From left: Reuters; Shaun Tandon / AFP / Getty Images Jared Loughner, left, and Pima Community College In retrospect, it s easy to see the evidence that Tucson, Ariz., shooter Jared Loughner was mentally unstable. In his community-college classes, he would laugh randomly and loudly at nonevents. He would clench his fists and regularly pose strange, nonsensical…
Taking medication is one of the most decisive things you can do to fight back against the effects of mental illness Many mental illnesses are associated with changes in the natural chemistry of the brain. Certain medications help the brain to restore its usual chemical balance – reducing symptoms so that the person feels better. These include antidepressants (for…
Me. Liz Obert For many years, Liz Obert woke up, got dressed, went to work, and acted as if everything was fine. Once she returned home, however, she found herself lying around depressed, feeling hopeless and full of dread. Diagnosed in her early 20s with depression, Obert said she tried therapy and medication, but nothing seemed to work until around five years…
This essay won 3rd Place in our 2015 Essay Contest and was written by Robert Ye, a high school student in Chappaqua, New York, USA. Widely regarded as one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century, Winston Churchill is believed to have suffered from bipolar disorder. After observing numerous symptoms such as depression, suicidal intention, mania, and a decreased…
Under the rule, Social Security beneficiaries with psychiatric disabilities who are assigned a money manager for their disability benefits would be reported to the FBI s background check database as people ineligible to purchase firearms. House Republicans voted recently to eliminate the rule, and their counterparts in the Senate are expected to follow suit…
Illustration by Mark Alan Stamaty. When someone commits a horrific, inexplicable crime, we naturally wonder whether he’s mentally ill: Who but a crazy person could do such a thing? But when a killer acts crazy after his arrest, we also might wonder whether he’s preparing for his trial. That’s the speculation around Colorado shooter James Holmes, whose psychiatric…
In arguments Monday, 68-year-old Florida inmate Freddie Lee Hall is challenging the state s use of an IQ cutoff to determine mental disability. Florida Department of Corrections/AP hide caption toggle caption Florida Department of Corrections/AP In arguments Monday, 68-year-old Florida inmate Freddie Lee Hall is challenging the state s use of an IQ cutoff to…
I know the following are not the greatest quality photos, but they demonstrate that order does not always have the same appearance. The photo to the left shows thousands of CDs in a special book case. They have a special order first by classical music (top 3 rows of shelves), then by other types music (bottom 2 in the middle). Within each category they are shelved…
NEAL FUNNELL is studying law at the University of New South Wales. Andersen, H., Sestoft, D., Lillebaek, T., Gabrielsen, G., Hemmingsen, R., & Kramp, P. (2). A longitudinal study of prisoners on remand: Psychiatric prevalence, incidence and psychopathology in solitary vs. non-solitary confinement. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 102, 19-25. Austin v…
N. 1) mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior. Insanity is distinguished from low intelligence or mental deficiency due to age or injury. If a complaint is made to law enforcement, to the district attorney…
People with Mental Illness Barbara Elmore s painting Chards is one of the artworks sponsored by the Awakenings Project, an Illinois group that sponsors art, writing and music made by people with mental illness. People with severe mental illness were once housed by the hundreds of thousands in state mental hospitals. But the deinstitutionalization movement that…
Major depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States. According to the World Health Organization (WHO; 2010), major depression also carries the heaviest burden of disability among mental and behavioral disorders. Specifically, major depression accounts for: The 12-month prevalence data for major depressive episode presented here are…
Tweet A psychological disorder, commonly known as mental illness, is a psychological or behavioral condition associated with distress or disability which is away from the normal development or culture. There has been a huge debate since ages on the recognition and understanding of mental health conditions and this has led to changes in the pattern and statistics…
The scope of the present article is to describe the nature and extent of mental derangement as it occurs in African natives of Kenya; to compare the picture with the very different one which occurs in North American negroes and in Europeans; to explain the differences observed by reference to environmental factors; and to discuss the significance of our findings…
Symptoms of mental illness are plentiful; indeed, mental illness is far from a silent illness that just does its thing quietly in the background. Mental illness symptoms feel loud, obtrusive, disruptive, and emotionally and even physically painful. Even before full-blown symptoms of mental illness appear, there are early warning signs of mental illness that either…
There are over a half-dozen different professions that provide services that focus on helping a person overcome a mental health concern or some significant life issue. There are dozens more variations on these, which can lead to a great deal of confusion in the marketplace. The largest difference between the types of professionals is usually what they focus or…
Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. People with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality. Although schizophrenia is not as common as other mental disorders, the symptoms can be very disabling. Signs and Symptoms Symptoms of schizophrenia usually start between ages 16…
In a few weeks, the American Psychiatric Association will release its new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). This volume will tweak several current diagnostic categories, from autism spectrum disorders to mood disorders. While many of these changes have been contentious, the final product involves mostly modest alterations…
What is Mental Illness: Mental Illness Facts Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning. Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illnesses are medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life…
Personality refers to a distinctive set of traits, behavior styles, and patterns that make up our character or individuality. How we perceive the world, our attitudes, thoughts, and feelings are all part of our personality. People with healthy personalities are able to cope with normal stresses and have no trouble forming relationships with family, friends, and…
Applying for Social Security Disability benefits presents a daunting challenge at times. Not only must you prove that your disability precludes you from performing significant gainful work, and that your disability can reasonably be expected to last at least a year (or to end in your death). In most cases, you must make your case several times as your claim works…
A defense asserted by an accused in a criminal prosecution to avoid liability for the commission of a crime because, at the time of the crime, the person did not appreciate the nature or quality or wrongfulness of the acts. The insanity defense is used by criminal defendants. The most common variation is cognitive insanity. Under the test for cognitive insanity…
One of my closest friends is a two-time breast cancer survivor. Terry (as I’ll call her) has been cancer free for eight years—long enough to be considered cured (generally defined as being in remission at least five years). But in no way is she “free” of cancer. Every abnormal blood test, every callback for another mammogram terrifies her so badly she can’t sleep…
I’ve been talking with a lot of my friends recently — in private where they felt comfortable letting their guard down — about the dirty little secret no one is supposed to talk about. The shame people feel when they can’t find a job… …or pay their bills. …or go to the dentist. …or that they have to move back in with their parents. …or they can’t afford to have…
