CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

How to understand, identify and treat mental illness

Indianapolis Recorder, The - 5/27/2016

The start of May kicked off Mental Health Awareness Month. With nearly 44 million American adults and millions of children experiencing mental health conditions each year, this month is a reminder of why education about mental health is so crucial. In this article, Anne Gilbert, psychiatrist at IU Health Methodist Hospital, reviews the most important points for Hoosiers to understand about mental health conditions and what treatment looks like today for loved ones who are dealing with a mental health diagnosis.

What does it mean to be mentally ill?

Mental health, as well as physical health, is on a continuum. A healthy mind lets you learn, play and understand others. Mental health means you have good ways to deal with your feelings and you enjoy life. There is no one who is 100 percent mentally healthy, as in never having a low mood or struggling with stress. However, there are degrees of impairment - occasionally feeling down or reacting poorly to a situation, to full-blown days, months or years of depression, to a loss of touch with reality. When your emotions or interpersonal interactions are impairing your enjoyment of life or your ability to function on a daily basis, then that is the clear time to reach out for help.

What causes a behavioral or mental health condition?

Just as a physical illness has interlinking causes, so do mental illnesses. Genetics, environment and lifestyle combine to contribute to whether someone develops a mental health condition.

Some dysfunctional behaviors are learned. In these, education as well as instruction into healthy interaction is the key. In others, biochemical or brain circuit processes are to blame. Stressful life events can also contribute to vulnerabilities already present, which can bring on episodes.

What are some warning signs?

There are different ones to keep in mind for adults and for children. Here are warning signs:

Adults

? Confused thinking

? Long-lasting sadness or irritability

? Excessively high and low moods

? Social withdrawal

? Excessive fear, worry or anxiety

? Dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits

? Strong feelings of anger

? Delusions or hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not really there)

? Increasing inability to cope with daily problems and activities

? Thoughts of suicide

? Denial of obvious problems

? Many unexplained physical problems

? Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol

Children

? Changes in school performance and/or grades

? Inability to cope with daily problems and activities

? Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits

? Excessive complaints of physical problems

? Defying authority, skipping school, stealing or damaging property

? Intense fear of gaining weight

? Long-lasting negative mood, often along with poor appetite and thoughts of death

? Frequent outbursts of anger

? Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol

? Withdrawing from friends and activities

? Excessive worry or anxiety

? Hyperactivity

? Persistent nightmares

What is the treatment process like?

The first step is to get an assessment of the level of care needed. For example, if the person is feeling like hurting themselves or someone else, a safety plan will be discussed and put into place. This might include a hospitalization or respite stay overnight. It could also include having a friend or family member stay with that person and/or planning with that patient coping mechanisms should the feelings come back. Most people do not need that level of care, and an agreed-upon outpatient appointment and follow-up visit will ensue.

The next step is to determine what kind of treatments will help the particular emotional distress a person is having. Some mental illnesses respond best to counseling and education regarding healthier coping mechanisms or interactions. Other mental illnesses have more biochemical or structural underpinnings and respond not only to education and counseling but need medications to help a patient return their thinking or mood to normal.

People with an addiction to drugs and/or alcohol can also respond to therapy. That said, there can be medications that assist a person in maintaining sobriety, too.

Can people get over a behavioral or mental health condition without

There are many mental health conditions where medication is not indicated for treatment.

Treatment includes counseling and even education about the sources of unhappiness and stress. However, there are some mental health conditions that are secondary to changes or illness in the brain. These conditions usually do not respond to counseling alone, as there is an underlying chemical change in the messengers of the brain that medication helps to return to normal.

What should I do if I am concerned for myself or a loved one?

The first place I would start is with your family physician. Family physicians are often aware of counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists in the area that can be helpful. Additionally, since mental health is so important to physical health, your insurance provider frequently has a list of providers in your area. Asking trusted friends, family or clergy can also be very effective. Many employers have employee assistance programs (EAP), and students usually have a student health center that offers mental health providers. Also, local and national mental health organizations can be contacted by phone or the internet, such as the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) or Mental Health America. If it is a life-threatening emergency, I would recommend going to the nearest emergency room, where they can provide safety and triage and an appropriate level of care.

Dr. Anne Gilbert is a psychiatrist at IU Health Methodist Hospital and co-service line leader of the IU Health Behavioral Health Care Center. For more stones with commentary from Dr. Gilbert, visit iuhealth.org/blog.