Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Psychological disorders
Mental health and its effects on families
Psychological disorders
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Psychological disorders
About 43.8 million people in America experience a form of mental illness, and 20% of children and teens deal with some form of a mental health condition. One in five children/teens will, will have a serious form of mental illness. Oddly enough, mental illness can be hereditary. And living with people who are affected by mental illness has many hardships. For example: it makes it hard for my mom to keep a stable and steady job, it stresses everyone else in the house out, and it also triggers my brother and sister’s mental illness. About three years ago, my mom was diagnosed with schizophrenia, anxiety, and bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression). The schizophrenia makes her have a very compulsive behavior, she socially isolates
According to the DSM-IV, schizophrenia is classified under the section of “Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders”. Schizophrenia is one of the most serious major chronic brain disorders in the field of mental health; it is a neurological disorder that affects the cognitive functions of the human brain. People living with this incapacitating illness can experience multiple symptoms that will cause extreme strain in their own and their families and friends life. The individual can lose reality, unable to work, have delusions and hallucinations, may have disorganized speech and thought processes, will withdraw from people and activities, they may become suspicious and paranoid, may behave inappropriately in every day social situations. They may neglect personal hygiene and dress improperly, use excessive make-up; every day life is becoming chaotic for everyone involved.
For some, it can be a positive experience. In this excerpt from “The Ecology of a Cracker Childhood”, Ray’s father writes to her when she asked of him to speak about his experience as a person who dealt with his own mental illness. “Mental illness, or nervous breakdown as some call it, is nothing to be afraid of, or to put it in better perspective, nothing to live in fear of. In some ways, it is like death. Natural death comes in stages – stage one gets you ready for stage two and so on until the coma. Most of the time people with a mental dis-order don’t know it. Sometimes their friends can’t detect it. Close family members can, as well as those trained in the field. Thirty years ago I had what people call mental illness. I call it one of the greatest experiences of my life. I would not erase it from my past even if I could. I would sell it for a million dollars. Its value to me cannot be measured. I can only assume that God allowed it to happen and was with me all the way through it – one in the Church said mental illness is of the devil, which I do not agree with. It taught me: 1) greater love for people. 2) greater love for the earth, the trees, the hills, the valley, the streams, the soil, the animals. 3) the future is everything. 4) the wife is me. 5) to love my family. 6) the true value of my sanity, my health, my well-being. 7) to respect our creator. I will not list the minuses because everybody knows what it would be like to be called crazy. I have nothing but praise for the state of Georgia’s mental institution. From what I saw, top to bottom, it was good. In closing, I would like to remind you of what our Creator said many times. Fear not” (Ray 79).
Chapter thirteen has two subject matter that it discusses in some detail, mental illness and developmental disabilities. This review will be exploring the history, philosophy and theories of developmental disabilities. Social workers come in contact with many clients that have developmental disabilities, and the chapter gives a glimpse the history, problems, and theories related to developmental problems. Chapter thirteen explores the issues of dealing with developmental disabilities in the past and what is being done today to help social workers face the issues.
Mental illness plagues one out of four American citizens. Mental illness varies greatly from person to person. The spectrum of mental illness includes many illnesses including, depression and anxiety as well as some more serious illnesses such as Down syndrome. All mental illness plays a role in how this person is going to function in society. These individuals have unique needs and individual strengths that need evaluated for proper care.
There is a great deal of controversy surrounding the issue of children being medicated with powerful psychotropic medications. Psychological disorders, such as bipolar disorder, that were once believed only to effect adults, are now being diagnosed in children, and those children are, more often than not, now being treated with medications. The number of children being diagnosed and treated with psychotropic medications has rapidly increased in recent years. A report issued by Medco Health Solutions in 2010 states that the number of children being prescribed psychotropic medications doubled from 2001 to 2010. Psychotropic medications can be defined as "any medication capable of affecting the mind, emotions, and behavior"(medicine net). The classes of psychotropic medications are; Stimulants, such as Adderall- prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Antidepressants, such as Prozac- prescribed for depression, Anti-psychotics such as Haldol - prescribed for behavioral disorders, and Mood Stabilizers, such as Depakote - prescribed for bipolar disorders. These medications have been shown to "stunt growth, cause obsessive behaviors, suppress spontaneity, and cause children to become depressed and less social"(Breggin, 2009). This paper will discuss what research suggests about the potentially negative effects of these medications on a child’s physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development. In addition, this paper will also examine the potential reasons these medications are increasingly prescribed, and alternative treatments for some of the psychological disorders that these kinds of medications are prescribed for.
Psychotropic medications, also referred to as psychiatric or psychotherapeutic medications, are used to treat psychiatric disorders, such as: depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They have been used for many years and oftentimes come with dangerous side effects. The side effects that often occur in children taking these medications can include: fainting, blurred vision, vomiting, extreme weight gain, and even death ("Seroquel information,” n.d.). The use of psychotropic medication to treat mental disorders in children and adolescents is highly controversial because of ethical viewpoints (i.e. parents “drugging” their children to calm them down) and potentially harmful side effects, but one has to take into consideration whether the risks outweigh the benefits when deciding whether or not to give this type of medication to children.
To understand what mental illness is you have to know what it means. Mental health is the state of our well-being. Mental health has to do with the mind. According to thefreedictionary.com mental health is “a state of emotional and psychological well-being in which an individual is able to use his or her cognitive and emotional capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life”. Mental illness are behavioral, psychological, and emotional disorders that effect the mind. Mental illness is not something that should be avoided. There many different types of mental illnesses. There are also mental healthcare services that can help people with their mental illnesses.
Mental illness is an increasing problem in America. Currently about 26.2% of Americans suffer from a mental disorder. A mental illness/disorder is a medical condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, and ability to relate to others and daily functions. Mental illness can affect humans of any age, race, gender and socioeconomic status. However the care that is needed to effectively cure and help the people affected by the illness is not equal for everyone here in American, especially for African Americans.
Mental illness is more common than one would like to believe. In reality, one in five Americans will suffer from a mental disorder in any given year. Though that ratio is about equivalent to more than fifty-four million people, mental illness still remains a shameful and stigmatized topic (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). The taboo of mental illness has an extensive and exhausting history, dating back to the beginning of American colonization. It has not been an easy road, to say the least.
Imagine you are married with children; your child has been acting different lately, so you take them to the doctor. Once there you find out that they have a mental illness. What do you do? Over the years, it has been estimated that around twenty percent of children worldwide are suffering from a form of mental illness such as Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Schizophrenia, and Anxiety Disorders. Ultimately, parents of these children end up struggling with their own psychological, emotional, social, and economic challenges while providing for their child with the mental illness. Raising a child with mental illness can be a challenge, but through increased knowledge and adjusted attitudes parents can be more prepared.
The documentary “The Medicated Child” gave me a lot of insight into the lives of children diagnosed with bipolar disorder. When we hear and learn about bipolar disorder, we do not normally think of children. However, there are many children diagnosed with bipolar disorder ranging from all ages. As we saw in the documentary, bipolar disorder can be very hard on both the child and the family, so finding a cure that is effective and safe is important. The video also highlighted how little research there has been on the effectiveness of antidepressants on children.
Childhood Schizophrenia happens. Although this chronic brain disorder is more prevalent in adults, occurrences of hallucinations have been reported in children as young as 5 years of age. Still, parents need not panic, as pediatric schizophrenia only develops in about 1 in 40,000 children.
Although physical health is not directly effected by the status of a child’s mental state, children with mental health problems are more prone to having a chronic health condition, which will follow them into adulthood. Out of all the children with a mental illness forty percent of them have two or more mental illnesses. A child with a mental illness has a greater chance of developing even more mental illnesses as an adult. An adult with one or more mental disorders are less likely to work or participate in the community in a positive light (cdc.gov). The abundant number of children who had trouble in school, getting along with their peers, and shying away from their family because of a mental illness are not likely to be attending further schooling or working in their adulthood. Since these adults do very little there a greater chance that they turn to substance abuse (NHPF.ORG). According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the population of people with mental illnesses consumes thirty-eight percent of alcohol and forty-four percent of cocaine (dual diagnosis).
There are so many cases alike that are suffering from some sort of mental illness and have no idea that they are or don’t know what to do about it. Data compiled by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) indicate that approximately 15% of children in schools as of right now have untreatable mental illnesses. There are at least 200 known mental illnesses throughout the world, and at least 100 can affect everyone of all ages. Abuse and home conditions are large starters of mental illness, behind that is private and or public schooling. Mental illness can be started in the main places in a teens life, yet mental illness is not mandatory for even health classes to teach in
Mental illness is one of the growing illnesses in the United States. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness”1 in 5 adults experiences a mental health condition every year. 1 in 20 lives with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. ” If the person has five family members, one of them could be diagnosed with mental illness.