Many people are rejected and shut out of their communities due to the stigma attached to mental illnesses.
According to MentalHealth.gov, mental health is all about the emotional, psychological and social well-being of humans. It also helps people determine how they feel, act, and the way they think.
Dr Sbongile Nkhahla, a psychiatrist at the Witrand Psychiatric Hospital, says “The brain is made up of different parts. We see, hear and smell through the brain”.
She says mental health can be affected by biological (genetic) or environmental factors, which may lead to mental disorders. Medical illnesses and substance usage could also result in mental illness.
She defines the term mental disorder as an umbrella term used to classify several disorders found within the brain.
“Mental illness does not develop overnight – it starts from conception,” she says.
There are various types of mental illness, such as mood-, psychotic-, anxiety- or personality disorders.
According to Dr Nkhahla. Some common disorders are:
Mood disorders:
- Depression
- ADHD
- Bipolar (B1 and B2)
Psychotic disorders:
- Schizophrenia
- Dementia
- Substance-induced
Anxiety disorders:
- Generalised anxiety disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD)
- Panic disorders
Mood disorder:
Depression
Depression is quite common and has many features. “Depression affects how you eat, how you sleep, your thoughts and how you see the world around you,” she said.
One can be depressed if they have been experiencing depression symptoms frequently, for more than two weeks.
Some symptoms of depression can be:
- Always feeling down or sad
- May feel tearfulness
- Isolation
- Sleeplessness or may sleep a lot
- Low self-esteem
- Lack of appetite; which may result in weight loss
- Increased appetite
- Suicidal thoughts
With depression, one may have a loss of interest in activities one used to enjoy.
“People mask their depression.”
According to Dr Nkhahla, people do so because of the stigma that is attached to depression and other mental illnesses.
Psychotic disorders:
Schizophrenia, dementia and other psychotic diseases develop during the neurodevelopment of the foetus. People with psychosis may have:
- Delusions
- Fixed false believes that are not in line with one’s culture.
- Hallucinations
- Taste things that are not there
- Isolation – one may withdraw oneself from family and friends
- Suicidal thoughts
Anxiety disorders:
Generalised anxiety disorder
“Someone will worry about anything and everything under the sun,” Dr Nkhahla says.
Characteristics:
- Irritable
- Difficulty concentrating
- Worries excessively and frequently
- Racing heartbeat
Obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD)
One would experience uncontrollable, intrusive thoughts, which may cause anxiety. “The only one in which one may relieve the anxiety is to do a routine,” she said. She further explains that some people with OCD might wash their hands excessively to a point where their skin peels off, once they touch a surface, due to fear of germs.
Some of the characteristics are:
- Fear of germs or being contaminated
- Doubtfulness
Panic disorders
This disorder is when a person has a sudden fear which may lead to a panic attack. Dr Nkhahla says that this kind of attack may last for 15 minutes. “It comes anywhere, anytime, and then it just disappears.”
Some of the characteristics are:
- Sudden worry
- Racing heartbeat
- Shaking
- Sweating
- Fear of going out to public places
- Shortness of breath
Biological or environmental factors may cause all mental disorders.
Biological factors include genetics, brain defects or prenatal damage. While some environmental factors could be what happens externally, stress, divorce, the death of a loved one or even changes, and other challenges that one may experience can cause mental illness. Mental illnesses can also be substance-induced, like alcohol, drugs or other medicines. Also, mental illnesses may be dormant in some people, but because of various substances or other factors, the disorders may be activated or triggered.
Treatments:
The listed disorders can be treated both non-pharmacologically and pharmacologically. If a person has these symptoms or is aware of these behavioural patterns and is untreated, they should see a doctor or a specialist for the necessary assistance and treatment. Psychologists, psychiatrists, and occupational therapists are some of the specialists one can be referred to.
Dr Nkhahla also stresses that families and communities tend to reject people who are affected by mental illnesses. She pleads to the community to help and support them with their journey to a complete recovery.
For more information on the various mental illnesses, find in this week’s edition of the Potchefstroom Herald (14 November 2019).
Sources:
- MentalHealth.gov
- Healthline.com
- Webmd.com
