Mental illness is comes in a variety of forms. There are more than 200 different types of mental illnesses that exist and more 60 million Americans are diagnosed with at least one every year. A mental illness is defined as " a disease of the brain that causes mild to severe disturbances in thought and/or behavior, resulting in an inability to cope with life’s ordinary demands and routines"(Mental Health Association). Two particularly common mental illnesses that affect the most people are anxiety disorders and depression.
Different anxiety disorders have their own special symptoms, although they do all share one: persistent, excessive fear or worry in non threatening situations. According to NIMH, some of the emotional symptoms that come with anxiety disorders are: feelings of apprehension or dread, feeling of emptiness, and instability. Some physical symptoms are the pounding/ racing of your heart beat, sweating, twitches, headache,fatigue, insomnia. stomachache, etc. Some different forms of anxiety are Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, and phobias. When I was 13, I was diagnosed with severe Generalized Anxiety Disorder. To this current day, I still live with these symptoms and in all honesty, it's a challenge. Another commonly diagnosed mental illness among Americans is depression. To some people depression is simply just being sad, or going through a rough patch in life. However those people are wrong. It is a very serious mental illness that should never be taken lightly. There is no distinct cause of depression, but there are factors that lead to it in certain people. Sometimes it could be the experience of trauma or unfair life circumstances. It could just be genetics, I know that depression runs in my family. Each person is unique, so their symptoms will be unique as well. Some noticeable symptoms of depression are: changes in sleep patterns, changes/loss in appetite, lack of concentration, minimal energy, minimal interest in activities you "love", hopelessness or guilty thoughts, and suicidal thoughts. Some people will only show one symptom, two symptoms, and/or all of them. I think that it is agreeable that anxiety and depression are both equal in significance. However, I do not believe that everyone understands the truth about living with a mental illness. It is NOT a glamorous life by any means. What do you do when your anxiety consumes you just because you cannot finish all your homework? What do you do when you are so consumed in your depression you refuse to get out of bed in the morning? What do you do when professional help, doesn't help you?
1 Comment
Alyssa
2/22/2018 01:13:26 pm
I really enjoyed reading your blog post, and I personally believe mental health is extremely important and should not be taken lightly, as you mentioned. I especially liked how you mentioned it is not a "glamorous" lifestyle, as I think that living with these types of issues can often be glamorized and talked about it a positive fashion. Knowing that living with these disorders can affect your entire lifestyle, whether others realize it or not, is something that all people should be aware of.
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