SCHIZOPHRENIA

AFFECTIVE DISORDERS

bipolar disorder

unipolar depressive disorder

depression

ANXIETY AND PANIC DISORDERS

obsessive compulsive disorder

personality disorders

behavior disorders

THE CAUSES OF MENTAL ILLNESSES

THERE ARE NO CURES FOR MENTAL ILLNESSES

THINGS YOU CAN DO

"MENTAL ILLNESS" describes a group of disorders causing severe disturbances in thinking, feeling and relating. These disturbances make it difficult to cope with ordinary demands of life.

Mental illness is not the same as mental retardation. People with mental retardation have a lower intellectual capacity, usually present from birth. Those with mental illnesses are generally of normal intelligence, although their illnesses may hinder their performance.

Mental illnesses can affect people of any age, and they can occur in any family. According to the Surgeon General’s report on mental health, released in December 1999—

• 22 to 23 percent of America’s adults—44 million people—have diagnosable mental disorders. (Based on these estimates, more than 1.5 million North Carolinians have a mental illness. About 680,000 of them experience some functional impairment because of their illness.)

• 5.4 percent of adults have a "serious" mental illness that interferes with some area of social functioning. About half of this group—2.6 percent—are more seriously affected with a "severe and persistent" mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, other severe forms of depression, panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. (Based on these estimates, about 148,000 adults in North Carolina have a severe and persistent mental illness.)

• About 20 percent of children are believed to have mental disorders causing at least mild functional impairment. Between five and nine percent of children and adolescents have more severe functional impairments, classified as "serious emotional disturbances." (In North Carolina, between 45,000 and 81,000 children and adolescents have a serious emotional disorder.)

• The direct costs of mental health services in the United States totaled $69 billion in 1996.

• The indirect costs of mental illness were estimated in 1990 at $78.6 billion. More than 80 percent of these costs were attributable to disability rather than death.

SCHIZOPHRENIA is one of the most serious and disabling mental illnesses. For one of every hundred people, a biochemical imbalance in the brain causes its onset, usually as they reach their late teens or early twenties. People with schizophrenia usually have several of these symptoms— 

• Disconnected and confusing language

• Poor reasoning, memory and judgment

• High levels of anxiety

• Hallucinations—hearing and seeing things that exist only in the mind

• Delusions—long-lasting false beliefs-for example, that others are controlling one’s thoughts

• Poor personal hygiene and lack of personal care

• Loss of motivation and poor concentration

• Tendency to withdraw from others

People with schizophrenia do not have a "split personality" and are no more prone to violence than the general population. Their illness is not caused by bad parenting and it is not evidence of a weakness of character.

AFFECTIVE DISORDERS are the most common of psychiatric disorders. About six percent of the population suffers from an affective disorder.

While affective disorders are a primary cause of suicide, they are generally less persistently disabling than schizophrenia. Their primary effect is on mood. For example, with bipolar disorder, the person swings between extreme high and low moods. A unipolar depressive disorder causes persistent and severe depression.

People diagnosed with bipolar disorder usually have several of the following characteristics:

• Boundless energy and need for activity

• Decreased need for sleep

• Grandiose ideas and poor judgment

• Rapid and disorganized speech

• Short temper and argumentativeness

• Impulsive behavior

• Possible delusional thinking

• Rapid swing to severe depression

People having severe depression (or in the depressive phase of bipolar disorder) may have several of the following characteristics— 

• Difficulty sleeping or excessive sleeping

• Loss of interest in daily activities

• Decreased or increased appetite

• Feelings of worthlessness and guilt

• Feelings of sadness

• Inability to concentrate

• Excessive crying

• Possible psychotic symptoms

• Suicidal thoughts or actions

ANXIETY AND PANIC DISORDERS can be extremely disruptive to normal activities and, when severe, may be considered mental illnesses.

Symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder include long bouts of repetitive thoughts—usually unpleasant—and ritual actions to relieve the anxiety of the obsessive thoughts. People with obsessive compulsive disorder may spend so much time on their obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions that they lose jobs and social contacts.

Other conditions—such as personality disorders and behavior disorders may be so disabling they are labeled a mental illness.

THE CAUSES OF MENTAL ILLNESSES are not well understood. Most experts believe improperly functioning chemicals in the brain—called neurotransmitters—are the most likely cause. Research has disproved the once common theory that family interaction and early childhood training cause mental illness.

Mental illnesses may be inherited, as are other medical conditions such as diabetes and cancer. In a vulnerable person, stress may contribute to the onset of mental illness. Recreational drugs may trigger the onset of a mental illness, but are unlikely to be the single cause.

THERE ARE NO CURES FOR MENTAL ILLNESSES. Until the causes are better understood, there is no way to prevent them. Fortunately, treatments are available which can substantially improve the quality of life and the ability to function for people with these disorders.

THE MOST EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS for most mental illnesses combine drug therapies with psychotherapy or supportive therapy.

THINGS YOU CAN DO

• While drugs do not offer a cure, they can control symptoms for most people. Once active symptoms are under control, rehabilitation plays a key role. For people with certain types of mental illness, community treatment programs can effectively complement drug therapies.

• By building participants’ self-confidence and improving their independent living skills, community programs can significantly improve the quality of life for people with mental illnesses. Some participants recover enough to hold a job. Others need support indefinitely to reach and maintain their highest possible level of independence and productivity.

• Help combat stigma by working against negative stereotyping of people with mental illnesses. Tactfully correct misunderstandings about mental illness held by friends and relatives.

• If you are an employer, hire people with mental illness for low stress jobs. For private employers, there can be tax advantages.

• As a taxpayer, support funding for a good community-based support system and research into causes and treatments.

• If you are a homeowner, welcome a group home in your neighborhood. People with mental illnesses can be good neighbors.

• Groups can help finance or help furnish a house or an apartment for people with mental illnesses. Employment projects and social clubs also are badly needed.

• Join NAMI North Carolina in our efforts to support, educate and advocate on behalf of people and families coping with mental illnesses. You can be active as a member, a donor or a volunteer.
• Email NAMI North Carolina or call the Helpline at 800 451-9682 for information about resources, family support groups and education available in or near your community.