| A mental illness is defined by the
medical profession as a disorder of the brain that results in a disruption
in a person's thinking,
feeling,
moods,
and ability
to relate to others and to work. Mental illness is distinct from
the legal concepts of sanity
and insanity.
Mental
health, mental hygiene, behavioral health, and
mental wellness are all terms used to describe the state
or absence of mental illness.
Most psychologists attribute mental illness to organic/neurochemical
causes that can be treated with psychiatric
medication, psychotherapy,
lifestyle adjustments and other supportive measures; however, many
of the causes of mental illness are still unknown. This has led
some to question mental illnesses are real ilnesses. Furthermore,
battle between "nature"
and "nurture" goes on as it has for years. Neuroscience
and genetics are still unable to fully explain the effects of genetic
inheritance and developmental environment.
Advocacy organizations have been trying to change the common perception
of psychiatric disorders, which are frequently seen as signs of
personal weakness and something to be ashamed of. Advocacy organizations
instead liken psychiatric disorders to physical diseases such as
measles.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_illness#Categorization
)
a link which shows mental illnesses categorized into groups according
to their common symptoms in the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, compiled by the
American
Psychiatric Association.
|
