Mental Disorders

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Mental Disorders in America

Mental disorders should be treated the same as physical disorders. A mental patient

should have the right to adequate medical treatment. There is more to good health than

just a physically healthy body. A healthy person should also have a healthy mind. A

person with a healthy mind should be able to think clearly, should be able to face and

solve the various problems faced in life, should enjoy good relations with friends, co-

workers, and family, and feel spiritually at ease and bring happiness to others in their

community. It is theses aspects of health that can be considered as mental health.

In recent years, the types of behavior that are labeled as diseases have increased

dramatically. Modern psychiatry is ready to treat not only acute depression and

schizophrenia, but also moodiness, anxiety and poor self-esteem, feelings most of us

have experienced at one time or another.

Since many of us have suffered from at least some of the symptoms that characterize

the new illnesses, their status as disorders raises the prospect of defining us all as

mentally ill. By offering to relieve us of the moods and anxieties that are part of

everyday life, doctors are providing something other than cures for given aliments.

Doctors try to make us better than normal.

Mental illness includes a broad range of health problems. For most people,

mental illness is thought of as an illness associated with severe behavioral disturbances

such as violence, agitation and being sexually inappropriate. Such disturbances are

usually associated with severe mental disorders. However, the vast majority of

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those with a mental illness behave and look no different from anyone else. These

common mental health problems include depression, anxiety, sexual problems,

and addictions.

We as Americans should be concerned about treating the mentally ill. The

illnesses affect us all. "One in five of all adults will experience a mental health

problem in their lifetime (Johnson 462)". This shows how common mental health

problems are. Anyone can suffer a mental health problem.

Mental illness often have underlying physical causes. Such as the thyroid gland,

when out of balance can led to depression, feelings of suicide, anxiety, and being

nervous. One report states that "studies from nearly every corner of the world show

that as much as 40% of all adults attending general health care services are suffering

from some kind of mental illness. Many people attending general or community health

services seek help fro vague physical health problems. Many of them are actually

suffering from a mental health problem.

Some of the main economical and social contributing factors of mental illness

are stressful life events, difficult family background, heredity or genes, war, lose of

job or family members.

"Life is full of and events. Some of these may make a person feel worried and

under stress. Most people will learn how to deal with such events and carry on with

life. However, sometimes they can led to mental illness. Life events that cause

great stress include unemployment, the death of a loved one, economic problems

such as being in debt, loneliness, infertility, martial conflict, violence and

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trauma (Solomon 20)".

Mood disorders include major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and

bipolar disorder. Approximately 20.9 million American adults, or about 9.5%

of the US population age 18 and over in a given year, have a mood disorder.

The median age of onset for mood disorders is 30 years old. Depressive

disorders often co-occur with anxiety disorders and substance abuse.

"Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the US for all

ages 15-44. Major depressive disorder affects approximately 14.8 million

American adults, or about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a

given year (Kessier 617-619)".