis-represented or hidden form of self-harm as well, so be careful to remember about this important element, too, when you are considering the topic of self-harm.

Sometimes, a person with Mental Illness will believe that they must punish themselves and will hurt themselves for this reason. Sometimes this punishment is in DENYING themselves something that healthy people do not deny themselves. These 'somethings' can be basic human needs that are being denied, such as food and water, human touch, human support, sleep, etc.

The reasons why someone might plan, obsess in the mind over, or engage in methods of self-harm are all quite complex...

I'm not a professional, so I won't pretend to delve into the complexities of this. I'm not attempting to explain away all the functions and elements related to 'self-harm' in this post - but rather, just tossing the topic in the air, offering some links to where 'self-harm' is explained in better and more thorough terms.

I believe that self-harm topics are uncomfortable - VERY UNCOMFORTABLE for most people to discuss and are, therefore, often pushed to the sidelines or even pushed under the carpet when they are present. For this reason, I am putting this post ON TOP OF THE CARPET and away from the sidelines.

Self-Harm can graduate all the way to the height of SUICIDE...but for some reason, people still find the topic an embarrassment and a discomfort - even despite the very serious nature of self-harm concerns! This attitude and way of dealing with the self-harm details will never allow many solutions to develop around this serious, sometimes life-threatening area.

People do not get embarrassed and try to hide other behaviors - even behaviors that are deliberately nasty and violent - like FIGHTS, unhealthy verbal exchanges and things like that - sometimes even violent actions like fighting are praised in society - if the actions were said to serve a good purpose. Fighting is almost never really a good action but it is accepted well above a person's QUIET cry for help in the form of self-harm (especially when in the passive form, the 'cry' is stifled into silence) - which might not physically harm anyone but the self-harming victim.

Even WARS are praised, but few people voice that this is an insane notion and occurence... where hundreds and thousands of people are deliberately killed, for any number of political agendas. By contrast, suggestions of 1 lone, single person experiencing Mental Illness and who engages in self-harming activities...is usually universally frowned upon as someone horrendously twisted - the acts themselves, horrifically perverted - that necessarily need be shoved in the closet as soon as possible before too many people find out about it!

Self-harm is often hidden by the individual, anyway - whether the self-harm is of a violent physical form or of a passive, neglectful form...so altogether, 'self-harm' is a very difficult subject that needs as much reasonable EXPOSURE as possible...rather than the typical or past blanket thrown over it!

Here is a site that has several articles about the nature of, some of the reasons for and some suggestons for intervening in self-harm.

This site contains a great deal of information - under such headings as:

"Understanding Self-Harm"
"What is Self Injury"
"Self Perfection"
"Smoking"
"Drinking"
"Drug Use"
"Positive Responsibility"
and
"Relationships"
Along with a lot more topics, too.

Some of the information at the "Accept and Adapt" portion of the "Project Spears" website will be disturbing to some people who didn't realize that they engage in self-harm - even though they are not diagnosed with an illness whatsoever...although they have never considered 'smoking' as such a bad thing - even if they just smoke a few cigarettes a day.....

Because of this last point...really - the problem of Self-Harm really isn't all connected ONLY to people diagnosed as having Mental Illness, either! This was a hard point for me to realize, but I have to conclude - after reading this information - that this is simply a rational, true statement! People who are considered 'mental-illness-free' are performing self-harm against themselves, in certain instances within our society, and they aren't even aware of it!

I encourage readers to go ahead and sign in to this site, instead of simply clicking on the available free article links. There are free downloads (You'll need Adobe for these), a 'diary' available and also, information about 'long term' dangers of self-injury.

Here's the 'Accept - Adapt" part of the site:

Accept Adapt Training

And here's the entrance to the full "PROJECT SPEAR" site:

Project Spear Website

Thanks for Reading...

I will post more about this topic once I learn a great deal more...

tr~~

Mental Illness Affects The Entire Family

Many people mistakenly believe that the one who displays Mental Illness symptoms is the only person involved in a particular mental illness and its treatment.

As well, a great number of people believe that once professional treatment is issued for a Mental Illness, that this treatment is a one-time 'cure' for a particular individual or a particular form of Mental Illness.

These things are not true, but are commonly held by a general public - as well as families who suddenly find themselves faced with someone in their midst who is diagnosed as having a mental illness.

Mental Illness affects everyone involved with the person who has been diagnosed with an illness - including friends, family, co-workers, and employers.

Here is an interesting video that I picked up at You Tube, which deals with a Canadian survey done to find out details about how Mental Illness affects caregivers. The title of the video, "Mental Illness Care Giver Survey."

Caregivers are often the loving, responsible people who have family ties with people diagnosed with Mental Illness. Too often, so much emphasis is placed on the Mental Illness and the individual suffering with Mental Illness, that the caregivers are pushed to the background.

Caregivers often require special attention because their stress is different from someone who is not primarily involved in a responsible position toward the person who has Mental Illness - though entire families are still affected.

This video is interesting because it brings light to the position of caregivers of people with Mental Illness - and explains in very simple terms that dealing with Mental Illness is a long-term affair.



Sites mentioned in the video:

Mood Disorders Society Of Canada

Schizophrenia Society of Canada

World Fellowship For Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders

Most of All - Remember Your RIGHTS!

Due to social stigma and wide-spread negative prejudice against even the idea of mental illness, people afflicted with Mental Illness often accept what is said. They often learn to allow the wrong ideas about Mental Illness to surround themselves.

They learn to accept what a general public 'says' about Mental Illness.
They learn that mental illness is for a select few who 'deserve' to be mentally ill for various reasons. They learn that it's just some peoples' bad luck that they are born retarted. They learn that those born unlucky are not as smart as everyone else - nor do they deserve everything that regular people deserve.

They learn to accept how a general public may sometimes treat them. They might accept as normal - that people shy away from those suspected or known to have symptoms of mental illness. Name-calling toward those known to have mental illness often is prevalent in society due to both 'normal' people initiating this kind of thing - and also - because those who are being called names, are not standing up for themselves to make it stop. Sometimes all kinds of people accept the wrong things, the wrong ideas about how life should be - and then it affects how all of us think.

Just to refresh peoples' memories, here is a list of UNIVERSAL rights:

I have the right to be treated with respect.
I have the right to say no and not feel guilty.
I have have the right to experience and express my feelings.
I have the right to take time for myself.
I have the right to change my mind.
I have the right to ask for what I want.
I have the right to ask for information.
I have the right to make mistakes.
I have the right to do less than I am humanly capable of.
I have the right to feel good about myself.
I have the right to act only in ways that promote
my dignity and self- respect as long as others are
not violated in the process.

These are just SOME of the universal human rights that everyone can choose to remember whether mental illness is present in their lives or not.

Inconsistencies

Mental Health issues, for both those who suffer with 'illnesses' and those who 'observe' - are very confusing, to say the least.

Perhaps it is the 'inconsistencies' of when, how, and the manner in which mental health symptoms appear that gives a general public the idea that they can call people 'mentally ill' instead of saying, 'that person has an illness and the symptoms of the illness are showing right now.'

Once someone has received some TREATMENT for mental illness symptoms, many people erroneously classify the individual as either 'well' or 'mentally ill.'

The truth of the matter is...the person is a person...who may or may not have one, several, many or all of the symptoms of his/her mental illness show up again in his/her life. Most likely, the person will be subject again with variations of combination 'symptoms' that will present the need for that person to seek professional help throughout their lifetime.

When an average person, NOT classified as having a mental illness has a sickness, we don't say,

"That person is cold" or
"That person is broken legged" or
"That person is flu" or
"That person is cancer" or
"That person is fever" or
"That person is sprained ankle."

We say

"That person has a cold" and infer, "for now, but will likely be back to better health soon" or
"That person has a broken leg" and say, "for now, but once the break is healed the person will be back to normal" or
"That person has the flu" and include, "but will feel great in a week or so once the symptoms pass" or
"That person has cancer" and say, "but as treament is going well, he/she will be on the mend soon, and cancer-free!" or
"That person has a fever," and add, "of the type that usually only lasts 24 hours, so he/she will be his/her bright own self in about a day" or
"That person has a sprained ankle" - "and will be 'good as new' once that ankle is rested and healed."

Even if someone gets sick with the flu over and over, several times in one year - if the symptoms of influenza appear in a person repeatedly, we don't start calling that person someone who "is constantly the flu!"

Even if someone is particularly clumsy and breaks their leg or other body extension often, we don't say "Wow, so-and-so, is really showing his/her broken leggedness - perhaps he/she needs more treatment. He/she is really broken legged!"

So - what we THINK about concerning Mental Illness (if we are understanding Mental Illness at all) is often very different and inconsistent with the way we TALK ABOUT Mental Illness.

Often, the way we ACT around people who have a mental condition is inconsistent with our rational thoughts as well. We may, on a rational surface level, have no difficulties understanding that people who suffer illnesses of the mental variety are often helpless to control the symptoms of mental illness...

However, we may still shun these people, avoid them, or brush them aside, simply because - although we acknowledge that the people themselves aren't at fault for their symptoms - we'll ACT AS IF they are intruding upon our 'normal space.' This may happen due to previously erroneous stereotyping (that says "stay away from those who have mental illnesses) and surely it happens due to ignorance about mental illnesses in general.

A Common Condition - Depression

"Depression" is quite common - common enough that it is often a term used in an off-hand manner to serve someone who is dramatically trying to indicate that are disappointed or quite suddenly sad about something.

Real Depression can come on as a sudden sadness, as well - but it isn't anything to deal off-handedly because symptoms of depression can make the sufferer feel a range of emotions from a hovering sadness to an intense despair!

There is no perfect guideline to establish all the signs of depression - and those who suffer from recurring bouts of depression will often have different symptoms at different times. Depression can sometimes be as frustrating for Professionals to treat as it is for individuals to experience!

People who may be suffering from depression or manic disorders actually exhibit or show each and every kind of symptom of depression that doctors can identify. At times, certain symptoms can be mistaken for other things or not seen at all until the depressed person is unable to help himself or herself.

If someone is concerned that they may be suffering from depression, it is best not to wait until one experiences all, most, or particular symptoms that they have heard of before they decide to get help. If someone is able to seek professional help before symptoms escalate or become more numerous, that person has a better chance of learning about how to take better care of their mind, emotions, mental state, and environment - in order to alleviate 'attacks.'

Some common examples of symptoms:

Loss of Pleasure Or Interest - former hobbies, social activites and even sex seems uninteresting.
Depressed mood - feeling hopeless, empty, discouraged, or just plain sad.

Sleep changes - insomnia or hypersomnia (oversleeping).

Weight or appetite changes - a significant gain or loss of more than 5% of body weight in a short time (1 month).

Fatigue or loss of energy - not being able to do things or do things as quickly as you used to, feeling physically drained...even small tasks are exhausting.

Psychomotor agitation or retardation - anxious, 'keyed-up,' can't sit still, sluggish, lack of responsiveness, slow body movements and slowed speech.

Self-Loathing - harsh criticism of self, of perceived faults and mistakes - strong feelings of worthlessness and guilt.

Problems with concentration - mind 'wanders' often, difficulty making relatively simple decisions, "can't think straight." General inability to focus.

Irritability - easily annoyed, and frustrated by little things - 'grouchy.' Angry outbursts.


Aches and pains - Depression can cause or exacerbate many physical symptoms, including headaches, backaches, diarrhea or constipation, abdominal pain, any 'old injuries or old injury areas,'and aching joints.

Often, depressed people will show signs of distorted thinking - thinks will look bleak and they'll talk very negatively about themselves, their abilities, their situations, and especially about the future. They'll feel helpless and hopeless and obsess further about all of these negative thoughts. Often they start to believe that the only way to escape their 'useless' future is to consider suicide.

Anyone talking of or hinting of 'suicide' - or of harming himself, herself or others - no matter what other signs of depression are or are not present - SHOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

Kinds of Depression in special groups...

Teens - as a general group, children, women as a general group, men as a general group and the elderly as a general group - will all require a certain amount of unique help with depression, according to their group. Depression must be treated carefully, according to the individual or else treatment can do more harm than good.

For instance - a teen with depression may be hard to identify - rather, the depression symptoms may be hard to identify, and we mustn't be looking for only 'average' or 'general' depression symptoms when we're concerned about a teenager. Teens (and younger children) often display ACTIVITY where we would expect an adult with depression to be inactive, mopey, and oversleep a lot. Instead, teens can be very active in showing their depression, raising their voices during uncalled for situations, acting hostile and overly grumpy and they might easily and frequently lose their temper.

Due to the difficulties people have in distinguishing 'depression' from short-term emotional setbacks, people should become more aware of the symptoms and - more importantly - learn to seek help if symptoms are apparent in themselves or loved ones. People will often minimize their symptoms, and, consequently, 'push on through' life's difficulties, forgetting that it is as important to take care of onesself in life as it is to work, earn money, care for family and friends, and even play!

With depression - or other mental illnesses - if the presence of it is suspected, seek professional help - find out for sure if you are blowing your situation out of proportion. A professional will be able to help you decide on this matter. It's definitely better, with depression, to be safe rather than sorry.

Treatment For Depression - Finding It

Finding the right Depression Treatment

Depression or prolonged sadness is very common in the United States. Almost 10 percent of the American population suffers from this illness, however, not all of will be treated properly and have their depression symptoms alleviated. Ill-effects of Depression will continue to be a burden to some people. As an illness, depression may seem more simple to treat than it actually is. In reality, it takes more than a little cheering up to actually cure or manage depression.

Often, prepeat visits to a cognitive behavior therapist (CBT care) are in order for those who suffer with depression of various kinds (yes, there are several kinds of Depression, not just one type). In many cases, depression must be treated with a combination treatment of behavior adjustments paired with prescribed medications.

Unfortunately, often the medications for depression are expensive, however, a person who doesn't sustain their medication intake will often suffer very miserably for having interrupted the medication benefits of their treatment.

It is often best to treat depression and deal with it head on. Utilizing various treatments will offer the person suffering with symptoms - the greatest degree of relief from symptoms. These might include attention to diet and exercise, utilizing meditation for relaxation and other more natural treatments along with medication. This is not to say that a person should take on more than they are able to mentally or emotionally handle during 'low' times - however, the person should learn to acquire a large and diverse number of tools to deal with this tricky illness.

Depression can easily get in the way of an individual’s daily activities, and his or her usual zest for life can quickly dissipate due to overwhelming depressed feelings. In place of a sunny disposition, those who suffer depression might display marked periods of low self-esteem, irritability and grumpiness, and finally - isolation to the point where one is truly quite separated from the 'normal' functions of the living world - and the person may care less about living anymore.

A depressed individual in this state needs much more than 'a good cheering up.' His or her behavior can also drastically affect loved ones who care about the depressed person. Since others will be affected by a single individual, it is best for friends and loved ones to support the one who is not well - as much as possible. This may mean that friends and family make concerted efforts to learn about depression, how it affects their loved one, and even - how it affects the family and community as a whole. Family and friends may even have to learn healthy ways to go outside the depression situation and make time for themselves away from the depressed person. If nobody ever takes a break from the situation then a high-stress situation, bad for all, can result.

Depression treatment actually starts, for the suffering person - with admission that there is a problem - that he or she is under sway of a serious illness. By being honest with his or herself, it will be a lot easier for others to help and for the individual to feel like he or she can actually receive the help. It's not just a 'bad mood' or a 'moody time' - Depression can be a potentially life-threatening illness if it is ignored too long! Once consensus is firmly established between the depressed person and those involved in his or her immediate vicinity, and once professional treatment is sought out, then the depressed individual has a much higher chance of managing illness, reducing symptoms, and returning to a more healthy existence.

From various medications (like Zoloft antidepressant for depression and anxiety treatment) to all sorts of psychotherapies, once a person acknowledges their sickness, there are an abundance of sources with which to fight depression. Everyone concerned will do well to keep an open mind where treatment is concerned - and feel positive about exploring as many health options as is possible. As well, others should be involved in a helpful way with another person's 'recovery' and management of mental illness, particularly if or when drugs are introduced. During the initial stages of medication treatment, the individual will need others to help monitor how the medication is working so that safe dosages can be realized and so that the person does, in fact, get the right medicine for their condition.

Psychotherapy, a popular type of depression treatment actually includes short-term therapy sessions and usually extends about ten to twenty weeks, depending on progress of the individual. This type of depression treatment actually helps individuals by slowly making them aware of - and able to more freely express their feelings and get closer to the roots of their mood problems. Healthy verbal exchanges between the psychotherapist, behavior adjustments and such - will often result in the depressed client learning how to take part in discussing what they formerly may have been too embarrassed about or too afraid, for some reason, to share. Sometimes the recipient of treatment will learn a great deal about how they react to life's situations - and the goal is for the person to learn to manage situations without turning experiences into something that will feed their sadness, frustration, depression, etc. Psychotherapy can often teach someone suffering mental illness - to deal with depression in a very pro-active, unafraid, empowering way!

Various medications that are available for depression treatment are actually great for helping the depression patient to regulate his or her mood swings, to actually help him or her sleep better and as well as be more pleasant towards others. When used with the type of - or a similar type of empowering mental health treatment, medications can be relatively safe and offer both the depressed person and their family base - a great deal of relief from the often debilitating illness of Depression.