Mental Illness

Most people occasionally experience spells of anxiety, blue moods, or temper

tantrums, but unless the psychological suffering they endure or inflict upon others begins

to interfere with their job or marriage, they seldom seek professional guidance. There is no

exacting scientific standard for determining when an eccentric pattern of behaviour

becomes a mental illness. Norms vary from culture to culture and within each culture.

Norms also change from generation to generation.

Just how can a determination be made as to who is mentally ill? No temperature

reading, no acute pain, no abnormal growth can be looked for as evidence of a serious

problem. Yet there are warning signs, and among the common ones are these:

 Anxiety that is severe, prolonged, and unrelated to any identifiable reason

or cause.

 Depression

 Loss of confidence

 Undue pessimism

 A feeling of constant helplessness

 Unexplainable mood changes

 Rudeness or aggression

 Unreasonable demand for perfectionism

 Habitual underachievement, especially if one is adequately equipped to do

the work is called upon to perform

 Inability to accept responsibility

 Phobias

 Unreasonable feelings of persecution

 Self-destructive acts

 Sexual deviation

 Sudden and dramatic change in sleeping habits

 Physical ailments and complaints for which there are no organic causes

Types of Mental Illness

The following discussion of classifications and types of mental illnesses is

based on criteria compiled by the American Psychiatric Association in the

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are the most common emotional disorders. They are

characterized by chronic feelings of uneasiness. The symptoms of an anxiety

disorder are more persistent and intense than the typical feelings of nervousness

or anxiety everyone feels at various times. In addition, the symptoms typically

occur for no clear reason and do not go away.

There are several types of anxiety disorders. Symptoms of these disorders

range from a mild, chronic sense of worry to an overwhelming emotional

condition, accompanied by such physical reactions as muscle tension, racing

heart, nausea, and an increase in perspiration and blood pressure.