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The reason why this problem interest me because i have dealt with mental illness in the past before and it is a serious topic that people should be more aware of. Mental illness is more common than people think it is. Also because i feel like people should be more informed about it and the effects because if they know the signs. If you know the signs the you could reach out to someone in need of treatment to help get better.

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Religions, cultures, and political groups all have their narratives-usually favorable or flattering accounts of their origins and beliefs. But narratives are not the same as truths, and usually lack the nuances of truth, which is rarely black or white. To see how this applies to psychiatry, try answering the question: Which one of the following statements best characterizes the American Psychiatric Association's 2005 position on the causes of mental illness?

1. All mental illness is caused by specific and identifiable chemical imbalances in the brain.

2. The most serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia and major depression, are caused by specific chemical imbalances.

3. Chemical imbalances of some sort cause some mental illnesses.

4. The exact causes of mental disorders are unknown.

Now, if you were to give credence to a recent online polemic posing as investigative journalism, you would probably choose the first or second statement. ¹ In the narrative of the antipsychiatry movement, a monolithic entity called "Psychiatry" has deliberately misled the public as to the causes of mental illness, by failing to debunk the chemical imbalance hypothesis. Indeed, this narrative insists that by promoting this simplistic notion, psychiatry betrayed the public trust and made it seem as if psychiatrists had "magic bullets" for psychiatric disorders. (Lurking in the back-story, of course, is Big Pharma, said to be in cahoots with psychiatry so as to sell more drugs.)

However, if you had actually investigated the APA's 2005 statement, you would have chosen answer 4. Here is the complete passage from the APA's "Healthy Minds" Web site, intended for the general public:

In fact, in the same year as the APA statement, Drs Thomas Insel and Remi Quirion ³ wrote a seminal paper proposing that "mental disorders need to be addressed as disorders of distributed brain systems with symptoms forged by developmental and social experiences." They went on to consider how "environmental factors during critical intervals of development exert long-term effects on gene expression" and suggest that "studying unconscious processes, motivation, or defenses, while at one time the sole province of psychoanalytic therapies, are now also in the domain of cognitive neuroscience."

Does this sound like a simplistic chemical imbalance hypothesis? I don't think so. But then, why do antipsychiatry groups and bloggers fail to note the nuances of what psychiatrists have been saying for at least the past decade? My guess is that doing so would undermine the derogatory narrative they wish to promote. And, of course, nuanced statements do not gin up public opinion or sell books.

OK-but weren't there many psychiatrists in the 1980s and 1990s who advocated a purely biochemical theory of mental illness, often using the metaphor of the chemical imbalance to explain mental disorders to their patients? It's difficult to answer this question, except in an anecdotal way, but it's probably true that some psychiatrists did hold a purely biocentric view. And, alas, some undoubtedly used the expression "chemical imbalance" in their clinical practice, without putting it into a broader context for their patients.

It's also true, as critics of the chemical imbalance hypothesis point out, that the term "imbalance" is misleading. To validate an imbalance, we must first have a quantitative understanding of the optimal neurochemical balance in the brain-and, given the scores of neurotransmitters now identified, this balance has yet to be ascertained. That said, I am not aware of any concerted effort by academic psychiatrists, psychiatric textbooks, or official psychiatric organizations to promote a simplistic chemical imbalance hypothesis of mental illness. That is what I meant when, in a 2011 Psychiatric Times piece, I referred to the chemical imbalance hypothesis as an urban legend. ⁴

But still-shouldn't psychiatrists in positions of influence have made greater efforts to knock down the chemical imbalance hypothesis, and to present a more sophisticated understanding of mental illness to the general public? Probably so. But there were sincere attempts to do just that, by a number of prominent psychiatrists-beginning nearly 50 years ago, with the developers of the catecholamine hypothesis. As psychiatrist Joseph Schildkraut and neuroscientist Seymour Kety wrote in 1967:

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Nuances, Narratives, and the "Chemical Imbalance" Debate

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Religions, cultures, and political groups all have their narratives-usually favorable or flattering accounts of their origins and beliefs. But narratives are not the same as truths, and usually lack the nuances of truth, which is rarely black or white.

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Mental illness is any disease or condition that influences the way a person thinks, feels, behaves, and/or relates to others and to his or her surroundings. Although the symptoms of mental illness can range from mild to severe and are different depending on the type of mental illness, a person with an untreated mental illness often is unable to cope with life's daily routines and demands.

What Causes Mental Illness?

Although the exact cause of most mental illnesses is not known, it is becoming clear through research that many of these conditions are caused by a combination of genetic, biological, psychological, and environmental factors -- not personal weakness or a character defect -- and recovery from a mental illness is not simply a matter of will and self-discipline.

Heredity (genetics): Many mental illnesses run in families, suggesting they may be passed on from parents to children through genes. Genes contain instructions for the function of each cell in the body and are responsible for how we look, act, think, etc. However, just because your mother or father may have or had a mental illness doesn't mean you will have one. Hereditary just means that you are more likely to get the condition than if you didn't have an affected family member. Experts believe that many mental conditions are linked to problems in multiple genes -- not just one, as with many diseases -- which is why a person inherits a susceptibility to a mental disorder but doesn't always develop the condition. The disorder itself occurs from the interaction of these genes and other factors -- such as psychologicaltrauma and environmental stressors -- which can influence, or trigger, the illness in a person who has inherited a susceptibility to it.

Biology: Some mental illnesses have been linked to an abnormal balance of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters help nerve cells in the brain communicate with each other. If these chemicals are out of balance or are not working properly, messages may not make it through the brain correctly, leading to symptoms of mental illness. In addition, defects in or injury to certain areas of the brain also have been linked to some mental conditions.

Psychological trauma: Some mental illnesses may be triggered by psychological trauma suffered as a child, such as severe emotional, physical, or sexual abuse; a significant early loss, such as the loss of a parent; and neglect.

Environmental stressors: Certain stressors -- such as a death or divorce, a dysfunctional family life, changing jobs or schools, andsubstance abuse -- can trigger a disorder in a person who may be at risk for developing a mental illness.

Can Mental Illness Be Prevented?

Unfortunately, most mental illnesses are caused by a combination of factors and cannot be prevented.

How Common Is Mental Illness?

Mental illnesses are very common. In fact, they are more common than cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 25% of American adults (those ages 18 and older) and about 13% of American children (those ages 8 to 15) are diagnosed with a mental disorder during a given year.

Major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are among the U.S.'s top 10 leading causes of disability.

Mental illness does not discriminate. It can affect people of any age, income or educational level, and cultural background. Although mental illness affects both males and females, certain conditions -- such as eating disorders -- tend to occur more often in females, and other disorders -- such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD) -- more commonly occur in children.

How Is Mental Illness Treated?

A mental illness, like many chronic illnesses, requires ongoing treatment. Fortunately, much progress has been made in the last two decades in treating mental illnesses. As a result, many mental conditions can be effectively treated with one or a combination of the following therapies:

Medication.

Psychotherapy.

Group therapy.

Day treatment or partial hospital treatment.

Specific therapies, such as cognitive-behavior therapy and behavior modification.

Other treatments available include:

SLIDESHOW
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What Is the Outlook for People with Mental Illness?

When diagnosed early and treated properly, many people fully recover from their mental illness or are able to successfully control their symptoms. Although some people become disabled because of a chronic or severe mental illness, many others are able to live full and productive lives. In fact, as many as 8 in 10 people suffering from a mental illness can effectively return to their normal activities if they receive appropriate treatment.
WebMD Medical Reference

Latest Mental Health News

SOURCE: National Institute of Mental Health web site: Mental illness statistics.

Reviewed by Joseph Goldberg, MD on February 14, 2012

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Mental Illness: Learn the Definition, Tests and Statistics

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Mental illness is any disease or condition that influences the way a person thinks, feels, behaves, and/or relates to others and to his or her surroundings. Although the symptoms of mental illness can range from mild to severe and are different depending on the type of mental illness, a person with an untreated mental illness often is unable to cope with life's daily routines and demands.

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it wouldn't let me make it into an attachment so click here to see the website i used.

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What is the effect mental illness can have on a person?

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What is the effect mental illness can have on a person?

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“mental illnesses, interfere with a person’s ability to think, feel, function, express moods and emotions, and relate to other people.”

comentary-
From my own personal experience i can say that mental illness can affect how a person feels or thinks. When my best friend past away i started to fall into a mental state of extreme sadness (depression) and it affected me a lot. I stopped caring about my grades in school and i was failing classes because i was too sad to do my work.

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“Although the exact cause of most mental illnesses is not known, it is becoming clear through research that many of these conditions are caused by a combination of genetic, biological, psychological, and environmental factors -- not personal weakness or a character defect -- and recovery from a mental illness is not simply a matter of will and self-discipline.”

commentary-
It is sad that people can develop mental illness from so many different ways. I developed one when i went through some tragic events in my personal life.  People who have a mental illness should let someone be aware so that they don’t have to feel so alone.

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How have others tried to solve this problem? Why was it or why wasn’t it successful?

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How have others tried to solve this problem? Why was it or why wasn’t it successful?

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“And mental health conditions are treatable. We are continually expanding our understanding of how the human brain works, and treatments are available to help people successfully manage mental health conditions.”

commentary-
People shouldn’t be scared to talk about mental illness because there is more help that’s available for them to get if they need it so they should take advantage of that.

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“Many people who have a mental illness do not want to talk about it. But mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of! It is a medical condition, just like heart disease or diabetes.”

Commentary-
It’s sad that people are scared to speak up about mental illness because they may be scared or embarrassed.