|
Mental Illness and Treatment
Disclaimer
Symptoms of Mental IllnessPeople with mental illness have disorders of thought, feeling or behaviour that result in an inability to cope with the demands of everyday life. Symptoms vary in type and degree from illness to illness and from person to person. They are often cyclical in nature and vary in severity over time. An acute episode may last from weeks to months for some and many years or a lifetime for others. The following list of symptoms could be warning signs of a mental illness developing.
They should be taken seriously and, when more than one symptom appears in adolescents, should not be considered just a passing phase. It is always best to start with a physical examination to rule out the possibility of an underlying medical disease (hypothyroidism, multiple sclerosis, brain tumour, disordered metabolism) when mental illness is suspected. It is important to know that research is progressing at a steady rate and there are many medications that can help affected individuals lead productive lives. It is often suggested that combining the appropriate type of psychotherapy with medications and rehabilitation intervention can increase a person’s chances of remaining stable and functional. For
more information on mental illness: Types of Mental Illness
|
| Concerned that you or someone you know has symptoms of depression or bipolar
disorder?
Click on one of these sites for a confidential screening for bipolar disorder or depression |
Postpartum
Depression
Postpartum depression, which many people consider "baby blues," is also a form
of major depression, not just a mild, short-term feeling of sadness after a
baby is born. Along with the symptoms of depression, mothers may also
experience:
·
Lack of interest in the baby, family or friends
·
Fear of being a bad mother
·
Fear that harm will come to the baby
·
Thoughts of harming the baby or herself
Postpartum depression is a treatable medical illness and should not be
considered a natural reaction to being a mother of a newborn baby.
For more information on postpartum depression:
Postpartum Depression
Revivre Association québécoise de soutien aux personnes souffrant de troubles anxieux, dépressifs ou bipolaires
Déprimés Anonymes
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
This is a spectrum
of disorders causing people to be constantly troubled by persistent ideas and
feelings (obsessions) that force them to carry out repetitive actions and
rituals (compulsions). Patients consider these thoughts senseless and sometimes
disagreeable, but are unable to ignore or resist them. One-sixth of the
population shows mild obsessive symptoms. Obsessive compulsive disorder
generally starts in adolescence and develops intermittently. More information
and better treatment is becoming available for those with the disorder.
Common obsessions include:
·
Violent thoughts
·
Fear of being infected by germs or dust
·
Perpetual doubts (is the front door locked?)
·
Obsessive ruminations that oblige a return to the same word, sentence or
insolvable problem
Common compulsions include:
·
Checking repeatedly
·
Washing continually
·
Cleaning to avoid contamination
·
Arranging things JUST RIGHT by size, colour, number
For
more information on OCD:
Obsessive Compulsive Foundation
OCD Online
OCD Center of Los Angeles
Anxiety
Disorders
Anxiety disorders affect approximately 7 to 15 percent of the population.
One particular form, panic disorder, is characterized by recurrent panic
attacks. The person experiences dizziness, chest discomfort, choking and
sweating. The attacks generally last from a few minutes to a few hours. Panic
attacks are accompanied by a sense of looming danger and a strong desire to
escape. Anticipation of an attack and the subsequent fear of helplessness often
complicate the problem and increase anxiety. Other forms of anxiety include
fear of specific objects (phobias) or fear of going out (agoraphobia).
Anxiety Disorders and Youth
Recognizing the prevalence and effects of anxiety in youth, in 2001 the
Régie Régionale embarked on a public awareness campaign to promote screening,
referrals and treatment of anxiety among young people ages 14-25.
For
more information on anxiety and related disorders:
Anxiety Disorders
Association of America
Panic Disorder
Understanding Agoraphobia & Panic Disorder
Personality Disorders
This is a very broad category of disorders related to rigid and deeply rooted impaired patterns in relating to, perceiving, and thinking about the environment and oneself. It is evident in individuals who fail to adjust to socially acceptable norms of behavior in vocational and social settings and who are incapable of establishing adequate, stable relationships.
Some of these disorders are:
Antisocial personality disorder
-
An individual who may be in continuous social or legal trouble and may appear to profit very little from parental or social discipline
Borderline personality disorder
-
Marked changes in mood for brief periods of time
-
Having unstable, intense interpersonal relationships
-
Prone to unpredictable action which could be self-damaging (ie cutting)
-
Unstable self-image
Concerned that you or someone you know has a personality disorder? Click here for a confidential screening.
Paranoid personality disorder
-
Characteristically behaving towards others with unwarranted suspicion, envy, jealousy and stubbornness
-
Feelings of having been taken advantage of, even in the face of evidence to the contrary
Obsessive compulsive personality disorder
-
Characterized by a pervasive pattern of perfectionism and inflexibility beginning in early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts that interfere with task completion (indecisiveness, over-conscientiousness)
-
Preoccupation with details while losing sight of over-all goals
-
Unreasonable insistence on a particular way of doing things
-
Excessive devotion to work
-
This disorder can also cause restricted expression of affection, lack of generosity, inability to discard worthless objects.
For more information on personality disorders:
Other Mental Health Links
Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa & Bulimia Quebec
Eating Disorder Shared Awareness
Suicide
Children & Adolescents
Medications
Medication can help people with mental illnesses in several ways. It can relieve the distress and anguish caused by illness by controlling symptoms, such as depression, mania, panic attacks, obsessions and hallucinations. In addition, it can prevent relapse of both schizophrenia and mood disorders. Certain medications can also reduce the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Medication is so important that it is often considered essential in the treatment of mental illness, particularly if the illness is severe and persistent. However, medication does not "cure" the illness and, of course, has side effects. In each case, therefore, the risks must be weighed against the benefits of taking a medication or not.
It is important to know the names of prescribed medications (both the manufacturer's trade name and the chemical generic name), as well as the dosage, therapeutic benefits, and possible side effects. Keeping a written record of all this can be very useful at a later date. Any other doctor or dentist should be aware of all medications taken to ensure that any medical operation or treatment is undertaken without risk of interaction with the psychiatric medication.
Medications vary as to the amount of time needed before taking effect (from a few hours in the case of anxiolytics to several weeks in the case of antidepressants). Side effects, however, can appear very rapidly, leading many people to stop their medication before they take full effect. Many side effects, though, are only temporary and may disappear after a few weeks. In any case, ongoing treatment with medications should be supervised carefully.
Antipsychotics
Antipsychotics (also known as neuroleptics) are prescribed to counteract psychotic thinking such as occurs with schizophrenia, mania and extreme depression. They help stop hallucinations, delusions and agitation, and significantly reduce the rate of relapse. The most common antipsychotics are Zyprexa, Risperdal, Haldol and Seroquel.
Some antipsychotics are injectable in intervals ranging from one week to several months. Often, the total dosage of the medication may be reduced by giving an injection, because it is better absorbed in this form. Injections are preferable for persons who are either non-compliant or forget to take their pills.
Use of antipsychotic drugs can produce side effects. It is important to discuss with the physician or pharmacist the side effects of each medication, since the profile can vary considerably with the dose and medication taken. Following are typical side effects of antipsychotics:
-
Dizziness, dry mouth, blurred vision, urinary retention, and constipation. These symptoms are due to the antichlorine effect and may decrease or disappear with time. Notify your physician if the constipation is persistent
-
Stiffness, shakiness, restlessness, muscle spasms (especially neck, eyes or tongue) and akathysia (fidget/need to walk)
-
Lack of concentration or memory loss, reduced libido, increased saliva, sensitivity to the sun. In certain cases, these effects may improve with time. They are not permanent because they disappear once the medication stops.
-
Flu-like symptoms with fever, sore throat, rash, stomach pain, diarrhoea, vomiting or asthma. These symptoms represent an allergic reaction, which is rare and usually occurs during the first month of treatment. Notify a physician of all these symptoms.
-
Involuntary movements, especially of the mouth and fingers. When antipsychotics are used for extended periods of time, these symptoms of tardive dyskinesia may develop. Certain precautions may be taken to prevent tardive dyskinesia, such as keeping the dosage of the medication to the minimum and, perhaps, the use of vitamins E and C. Although tardive dyskinesia may improve, it is sometimes irreversible.
These symptoms are due to the neuroleptic effects on the extrapyramidal system, a part of the brain that controls muscle movements. They are worse in young males and often require a medication to counter the side effects. Medications for these reactions include: Kemadrin and Cogentin.
Antidepressants
These drugs are used to treat depression by reducing the symptoms of sadness, agitation, irritability and inability to enjoy life. Some are useful for panic attacks, obsessive-complusive disorder and chronic pain. Antidepressants are different from most medications since they are slow to act: with the adequate dosage, it takes two to six weeks to see if the patient reacts favorably to the medication. Overall, antidepressants can help 70 to 80 % of people with major depression. As with antipsychotics, antidepressants treat the symptoms but do not cure the illness, hence they must be taken for the natural duration of the depressive episode. Like many other drugs, they are toxic when taken in overdose, so the prescribed dosage should be carefully followed.
There are many antidepressants on the market, which may lead to confusion. The choice of medication may be based on its side effects, the presence of agitation or anxiety, lack of energy or the experience that the person already has with a previous antidepressant. Antidepressants are grouped according to their mode of action and structure.
The side effects of antidepressants vary considerably according to the category and it is always good to check with the physician or the pharmacist to know the effects of the prescribed medication. The most common side effects are dry mouth, blurred vision, urinary retention and constipation. These symptoms are due to the antichlorine effect and may decrease or disappear with time. In some cases they may cause stomach upset, weight gain, nightmares, inability to sleep, sexual difficulties or increased seizure activity in people who already suffer from epilepsy.
Notify your physician if the symptoms persist over a long period of time.
For severe and persistent depressions that do not respond to traditional antidepressants, the physician can suggest a potentialization strategy : adding another medication such as Lithium to increase the efficacy of the antidepressant.
Mood Stabilizers
Drugs in this category are used to treat hypomania (state of perpetual excitement with an overabundance of energy, lack of sleep, irritability, etc.), mania and psychosis in bipolar disorder (alternation of mania and depression). The most common medications in this group are Lithium, Epival and Topamax.
Lithium is the most common mood stabilizer. Lithium is not a tranquillizer but works in a more fundamental way to settle the person’s mood so that he can sleep, eat, think, feel and relate more normally. In acute mania, lithium is often combined with other medications including the more powerful antipsychotics. People with manic-depressive illness take lithium continuously even when they feel better in order to prevent episodes of mania or depression from returning.
Lithium has side effects which may include tremor, nausea, diarrhea, frequent urination, weight gain, marked thirst and water retention. If the lithium level gets too high in the blood, side effects will include lethargy, changes in mental function, vomiting and diarrhoea. For this reason the dose of lithium is carefully controlled by regular blood tests during visits to the doctor. Long term side effects of lithium can include decreased functioning of the thyroid gland, kidney damage, and heart problems, so these too are checked regularly.
Anxiolytics
These drugs are used to relieve the symptoms of severe anxiety, panic attacks, short-lasting sleep disorders, and to increase the effects of antipsychotics among highly agitated patients. They also help relax muscle spasms, reduce the agitation caused by antipsychotics (akathysia) and cause sedation. They should normally be used for short periods of time because they are addictive and may produce severe reactions when used with alcohol. Commonly used anxiolytic medications are Ativan, Rivotril, Buspar and Serax.
Side effects can include dizziness, drowsiness, loss of muscle coordination, blurred vision, agitation, decreased memory, increased appetite, and diarrhoea. Nevertheless, there is a place for anxiolytics when a person is receiving regular mental health care.
For more information on psychiatric medications:
Schizophrenia and Its Treatment
Mood Disorder Medications
Pregnancy and Postpartum Considerations
Anxiety Medication Listed and Explained
Alternate Treatment Approches
Orthomolecular Medicine
"Orthomolecular Medicine, as conceptualized by double-Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling, aims to restore the optimum environment of the body by correcting imbalances or deficiencies based on individual biochemistry using substances natural to the body such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, trace elements and essential fatty acids." (source: www.orthomed.org)
Recent titles about the Orthomolecular treatment of mental illness in our AMI
library and available to our members are:
For a personal story read page 6 of our Fall 2005 newsletter and for more information go to www.orthomed.org.
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
