Mental illness

A mental illness is a disorder of the brain that results in a disruption in a person's thinking, feeling, moods, and ability to relate to others. Mental illness is distinct from the legal concepts of sanity and insanity.

Treatment

Strictly speaking, there is no cure for mental illness. Many conditions, like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression, can be treated with medication, however. The function of the psychiatrist is in administering, monitoring, and managing the prescription of these medications and their effects on the patient.

Related Topics:
Schizophrenia - Bipolar disorder - Depression - Medication - Psychiatrist

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Loosely speaking, there is a cure for some mental conditions in the same sense that there is a cure for cancer. That is, if a person has a mental illness, it can be treated until the symptoms disappear. The chances of the symptoms recurring will be affected by the number of episodes the patient has had in the past, the effectiveness of the treatment, as well as external factors. If the patient's symptoms never recur, he is said to be 'cured'. If they recur, it is the same concept as a cancer patient coming out of remission, i.e. the patient never was cured in the first place.

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Since mental illness is at its base behavioral illness, most mentally ill patients also benefit from psychotherapy, either from a psychiatrist or some other qualified clinician, like a social worker or psychologist. The most basic treatment involves identifying maladaptive, self-destructive, or inappropriate behaviors and finding ways, with the patient, of coping with, eliminating, or altering those behaviors to promote overall mental health.

Related Topics:
Mental illness - Psychotherapy - Clinician - Social work - Psychologist - Mental health

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Often individuals with serious mental illness will engage in several different treatment modalities, all with specific goals. For example, a patient with chronic schizophrenia may be involved in treatment with a psychiatrist for medication, and he or she may also be engaged in psychotherapy to help manage their life-long condition, as well being engaged in case management (sometimes referred to as "service coordination") or a day treatment or vocational program to help move them towards a more productive and independent role in the community.

Related Topics:
Schizophrenia - Day treatment - Vocational

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