Free Essays on Mental Illness

Dysthymic Disorder is described as chronic depression, but is less severe than a major depression. The main symptom for dysthymic disorder is an almost daily depressed mood for at least two years, but without the necessary criteria for a major depression. Low energy, sleep, appetite disturbances, and low self-esteem are signs of having this mood disorder. People who have this will often say they don't recall ever not feeling depressed, but they may be relatively functional in managing their life. The symptoms are severe enough to cause stress and interference with every day situations. It is important to have a complete physical with a health doctor to rule out any physical illnesses that might be causing the depression. If this is so then the correct diagnosis might be a Mood Disorder due to a general Medical Condition, even if all the criteria for dysthymic disorder are met. The question is whether the medical condition is physically causing the depression. Dysthymic disorder is a long term illness but psychotherapy is effective in reducing the symptoms, and assisting the person in managing their life better. Some use antidepressant medication and psychotherapy, and many respond better when using both at the same time. Dysthymic Disorder causes many changes in the way you think, feel, behave, and also you physically. * Changes in Thinking include experiencing difficulty with concentrating and making decisions. Some have problems with short term memory or forgetting things all the time. Negative thoughts and thinking are characteristics of depression. Pessimism, poor self-esteem, excessive guilt, and self-criticism are all common. Some even have self-destructive thoughts during more serious depression. *Changes in Feelings include feeling sad for no reason. Others say that they no longer enjoy activities that they once found fun. You might lack motivation or feel "slowed down" and tired all the time. Sometimes smaller p... Free Essays on Mental Illness Free Essays on Mental Illness Dysthymic Disorder is described as chronic depression, but is less severe than a major depression. The main symptom for dysthymic disorder is an almost daily depressed mood for at least two years, but without the necessary criteria for a major depression. Low energy, sleep, appetite disturbances, and low self-esteem are signs of having this mood disorder. People who have this will often say they don't recall ever not feeling depressed, but they may be relatively functional in managing their life. The symptoms are severe enough to cause stress and interference with every day situations. It is important to have a complete physical with a health doctor to rule out any physical illnesses that might be causing the depression. If this is so then the correct diagnosis might be a Mood Disorder due to a general Medical Condition, even if all the criteria for dysthymic disorder are met. The question is whether the medical condition is physically causing the depression. Dysthymic disorder is a long term illness but psychotherapy is effective in reducing the symptoms, and assisting the person in managing their life better. Some use antidepressant medication and psychotherapy, and many respond better when using both at the same time. Dysthymic Disorder causes many changes in the way you think, feel, behave, and also you physically. * Changes in Thinking include experiencing difficulty with concentrating and making decisions. Some have problems with short term memory or forgetting things all the time. Negative thoughts and thinking are characteristics of depression. Pessimism, poor self-esteem, excessive guilt, and self-criticism are all common. Some even have self-destructive thoughts during more serious depression. *Changes in Feelings include feeling sad for no reason. Others say that they no longer enjoy activities that they once found fun. You might lack motivation or feel "slowed down" and tired all the time. Sometimes smaller p... Free Essays on Mental Illness â€Å"Mental illnesses are socially constructed and are highlighting aspects of those illnesses that help define how both the mentally ill and normal people behave† (Text, pg. 72). There are three different explanations of mental illness: 1) the medical model, 2) the deviance approach, 3) the controversial argument that mental illness is not a disease but a way that the government can control people with the said disease. The medical model is a thought that holds a mental disorder to be viewed as a disease with biological causes (text, pg 72). Research on the medical model arose in reaction to the order that mentally ill people are â€Å"possessed† and should be locked up. The concept of mental disorder as a disease has certain disadvantages, because it concentrates on individuals and their immediate environment, it tends to disregard the wider social environment as a possible source of the problem. Especially for hospitalized patients, the medical model can lead to impractical criteria of recovery; people may have gained considerable insight into their inner tensions but are still unable to function correctly when they return to the outer tensions of home, job, or society (text, pg72). The mental disorders that cause severe social problems are the most extreme forms of mental illness, in which individuals become violent and irrational. Less threatening, but more widespread as a social problem, are severely ill individuals who are unable to care for themselves without specialized attention (text). The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has gone a long way toward standardizing the diagnosis of mental illness. However, many researchers believe that psychiatric diagnoses are arbitrary and amount to labels, describing behavior that is contrary to accepted social and psychological norms (text). Poverty is associated with high exposure to crime and violence, which creates stresse...