The thought of properly explaining the world of mental health is overwhelming. There is no singular definition for the term as everyone’s experience with mental illness is different and no two brains or life experiences operate in the same manner. The reality constructed by the human brain is so complex that the topic must be divided into subcategories to allow for a substantial understanding.
From the smallest neurotransmitter in the mind and the combination of nature versus nurture, to the response of society on mental illness, “The Evaluation” is an Odyssey based series that starts from the inside of the world of mental health and works its way out. My goal of the series is to take the common misconceptions and unanswered questions of mental health and provide comfort through knowledge for those who suffer from a mental illness or those who may not know much about it.
"The Evaluation" will touch on topics and discuss questions including a look into the many mental illnesses, why mental health is viewed as a cliched topic, why it has gone so unrecognized/discredited in society, how to tell the difference between someone who has a mental health disorder and someone who uses it as an excuse, should it be required by the government for psychiatrists/psychologists to attend yearly courses for new studies, how does mental health impact addiction, and how many individuals who suffer from a mental illness have actually been diagnosed.
Part One
The Background
Referring back to the psychological debate of nature versus nurture, you can look at the world of mental health from the perspective of genetics, the environment, or a combination of both how you are born and how you are raised.
Nature
Although a mental illness impacts the brain in multiple ways, I will provide information on the two specific categories of neurotransmitters and working memory.
With the idea of personal development, it has been shown that an
individual with anxiety possesses a different working memory than one
who does not. In a study by Scientific Reports, it was proven that
anxious individuals are more likely to allocate working memory to
threat-related information linked to the heightened reactivity of the
amygdala. Made simple, the mind of a person who suffers from anxiety
automatically takes in worry-related thoughts, dismissing outside
information, and decreasing the ability to focus on a job or activity.
The way threatening information enters the brain of an anxious
individual triggers a chain reaction of worry that snowballs within the
mind.
Moving from the process of memory to the transmission of information, think of neurotransmitters as a small system of mail that sends signals across a chemical synapse from one neuron to another “target” neuron or cell in the body. Popular neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine and glutamate, have significant roles within the body to serve as a regulation system for mood, consciousness, appetite and more. According to research conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health, or NAMI, a mental illness can be caused by the dis-regulation of any given neurotransmitter. An excess of dopamine in the system, aiding the movement and flow of information to the front of the brain connected to thought and emotion, is linked to the development of schizophrenia impacting how an individual thinks, feels and behaves in everyday life. Whereas an excess of dopamine leads to a mental illness, a lack of serotonin in the system, the neurotransmitter that controls functions such as appetite, sleep and mood, is linked to the onset of depression.
Although there are more ways in which mental illness impacts the brain, working memory and the two neurotransmitters of serotonin and dopamine are just a few examples of the physical nature of mental health.
Nurture
When looking at the nurture side of mental health, I feel as if it is unrecognized by a majority of society and is not understood in a manner that expresses how one experience alone is enough to change the entire life of a person. Contemplating just how many individuals in a given year suffer from mental illnesses, experiences such as abuse, neglect, trauma, addiction and more all possess a significant impact on the brain and body.
Mental illnesses do not solely arise from the way one is born, but can result from an experience in time. There is no limit to what the experience may be and the expanse of time it occurs, whether that includes a lifetime, a singular moment, or the association of multiple. It is important to understand the life of an individual when attempting to understand mental illness as the mind is an ever-growing network. It acts as a sponge that pulls in every detail, word and action to form an opinion or emotion in response. The expanse of the power of the mind is so strong that, when looking at mental illnesses such as dissociative identity disorder and anxiety, it shows the ability to separate itself from the conscious body.
Understanding the influence of nature and nurture on the individual, there is the question as to what more causes a mental illness and an answer that states both, but in different ways. Nature and nurture can be combined in several formats that inevitably impact mental health, including the possibility of an individual to have a mental illness and an experience being the factor that pulls the possibility into reality. There is also the way in which an individual who suffers from a mental illness can have an increase in symptoms, such as thoughts or feelings, due to the environment, and how an individual with a low ability to adapt/cope, or a low rate of self-esteem, may be more susceptible to a mental illness than another.
Myths of Mental Health
Mental health doesn't impact everyday life/Mental health conditions are uncommon.
Every case of a mental illness is a result of needed attention.
People with mental health can snap out of it if they try hard enough.
Therapy and self-help are a waste of time.
NAMI Starting Statistics
1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experience a mental illness in a given year with 1 in 25 Americans permanently living with disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression.
Mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder, are the third most common cause of hospitalization of those between the ages of 14 and 44.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for those 15 to 24 with 90% of children 18 to 22 who die from suicide being recorded to suffer from a mental illness.
Only 44% of adults who suffer from a mental illness and less than 20% of children receive needed treatment.