by Barbara Kasey Smith

Created on: May 23, 2009

What is mental health? When an individual has a mental illness their thinking, behavior, and perception is disturbed, and it can definitely impair the person's ability to manage their daily routines and the demands going on in their lives. If you know of someone who is caught in this trap, they should seek the help of someone in the mental health profession and start getting treatment immediately. People with mental health issues recover every day and they can live a normal and healthy life if they get the proper medical help.

There are five major categories of mental illness:

(1) Most people who suffer with anxiety disorders, i.e., panic disorders, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. These people may have fears or dreads of certain situations or objects. They may also sense intense feelings and a sense of fear or feel like they are about to experience a sudden heart attack. Others may have an obsessive-compulsive disorder by repeating themselves or doing repetitive things.

(2) Many people may be suffering from life-threatening illnesses, i.e. bulmia, anorexia nervosa. These people have a fear of becoming fat and they may have a hang-up about what they eat and how to get rid of it. People who suffer from anorexia nervosa tries to starve themselves to death; whereas, people who suffer with bulmia binge and then purge. There are some people who become addicted to excessive excercises. This type person wears themselves out.

(3) People who suffer with a gradual loss of their memory, unable to think things out intelligently, has a decline in their physical abilities needs to be concerned. When a person has these sorts of symptoms, they should first be seen by a medical doctor to determine if they have a medical condition which is causing these symptoms or if they are commencing the early stages for Alzheimer's disease or Dementia.

(4) People who have symptoms of delusions, hallucinations, incoherent speech, unable to reason, and withdrawals should be taken to a Mental health professional to determine the cause for their symptoms. They could be suffering from Schizophrenia which is a mental disorder that affects how they think, act, and feel.

(5) A person who is depressed and having mood swings should also be seen by a Mental health professional. They may be suffering from sleep and eating disorders, extreme elation or sadness, severe mood swings and possible thoughts of suicide.

Mental illness is no different from a person who has cancer, heart disease, diabetes or any other disease for that matter. It's thought mental illness could be caused by biological reasons or a patient's environment or something that has happened in their life. Mental illness should never be taken lightly; if a family member or a friend has severe changes in their personality or talking off-the-wall, they should be taken in for a mental evaluation. If they don't get help they will only get worse. Mental illness is nothing to ever be ashamed of, it is like any other illness a person might have. Never be ashamed to see a mental health professional, it can be treated successfully.

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