Mental Illness

1
Mental Illness
By Angy El-khatib
2
What is Mental Illness?
Mental Illness is an illness just like a physical
illness.

• But instead of affecting the body, it affects the
  brain.
• Mental disorders can affect a person at any age.

• In the U.S alone, 50 million people have mental
  illness.
• 18 of the people have mental illness, roughly 1
  out of 6 people.

3
How Does a Person Develop Mental Illness?

• The exact causes of are not known.
• Most common explanation is genetics and
  biochemical.
• Also, stress in a persons life changes the way
  the brain works and may contribute to mental
  illness

4
Are we Giving them Enough Treatment?

• A person who is sick does not have the
  opportunity to make a meaningful choice between
  getting better or staying sick.
• Now, if you are mentally ill, you cant get
  insurance coverage, and the state cant treat
  you. You are most likely to get care in a prison
  than outside.

5
...Unfortunately, we dont have the perfect
drugs to treat them. And the drugs that we do
have, have side effects.
6
Are the Doctors to Blame For?

• 1/4 of them that told their doctor about their
  drugs, said the doctors werent helpful.
• The findings show poor drug prescribing by the
  doctors.

• 75 of them said they were not warned about any
  of drug side effects.

7
What can Doctors do?
Doctors argue that patients do not remember their
prescription when they are told in the consulting
room.

• The doctors can write every step needed to take
  the drug down.

8
Mental Illnesses are obviously something not
everyone is very aware of. To make sure you or
someone you know has a mental illness check the
symptoms on the next page...
9
Do you have a Mental Illness?
Do you think you have a Mental Illness? Here are
some symptoms

• In Children and Adolescents
• Substance abuse
• Frequent outbursts of anger
• Change in sleeping/eating habits
• Intense Fear of weight gain
• Negative mood, often accompanied by poor
  appetite or thoughts of death.
• Changes in school performance.
• Hyperactivity
• Persistent nightmares

• In Adults
• Confused Thinking
• Depression
• Strong feelings of anger
• Growing inability to cope with daily problems and
  activities.
• Suicidal thoughts
• Denial of obvious problems
• Substance abuse
• Change in sleeping/ eating habits

10
(No Transcript)