THIS BEING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH AND A LONG CONVERSATION WITH A FAMILY MEMBER HAS PROMPTED ME TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH IN THIS WEEK’S BLOG. THERE ARE MANY FORMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND WE WILL DISCUSS A FEW HERE BUT THIS PLATFORM IS WAY TOO SMALL TO TACKLE THE FULL GAMBET OF THIS DISEASE. DETERMINING WHICH FORM OF MENTAL ILLNESS YOU MAY BE EXPERIENCING MAY BE DIFFICULT BUT BASED ON YOUR SYMPTOMS, YOUR DOCTOR CAN DETERMINE THE BEST DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT.
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE IS NOT CONSIDERED A MENTAL ILLNESS BUT BECAUSE IT INVOLVES CHANGES TO THE BRAIN AND SINCE MENTAL HEALTH INVOLVES CHANGES TO THE BRAIN AS WELL, WE WLL DISCUSS ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND DEMENTIA. I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FROM SOME MEMORY ISSUES WHICH I ATTRIBUTE TO A LACK OF SLEEP AND DEHYDRATION BUT MY FAMILY MEMBERS SEEMED TO BE A LITTLE CONCERNED. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE DOESN’T RUN IN MY FAMILY BUT MY MOM DIED FROM BREAST CANCER SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHICH HAD METASTASIZED TO HER BRAIN AND CAUSED HER TO SUFFER FROM MEMORY ISSUES AS WELL AS PERSONALITY CHANGES BEFORE SHE SUCCUMBED TO THE DISEASE. SHE WOULD FORGET SMALL THINGS LIKE FORGETTING TO HANG UP THE PHONE AFTER A CALL AND IT WASN’T NOTICEABLE AT FIRST, BUT WHEN SHE STARTED LASHING OUT AT CASHIERS AT THE GROCERY STORE WE BECAME CONCERNED, THIS WAS NOT NORMAL BEHAVIOR FOR HER. ALL OF THIS WAS BEFORE HER DIAGNOSIS WITH BREAST CANCER. MY MEMORY ISSUES TO ME SEEM NORMAL BUT IF OTHER PEOPLE ARE SEEING SOMETHING DIFFERENT MAYBE ITS TIME TO AT LEAST ADDRESS THE SITUATION. IT IS A VERY SCARY THOUGHT WHEN OTHERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT YOU, I HAVE ONLY SEEN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE FROM THE HOLLYWOOD VERSION, BUT I’M SURE IT’S MUCH WORSE IF YOU OR YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS ARE EXPERIENCING IT. ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND DEMENTIA ARE FAMILY DISEASES. IT AFFECTS EVERYONE WHEN YOUR FAMILY MEMBER NO LONGER KNOWS WHO YOU ARE AND NEED HELP WITH EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES. I DON’T WANT TO THINK THAT I’M GOING DOWN THAT ROAD BUT I WILL BE EVALUATED FOR MY PEACE OF MIND.
SECONDLY, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE. I AM NOT AN EXPERT ON EITHER SUBJECT, I HAVE ONLY EXPERIENCED WHAT I CONSIDER MILD DEPRESSION LIKE MANY PEOPLE IN THESE CRAZY TIMES WE LIVE IN. I GUESS NO AMOUNT OF DEPRESSION OR SADNESS IS GOOD BUT CLINICAL DEPRESSION IS NOT ONLY SCARY FOR THE PERSON EXPERIENCING IT BUT ALSO FOR THE FAMILY WHO IS CONCERNED WITH THEIR LOVED ONE AS WELL. MANY TIMES A PERSON EXPERIENCING DEPRESSION FEELS HOPELESS AND UNLOVED EVEN WHEN THEY HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT LOVE THEM. THEY FEEL LIKE THEY CAN’T LIVE ANOTHER DAY AND MANY TIMES CONTEMPLATE OR EVEN ATTEMPT SUICIDE OR IN MANY CASES COMMIT SUICIDE. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL SITUATIONS RECENTLY WHERE THE PERSON SEEMED TO BE IN GOOD SPIRITS AND ON TOP OF THE WORLD AND THEN YOU HEAR THAT THEY COMMITTED SUICIDE. MANY TIMES WE DON’T KNOW WHAT OTHERS ARE DEALING WITH, EVEN THOSE WHO MAY BE CLOSE TO US CAN KEEP THAT SIDE HIDDEN FROM US. THEY MAY HAVE BEEN PRESCRIBED MEDICATION AFTER MEDICATION BUT NOTHING SEEMS TO BRING RELIEF AND THEY FEEL THEY HAVE NO OTHER OPTIONS. SOMETIMES A DEEPER LEVEL OF CARE IS REQUIRED, THERAPY FOR SURE AND MAYBE EVEN IN-HOUSE CARE AT A FACILITY THAT CATERS TO MENTAL ILLNESS, BUT FIRST YOU HAVE TO SEE THE SIGNS.
OUR NEXT FORM OF MENTAL ILLNESS BIPOLAR DISORDER ALSO KNOWN AS MANIC DEPRESSION IS A MOOD DISORDER WHERE YOU EXPERIENCE EXTREME HIGHS AND EXTREME LOWS. IF YOU ARE IN A MANIC STATE YOUR BEHAVIOR IS VERY ENERGETIC AND HAPPY AND MAY ALSO BE IMPULSIVE AND IF YOU ARE IN A DEPRESSIVE STATE YOU ARE VERY SAD, CRYING A LOT, AND HAVE A NEGATIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE. FEELINGS OF SUICIDE ARE VERY HIGH WHEN IN A DEPRESSIVE STATE. BIPOLAR DISORDER CAN BE MANAGED WITH MOOD STABILIZERS AND THERAPY.
SCHIZOPHRENIA IS A MENTAL DISORDER WHERE THE PERSON AFFLICTED EXPERIENCES THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS THAT MAY BE SEEN AS OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY. THEY MAY EXPERIENCE DELUSIONS OR EVEN HALLUCINATIONS AND THEIR THINKING MAY SEEM DISORGANIZED. SCHIZOPHRENIA IS USUALLY DIAGNOSED BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 AND 30, IT IS A VERY MISUNDERSTOOD DISEASE, MANY PEOPLE FEAR SCHIZOPHRENICS BECAUSE OF FEAR THEY MAY BE VIOLENT BUT THIS IS A COMMON MISCONCEPTION, MOST PEOPLE WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA ARE NOT VIOLENT AND LEAD VERY PRODUCTIVE LIVES.
I’M GOING TO STOP HERE WITH MY DIVE INTO MENTAL HEALTH, I HAVE ONLY SCRATCHED THE SURFACE OF THIS DISEASE AND I WILL GO FURTHER INTO IT IN A FUTURE POST. IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE IS EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS, PLEASE SEEK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. WE HAVE TO MAKE MENTAL HEALTH A PRIORITY EVERYDAY NOT JUST ONE MONTH A YEAR BUT IF THIS ONE MONTH HIGHLIGHTS THE DISEASE THEN THAT’S A START.
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