It is increasingly common to read in the daily press that mental illness is on the rise in the population. Environmental experts know that statistics on mental illness are not meaningful as long as environmental sufferers and people with previously unexplained multisystem illnesses are counted among the mentally ill. What is true, however, is that our modern lives are increasingly taxing on the soul.
What are mental illnesses?
Mental illnesses are increasingly common as a result of loneliness, increased work pressure, or lack of stress compensation. They can be fostered by genetic predisposition, environmental factors, substance abuse, parental violence, or other negative experiences. A definition of mental illnesses is difficult, because mental illnesses have different clinical pictures. However, mental illnesses are united by the location of the illness: the soul. The point at which mental illnesses must be treated is assessed differently. If there is a “significant deviation” in the areas of feeling, thinking, acting and experiencing, mental illnesses are assumed to be the cause. Physical symptoms can conceal the fact that the illness is caused by mental factors. This is called somatization. The concept of illness is problematic because everyone experiences and feels differently. Physical symptoms are often attributed to the psyche. In this case, time is wasted with useless therapy sessions.
Causes
Repressed or unconscious fears, experiences or conflicts, which may have already occurred in early childhood, are considered to be the cause of mental illness. Often, they only become apparent years later through mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety disorders. In many cases, the causes of mental illness are multicausal, but in others they can be traced back to a drastic experience such as early childhood trauma. People process stressful life experiences differently. Mental illnesses arise when processing is inadequate and compensation for the trauma fails. Genetic, nutritional, abuse-related or factors such as low stress resistance, excessive demands or inability to deal with conflict can also trigger mental illness. Most mental illnesses have their own causation profile. Some people are more susceptible to mental illness than others.
Symptoms, complaints, and signs
The symptoms of mental illness can vary widely. It always depends on what mental illness it is. Thus, during a psychosis, a completely different symptomatology occurs than, for example, during an eating disorder. However, there can be overlaps, such as depressive episodes. There are, however, conspicuous features that generally suggest a mental illness, such as indefinable or unfounded fears, constant preoccupation with illnesses and one’s own body. Also, regular doctor or even emergency room visits that find nothing can suggest that one’s mental health is out of balance. In addition, long-lasting depressive phases and constant bad moods can be an indication, as can irregular or pathological eating behavior. This also includes long periods of hunger or regular vomiting after meals. The case is particularly acute when sufferers develop hallucinations or give the feeling that someone is in the room, although no one is there. Sometimes self-injurious behavior may occur, accompanied by sudden withdrawal from normal daily life. A constant change of partners and frequently changing sexual contacts are increasingly sought out as a confirmation of oneself. In some cases, this is accompanied by drug use or regular and massive alcohol consumption. The affected persons mostly show memory gaps over a long period of time, without the person having taken mind-altering drugs. If these are addressed to the change, it can be that they react with aggression, in the extreme case shows a tendency to violent acts or even crimes.
Diagnosis and course
Diagnosis and course prognosis are different for all mental illnesses. Various mental illnesses are difficult to recognize because they manifest themselves through physical symptoms.The diagnosis must exclude other illnesses if no clearly ascertainable diagnosis is possible due to the symptom situation. Exposure to environmental toxins, drug abuse, side effects of medication, and thyroid disorders may well act as mental illnesses. The medical history must also include family history or experiences. Certain mental illnesses can be verified by testing. How the course of the mental illness will turn out varies. Depending on the classification in the “International Classification of Diseases” (ICD-10), the course and treatment options for mental illnesses can be very different. Dementia runs a different course than narcissistic disorder, psychosis, borderline disorder or clinical depression.
Complications
Mental illness often co-occurs with other mental illnesses and promotes the development of physical illness. Without appropriate treatment, the likelihood of developing further symptoms is particularly high. Moreover, without timely therapy, there is a risk of chronicity. In this case, the symptoms of the mental illnesses become so entrenched that they persist permanently or recede only after many years of treatment. However, the course cannot be predicted with certainty in individual cases. Even after several decades, treatment successes are still possible. During treatment with psychotropic drugs, complications can arise as a result of the drugs taken. Depending on the extent of the side effects, the treating physician must decide together with the patient whether the advantages or disadvantages of a particular medication outweigh the disadvantages. Side effects can occur not only during treatment with psychotropic drugs. Psychotherapy can also have undesirable effects. These include failure to achieve therapeutic success, worsening of symptoms, and the development of new symptoms. These side effects are especially possible if the right therapy method has not yet been found for the patient in question. Many mental illnesses are accompanied by social complications. The private environment is often burdened due to the illness, and professional or academic performance can also suffer. Severe mental illnesses can represent a disability that can be officially determined.
When should one go to the doctor?
If the ill person is aware that everyday life with family, job and leisure time is becoming increasingly difficult to manage, he or she will be better able to accept the help of a professional. If the following signs persist for more than four weeks, professional help must be sought:
- Getting up in the morning is difficult because of total physical and mental exhaustion.
- Anxiety that cannot be explained makes it almost impossible to perform necessary tasks such as household chores or errands.
- Social contacts are reduced or broken off.
- Seemingly unsolvable problems, negative thoughts and extreme mood swings dominate daily life.
- The affected person is depressed, irritable or even aggressive.
- Insomnia as well as a strong inner restlessness occur.
- The general physical condition is poor. With medication or alcohol, the affected person tries to calm down.
A first conversation with the doctor of confidence or the family doctor is useful. This usually knows the affected person as well as their immediate environment and can refer them to an appropriate specialist if necessary.
Treatment and therapy
Mental illnesses can be treated preventively nowadays if there is a family predisposition for addictive disorders or psychoses. Early detection is important if there is a genetic risk for the disease. Treatment will vary depending on the clinical picture. Many mental illnesses can be treated with medication, others are better treated with psychotherapy. Psychotropic drugs or tranquilizers can be used to influence brain metabolism in the event of a deficiency or excess of certain neurotransmitters. Problematically, therapy for mental illnesses such as depression can take a long time to take effect. For some therapies, such as anxiety disorders, one must wait several years before being accepted into a clinical program.Before a patient has reached this stage, he or she has often already built up many years of suffering, which should be remedied more quickly. In the case of psychologically induced sleep disorders, too, a delay in therapy can have fatal consequences. The side effects of antidepressants or the addictive potential of certain drugs are also problematic. In each case, one must weigh carefully which therapeutic approaches make sense for certain mental illnesses in order not to cause even more harm.
Prevention
In the case of psychosomatic clinical pictures, quite different considerations again make sense. Here, mental and physical symptoms must be treated together. The physical symptoms are by no means imaginary, but certain diseases can actually develop due to long-term psychological stress, certain addictions or wrong behavioral patterns.
Aftercare
Those affected by mental illness are often accompanied by their illness for the rest of their lives. Even after therapy has been completed or after an inpatient stay in a psychiatric ward, in many cases a mental illness has not been completely eliminated, but the patient has found ways to better cope with his or her depression or anxiety disorder in everyday life. If a mental illness is present, consistent follow-up care is not only advisable, but even a necessity. Affective disorders such as depression are often associated with an increased risk of suicide, especially if the affected person is still comparatively unstable even after therapy. In such cases, failure to provide aftercare would sometimes be life-threatening. In the context of aftercare, a psychologist or a psychiatrist accompanies the patient during his or her return to everyday life (after a stay in hospital). If the patient experiences stigmatization by non-affected persons, this experience can be brought up during aftercare. For crisis intervention, follow-up care is also necessary to prevent relapse or significant deterioration of the condition. In the long term, regular aftercare aims to stabilize the sufferer on the one hand and improve his quality of life on the other. This will enable him to cope with his daily life more easily.
What you can do yourself
A doctor should be consulted at the slightest suspicion of suffering from a mental illness: The sooner therapy begins, the better the chances of success. In phases of great psychological stress, medical treatment is recommended if symptoms such as nervousness, difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, fatigue and listlessness do not improve or even worsen, even after physical and mental rest. In a life crisis, it is important to seek discussion with friends, family or a self-help group. If this is not sufficient to restore mental stability, medical help should be sought. A visit to the doctor should not be postponed if there is a risk of danger to self or others. A change in eating behavior accompanied by massive weight loss must also be clarified. Further signs of a mental illness requiring treatment can be unexplained mood swings over a longer period of time, lack of concentration, aggressiveness, irritability and joylessness. A wide variety of physical complaints, such as headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, back pain and heart complaints, can also be due to psychological causes. If no physical causes can be detected in clinical examinations, psychological counseling should be considered. The first point of contact is usually the family doctor, who can arrange for referral to a specialist in psychiatry or a psychotherapist, depending on the symptoms.
