What is mental illness?

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If there is a particular subject that you never study …

If you never learn about that subject …

If you rarely ever talk about or discuss that subject …

And if, on top of all of that, you heavily stigmatize that subject because many have already publicly done so …

… you will be grossly ignorant about that subject and your thoughts, attitudes, opinions, and actions you have about that stigmatized subject will be drawn from that base of ignorance.

For many — a majority? — of people, one such subject is mental illness.

Most people do not take time to study, in any way, what mental illness is. Neither do they take any time to learn just a little about the realities of mental illness, and so they aren’t inclined to talk about it or enter into discussions about it. Because for centuries mental illness has been negatively stigmatized — including loudly so from many church leaders directly from pulpits — we continue to stigmatize people with mental illness diagnoses.

IT’S A LITTLE BETTER .. BUT JUST A LITTLE
Two things have forced some who held a stigmatized view of mental illness to begin to change their opinions.

First, just as various schools of science — like medicine, for example — have greatly advanced over the centuries, so has the science of psychology and psychiatry. Today, most people suffering from a mental illness can overcome it or manage and thrive with their mental illness through sound clinical treatment.

Second, the prevalence of mental illness has become so great it can no longer be ignored. According to data reported by the National Alliance on Mental Illness:

    • 19.1% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2018 (47.6 million people). This represents 1 in 5 adults.
    • 4.6% of U.S. adults experienced serious mental illness in 2018 (11.4 million people). This represents 1 in 25 adults.
    • 16.5% of U.S. youth aged 6-17 experienced a mental health disorder in 2016 (7.7 million people).
    • 3.7% of U.S. adults experienced a co-occurring substance use disorder and mental illness in 2018 (9.2 million people).

Because mental illness is so prevalent, AND because treatment of mental illness is now so effective, more people are beginning to look more closely at the issue, and more church leaders are finally turning from castigating anyone seeking help from a mental health professional to recommending they do so.

BUT, the fact remains that the stigma regarding mental illness is still VERY STRONG, both inside and outside the church, and that comes mostly from a base of ignorance.

WHAT IS MENTAL ILLNESS?
Just as all of us have “physical health,” we all also have “mental health,” which then means that any of us can become “mentally ill” just as any of us can become “physically ill.” And just as physical health is a spectrum — we can “catch a cold” and recover quickly, or suffer life-threatening disease — mental health is also a spectrum — we can have periods or habits of irrational thinking, or suffer from dementia or schizophrenia.

With that in mind, Mental Health America provides additional basic insight of what mental illness is:

    • Mental Illnesses are brain-based conditions that affect thinking, emotions, and behaviors. Since we all have brains, having some kind of mental health problem during your life is really common.

For people who have mental illnesses, their brains have changed in a way in which they are unable to think, feel, or act in ways they want to. For some, this means experiencing extreme and unexpected changes in mood – like feeling more sad or worried than normal. For others, it means not being able to think clearly, not being able to communicate with someone who is talking to them, or having bizarre thoughts to help explain weird feelings they are having.

There are more than 200 classified forms of mental illness. Some of the more common disorders are depression, bipolar disorder, dementia, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders. Symptoms may include changes in mood, personality, personal habits and/or social withdrawal.

Mental health problems may be related to excessive stress due to a particular situation or series of events. As with cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, mental illnesses are often physical as well as emotional and psychological. Mental illnesses may be caused by a reaction to environmental stresses, genetic factors, biochemical imbalances, or a combination of these. With proper care and treatment many individuals learn to cope or recover from a mental illness or emotional disorder.

So a simple summary would be as follows – a mental illness is:

    • A medical condition disrupting a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning.
    • Common. One in four people will develop a mental illness in their lifetime.
    • Treatable. Most mental illnesses can be treated effectively with medication, therapy, diet, exercise, and support. Recovery is possible.

Understand that mental illness is NOT:

    • Imaginary. Mental illnesses are very real and very common.
    • Something to “get over.” Mental illnesses cannot be willed away.
    • A character flaw. Mental illnesses are medical conditions that do not define us.

Causes for mental illness may include:

    • Trauma. Sometimes traumatic events can play a role in triggering a mental illness.
    • Chemical imbalance. Chemical or biochemical changes in the brain can be factors.
    • Genetics. Some mental illnesses get passed along from one generation tothe next.
    • Environment. Exposure to toxins, illnesses, drugs, or alcohol can affect the developing brain in utero.

HOPE ABOUNDS
An abundance of research has established that modern treatment for mental illness is highly effective in helping people recover from their mental illness, or manage it effectively enough to thrive with it. Unfortunately, due to stigma, cost of services, and problems of access to quality services, many people who need clinical services don’t get the help they need that could change their lives.

Now that you have a basic introduction to what mental illness IS, you can help by refraining from stigmatizing mental illness and sharing this information with those who still do from their ignorance. Also, you can support ministries like Scott Free Clinic which removes the barriers of cost and access to provide people with the help they need to change their lives (to learn how you can support Scott Free Clinic, click here).

Scotty