Psychological illness is a term used to describe any condition that affects your emotions or thoughts. These illnesses can be serious and can have an impact on your life. You may need to see a mental health provider, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, for treatment. You can also get help in the community from friends and family.
Psychiatry is the scientific study of the causes, processes, and symptomatic manifestations of psychological disorders and related problems. It is a discipline that involves meticulous and thorough observation, research, and clinical work.
Mental health professionals use a variety of techniques, therapies, and methods to treat patients with mental illness. They may use drugs, talk therapy, or a combination of these to help patients cope with their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
There are several types of mental illness, including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, mania, and anxiety. Each type has its own unique symptoms and treatments.
The most important factors affecting the incidence and prevalence of psychological illness are social circumstances, such as abuse and neglect, and traumatic events. Other factors include genetics, environmental exposure, and stress.
People can develop mental illnesses during any stage of their lives. Some conditions, such as anxiety and depression, first appear in adolescence or young adulthood, while others, such as schizophrenia, alcohol dependence, and drug abuse, often arise in middle age.
Psychological illness can be treated with medications, exercise, and lifestyle changes. You and your provider will create a plan for your treatment that works best for you.
Many mental illnesses respond to certain types of medication, such as antidepressants or mood stabilizers. You and your provider can also try talking therapy or complementary medicine, such as acupuncture.
Other types of mental illness require more intensive medical care and can lead to hospitalization. If you have severe mental illness or are at risk of hurting yourself or others, you may need to go to a psychiatric hospital for treatment.
There are a number of standardized classification systems for diagnosing psychological disorders, such as the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9). These classifications are important to mental health providers because they create a shared language and aid in clinical research.
Despite the advances in understanding and treating these conditions, psychological illness is still very common and a serious public health issue. In fact, one in every five Americans suffers from some form of mental illness.
Psychological illness is sometimes called “neurological disease” because it affects the nervous system, the part of the brain that controls feelings and behavior. This is why many doctors refer to it as a “disorder of the mind.”
The diagnosis of mental illness requires a significant disturbance in thinking, feeling, and/or behavior. It must have a negative effect on your daily life and affect your relationships with others.
There is no single definition of a mental illness that can be universally accepted, however. This is because some mental states or behaviors are viewed as abnormal in one culture and may be considered normal in another.