There are many reasons why people do
not get help for mental health problems. FEAR, SHAME, and EMBARRASSMENT
often prevent individuals and their families from doing anything
Mental health problems are real, and
they deserve to be treated.
It is not a person's fault if he or
she has a mental health problem. No one is to blame.
Mental health problems are not a sign
of weakness. They are something you can't just "snap out of" even if you
try.
Whether you're male or female, it's
OK to ask for help and get it.
There's hope. People improve and recover
--with the help of treatment, and they are able to enjoy happier and healthier
lives.
You are NOT to blame
Many people still carry the misperception
that mental disorders occur because you are weak or you somehow deserve
it. These people might say, “Pull yourself together”, “Why don’t you just
snap out of it”, and “Stop being so lazy.” They do not understand that
you are not consciously holding yourself back, yet you can’t seem to move
forward in any steady manner. Two steps forward, one step back, as they
say.
Personality disorders are chronic mental
disorders which affects a person’s ability to function in every day activities.
It affects one’s work, one’s family, and one’s social life. While most
people can live pretty normally with mild disorders, during times of increased
stress or external pressure (work, family, a new relationship, etc.), the
symptoms of the disorder will gain strength and begin to seriously interfere
with their functioning. Suddenly what was so clear yesterday is not all
that clear today.
We are slowly learning more about the
causes and treatment of these mental health problems. We know that there
are biological and psychological components to most disorders.
Mental Illness; A Definition
Abnormal behavior or disturbing feelings,
thoughts or actions that interfere with everyday functioning constitute
mental illness. The definition of abnormal behavior may depend on the culture
and on societal values. Persons with an impaired ability to meet daily
responsibilities however are likely to be regarded in most societies as
exhibiting abnormal behavior.
A specific abnormal behavior is referred
to as a symptom. Several symptoms are usually found in combination and
are collectively referred to as a syndrome. Most currently recognized mental
disorders are syndromes. Current evidence suggests that between 16 percent
and 25 percent of the population of the United States suffer from some
form of mental illness.
There are more then 250
mental disorders that have been classified into different types or groups.
In the United States the most widely used system of classification is that
found in the third edition of “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders”, a book published in 1980 by the American Psychiatric Association.
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