Mental illness: Some Essential Details

Human mind is complex as it is powerful. Great ideas from men and women have provided the world with a life of comfort and leisure. TV, telephone, automobile, aeroplanes, surgery and life-saving drugs are some of the greatest inventions thought of by great minds. The power of human mind has even managed to land humans on the Moon. Mars is next on the agenda.

Human mind is unfathomable. It is a hub of constant activity. A part of the brain remains alert to warn us of dangers and to monitor and control the activity of other organs even when we are asleep. We have just begun to understand the power of brain, the central processing unit (CPU) that controls the human body and mind.

However, there is a lot that can go wrong with brain. Then you have the evil geniuses who have committed heinous crimes as a result of the mental degeneration brought on by a variety of factors. The causes of mental illness, also called mental disorder, psychological disorder or psychiatric disorder, are often unclear. The scientific study of mental disorders is called psychopathology. Common types of mental illness include depression, dementia, and schizophrenia, which put together, affect 450 million people globally.

Mental disorders are treated in psychiatric hospitals and clinics with support from community mental health services, psychotherapists, counselors, and public health professionals. Right method of treatment depends on the type of disorder and on the affected individual.

The subject has attracted its fair share of attention from movie industry. Films like Cape Fear based on antisocial personality disorder, and What’s eating Gilbert Grape based on depression have helped draw attention to the dark world of mental illness. As a result, the world has begun to treat the affected people with understanding and compassion they deserve.

Mental Illness Awareness Week, also known as Mental Health Awareness Week, was established in 1990 in the United States to educate and increase awareness about mental illness. It is held during the first full week of October every year and involves promotion of community outreach and educating general public about mental illnesses through activities such as art and music events, health fairs, advertising campaigns, and benefit runs. World Mental Health Day, observed on October 10 every year has similar objectives.

Considering that a considerable part of the population is affected by mental illness in varying degrees, our main objective should be to end the stigma attached to the condition. The next step is to advocate for treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation of the affected individuals.