What is a Mental Disorder
According to WHO (World Health Organization), mental health is "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community". WHO stresses that mental health "is not just the absence of mental disorder".
A mental disorder is a pattern of behavioral or psychological symptoms that impact various life areas and/or create distress for the person experiencing these symptoms. A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological pattern, potentially reflected in behavior, that is generally associated with distress or disability, and which is not considered part of normal development of a person's culture. Mental disorders are generally defined by a combination of how a person feels, acts, thinks or perceives. This may be associated with particular regions or functions of the brain or rest of the nervous system, often in a social context.
Common behaviors
In addition to the more formal diagnoses above, there are some behaviours and feelings which are strongly associated with mental health problems.
Self-harm
Self-harm is a way of expressing very deep distress. You may not know why you self-harm, but it can be a means of communicating what you can’t put into words, or even into thoughts, and has been described as an ‘inner scream’.
Suicidal thoughts
It is common to have suicidal thoughts if you are experiencing mental health problems. The deeper the depression, the more likely it is that one will consider killing oneself.
Panic attacks
These are sudden, unexpected bouts of intense terror. One may find it hard to breathe, and feel the heart beating hard. There can be a choking sensation, chest pain, begin to tremble or feel faint. There are signs of a heart attack or other serious medical problem.
Causes of mental health problems
Following are some of the factors that may play a role in the development of mental health problems.
Difficult family background
Coming from a difficult background where one may have experienced neglect, violence, abuse or been overprotected can make people highly insecure and more vulnerable to mental health problems.
Stressful life events
These may be traumatic events, such as the death of someone close, or longer-term struggles, such as being the victim of some form of harassment or oppression or remaining out of work for a long period of time.
Biochemistry
Body chemistry can affect the mind. For example, if you are frightened, it triggers the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response to produce a hormone called adrenalin. If physical activity doesn’t use up all the adrenalin, the body remains tense and the mind stays over-active.
Genes
There are genes that cause physical illnesses, so there may be genes that play a role in the development of mental health problems. Research suggests that genes might make certain people more vulnerable to mental health problems than others.
Physical health problems
If the brain is physically damaged by a head injury or a condition such as epilepsy this can have an impact on behaviour and mood, and lead to symptoms associated with some mental health problems. Long-term physical illnesses lead to greater risk of depression and anxiety.
Social problems
Social factors such as poverty, domestic violence, isolation, poor housing and addiction have been associated with mental health problems.
