Psycholigical Disorders Intervention and Treatment

Psychological Disorders and Intervention and Treatment

 Mental illnesses are for most people embarrassing and shameful few people are likely to tell friends and family they are seeing a psychiatrist or psychologist.  It is painful to dig into the soul and use therapy like cognitive behavioral treatments to your life, even to relieve the psychological disorder. Counseling for psychological disorders can be very expensive and insurance providers do not always cover the cost. Seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist is invaluable to your whole self not just your mind and emotions, or the psychological disorder. Physical health is connected to your mind and overall health, caring for your inner self can boost other parts.

Like a physical disease, diabetes and cancer, a psychological disorder can strike anyone at any time in their life, no matter of how wealthy, happy, or stable they are.

Some of the psychological disorders that are the most common are: depression, major depression, dysthymic disorder, adjustment disorder with depression and bipolar depression.

Anxiety Disorders: panic disorder, post traumatic stress, social anxiety, agoraphobia, obsessive compulsive disorder and certain phobias.

 Schizophrenia: is a chronic, severe, and disabling mental disorder.  

Childhood Disorders: behavioral control problems, including ADHD, conduct disturbance, and oppositional behavior. Separation anxiety, a common problem in young children

Impulse Control Disorders: psychological problems involving loss of control are described in this section. Anger control problems are usually diagnosed as intermittent explosive disorder, domestic violence problems. pathological gambling and kleptomania.

Personality Disorders: general characteristics of all personality disorders, obsessive compulsive, narcissistic and borderline personality disorders.

Adjustment Disorders: The general characteristics of adjustment disorders, life stressors that lead to adjustment problems, such as marital conflict and job stress.

Family Problems: family conflicts often occur because one or more family members have a psychological. Family conflicts also arise because of communication problems, parenting issues, school problems and sibling conflicts.

Psychological disorders, also called mental disorders, are persistent behavior patterns that can seriously affect your day-to-day function and life.

The treatment of psychological disorders is firstly recognizing that a problem exists.  Regular medical care can be helpful because it allows a health care professional to provide early screening tests. Regular medical care also provides an opportunity for your health care professional to promptly evaluate symptoms and the risks for developing psychological disorders.

 Frequently treatment includes psychotherapy to work on behaviors, skill development, and thought process. 

Common treatments of psychological disorders start with medication to relive the disorder and help with the therapy. These may be: Antianxiety medications, Antidepressant medications to improve moods, Antipsychotic medications to treat disordered thought patterns and altered perceptions.

 The psychological approaches may include: Cognitive behavioral therapy to work on thought patterns and behavior, Family therapy to help develop support and understanding, Group therapy, Hospitalization for coexisting medical problems, serious complications, severe disorders, or substance abuse and Individual therapy, Moodstabilizing medications are used if needed. Psychodynamic therapy works on discovering and understanding past issues and their relationship to current thoughts and behaviors and Support groups.

Psychological methods of treatment can often find underlying issues that can occur with dual diagnosis and often can provide insight to behavior problems which can mask a more serious disorder. The muse of psycho logic treatments can aid recovery more easily and in a shorter time period

Discrimination and the Mentally Ill

Many people experience stigma for many reasons. Discrimination is found in many different prejudices, like sexual orientation, gender, culture or physical disability. Discrimination can lead to mental problems or substance abuse problems. And people who already discriminated for any reason may be even less able to find help for these problems or less able to find services that they need.
Research shows that over half of people living with mental disorders say that they were embarrassed about their mental health problems, and over half felt like they had experienced discrimination.


Just under half of the people thought that a mental disorder was just an excuse for poor behavior. Only about one in three people would continue to be friends with someone with an alcohol use problem. Only about one in four would continue to be friends with someone with a drug use problem



What can we do about it? Discrimination of mental health and substance use is a human rights problem. Human rights are rights that all people should have. The respect and dignity is a freedom that should not be taken away by other people’s ideas or by myths. It is a basic human right for all people with mental health and substance use problems. Everyone has the right to live without discrimination of any kind.


Health and well-being are things like human rights and access to opportunities. Discrimination denies human rights, and creates unequal access. Human rights and helping everyone to take part in our society, we are also fighting the discrimination and improving people’s wellbeing.


Focus on the differences in people poverty, the need for affordable housing; more education opportunities and the opportunity for meaningful work are social factors that can affect well-being. These factors may be an outcome of mental health and a cause of mental health issues. Inequalities tackled among the members of a community are helpful for the individuals and society. The systems that create differences by encouraging our governments have to have positive laws. Supporting people in our communities who are working to reduce differences is paramount to resolve mental health discrimination.


Everyone has the right to work. Work gives us purpose and meaning. Also the income, with other social factors, for example, if we have a high income, we can afford better housing and have right to more services. People are entitled to have access to training, education or other work programs. Direct personal contact and interacting with people with mental health or substance use problems is one of the best ways to improve public attitudes. Experiences can counteract the major myths. Education can help people to understand the problems the mentally ill face.


Mental illness and substance use problems are shared by humanity the fear, prejudice and discrimination are less when we talk about mental health problems as unfortunate biological problems and fateful circumstances which a person has no control of.


Help people be heard: We need to encourage anti-stigma programs and research. Supporting people and connecting them with others who share the same problems. When people relate to each other’s difficulties and want to see a change, to share their stories they can protest the injustice.


Media like TV, movies, newspapers, influence how we see others. The media should show people for who they really are capable and productive members of society. The voice of people with mental illnesses and substance use problems with backup of the media can be powerful. The discrimination against a group of people is a vital issue that needs to be addressed by all.

Bipolar Disorder and Violence

People with bipolar disorder have to deal with many signs and symptoms, including bipolar mania symptoms and hypomania episodes. These can be mixed with severe depressive episodes, occurring separately or simultaneously with manic episodes. Many bipolar patients can often coexist with bipolar disorder and all of the mania symptoms. Understanding the manic behaviors associated with hypomania and severe mania can help you learn to watch out for any early warning signs and signals that present themselves to you.

No matter if you have bipolar I disorder or bipolar II disorder, You must understand the mania symptoms and manic episodes. With bipolar I disorder, full-blown media episodes do occur in while only hypomanic episodes occur in patients with bipolar II disorder. Bipolar I disorder is generally much worse than any of the other types of bipolar that can have psychotic symptoms, severe depression episodes and full-blown mania, varying from different causes and triggers in everyday life, including lack of sleep and too much daily stress..

Euphoric feelings and extremely high optimism are very common in mania and hypomania. Many hypomanic states often start out quite productive in the beginning because of the high amount of energy you may be experiencing. Your creativity may start while you feel inspired . Sooner or later, things end up getting out of control and warning signs and symptoms of severe depression episodes are usually just waiting. Having melancholic lows and extreme highs are part of hypomania and manic episodes. So you may ask the question what is the difference between normal feelings of happiness and manic episodes Mania in the end will always end with a pile of debt, emotional or physical pain, the loss of a job or friendship, the loss of a close relationship and extreme humiliation to the bipolar patient.

Sometimes mania will bring extreme anger and aggression, leading to violence and morbid thoughts. You can easily become demanding and very impatient. Being argumentative and saying sarcastic remarks are very common in patients with full-blown mania. You may even be arrested and sent to jail for fighting or you may explode with your friends and family for the littlest thing. This can cause extreme mood swings and racing thoughts in the person, leading to extreme violence as part of the manic behaviors in each bipolar patient.

It will  seem that you have the ability to do any and everything during the state of hypomania or mania. You will feel like you have an exuberant answers for everyday life. You will find yourself highly sociable and friendly during different phases of manic episode, leaving people attracted to you.  Many individuals with an inflated self-esteem come up with the grandiose idea that God has chosen them as their special person for a special mission in life.

You have the ability to go for many days in a row with only 2 to 4 hours of sleep each night that, is very common during phases of hypomania. During mania, a patient with bipolar disorder symptoms may stay awake for three or four days at the time. You may work for 16 or 18 hours at a time, even without stopping for food. Period of insomnia are also common and related to the decreased need for sleep during manic episodes

The ability to concentrate on one task at a time becomes very difficult and almost impossible during phases of manic or hypomanic episodes. You may have trouble sitting still for longer than 10 minutes at a time, always having to constantly move in having an increased level of energy.

When you’re hypomanic or manic, you will have thoughts literally bombard your brain one after another, without any possible time to think about each in between. You may feel as though your brain is spinning and that you have no ability to stop it or control your thoughts. This may cause you to talk excessively and not have the ability to actually listen to what someone else is saying. It’s like your brain is constantly running only waiting for the other person to close their mouth.. Others can usually not even get a word in, which will become very frustrating for them.

Many times bipolar patients when trying to manage episodes of mania or are hypomania will engage in risky behaviors, such as speeding on the highway, engaging in risky sexual behaviors, go on spending sprees or saying something to your friends or family members you would normally not do. And impulsiveness also leads to making irrational decisions that are uncontrollable for the bipolar patient. You may without any thought, tell your boss off without  thinking about the consequences or make a lifestyle decision that affects everyone around.

It is very common for bipolar I patients that have psychotic symptoms or manic symptoms to engage in substance abuse. Drinking too much alcohol is one of the common symptoms of bipolar patients during severe depressive episodes and manic episodes. This is a warning sign that there is a problem requiring treatment from a psychiatrist. Alcohol abuse is a leading factor in many mood disorders and mental illnesses. Cocaine is also frequently used by bipolar patients.

In adults, bipolar disorder and rage can manifest with seemingly unprovoked occasions of aggressiveness and impulsivity - vocal and/or physical.
Throwing objects against walls or at other people or breaking furniture.

One of the worst feelings is the feeling of shame that many bipolar sufferers feel after being on the offensive end one of these fits of anger. If you suspect that you or someone close to you  may have bipolar disorder; The first step is to make an appointment with a psychiatrist. A regular doctor or psychologist are not trained like a psychiatrist to recognize the symptoms of bipolar disorder

It is important the people suffering from bipolar disorder get diagnosed early, get treatment, learn to recognize the beginning of anger attacks and learn to deal with them and to help prevent further bipolar rage episodes.

Many bipolar disorder people, if diagnosed correctly and given the proper psychiatric treatment can learn self-control, learn how to cope and live an almost normal life.

Facts About Mental Disorders

Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person's thinking, feeling ability to relate to others and daily functioning. Mental illnesses are medical conditions, like diabetes that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary stresses of daily life.

Mental illnesses are serious medical illnesses. They cannot be overcome with will power and are not related to a person's intelligence or character.

 

 Serious mental illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder. Mental illnesses are serious medical illnesses. They cannot be overcome with will power and are not related to a person's intelligence or character   Mental illnesses can affect persons of any age, race, religion, or income. Mental illnesses are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character or poor upbringing.. Mental illnesses are treatable. Recovery from a mental illness is possible. Most people diagnosed with a serious mental illness can experience relief from their symptoms by participating in a treatment plan. Medication treatment and psychosocial treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal all help with the recovery process.

 Studies show that approximately 5 million Americans experience a mental health disorder in a given year

About 10 percent of children and adolescents in the United States suffer from serious emotional and mental disorders that cause impairment in their day-to-day lives at home, in school and with peers. Researchers have evidence that four of the 10 leading causes of disability in the US are mental disorders.  Mental illnesses usually occur in individuals in often during adolescence and young adulthood. All ages are susceptible, but the young and the old are the ones that are usually affected the most.

Without treatment the mental illness can lead to unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, suicide and wasted lives.

The treatments for serious mental illnesses today are highly effective with a reduction of symptoms and have improved their quality of life with a combination of medication and psychosocial treatments. With appropriate medication most people who live with serious mental illnesses can significantly reduce the impact of their illness and find a satisfying independence. A key concept is to develop expertise in developing strategies to manage the illness process. Early identification and treatment is important. Access to the treatment and recovery supports recovery is quicker and the course of illness is minimized. There can be life after a diagnosis of a mental illness with the proper treatment those affected can live an independent and rewarding life.

Dual Diagnosis and the Bipolar Patient

Many bipolar people have a dual diagnosis.  This means that they have either another mental illness or substance abuse problem in addition to the bipolar disorder. According to studies done 57 to 60 percent of people with bipolar disorder do have a substance abuse problem.  Many have secondary problem caused by their bipolar disorder or by other factors.  Treating dual diagnosis is more complicated than treating either of the disorders alone.  Certain medications commonly used to treat one condition may cause adverse affects in persons who also have the other condition or dual diagnosis and can interact in a negative way with meds prescribed for that other condition.  Sometimes you will need to try a few different drug combinations to find the most effective therapy for you. Dual diagnosis programs are used for people who have a mental disorder and an addiction.  This approach helps people recover with both mental health and f\treats the substance abuse at the same time and in one place.

The most common dual diagnosis among bipolar patients are panic and anxiety disorders, obsessive /compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and impulse-control disorders such as kleptomania and compulsive shopping. One of the most consistent thing about bipolar disorder is that is inconsistent.  It may look like other things/ the anxiety may be agitation from bipolar disorder if it is a mood stabilizer will show a reduction in the anxiety.  OCD may be possessiveness which can appear with agitated mania.  Treatment of the mania reduces the OCD.  True OCD is a fear of something that something bad will happen if they do not perform certain rituals like checking a lock on a door 5 times.

 Many bipolar people have a substance abuse problem or a higher chance of developing a problem with substance abuse.  Drug and alcohol experts believe that the bipolar symptoms caused the tendency to self medicate for the bipolar symptoms.  It is common for bipolar people to use alcohol and drugs.  The treatment is the same rehab to get rid of the addiction issues when they are having bipolar symptoms the have an addict mentality and rehab will help them deal with it.

Controlling Your Mental Health

Stress or mood swings can strike anyone from time to time upsetting their mental balance. Too much stress, anxiety, depression, or worry can become and affects mind and emotions so that they can be overwhelming. When moods and emotions get too unbalanced; when they begin to interfere with your career or personal relationshiiwit’s time to make a change. No matter how stressful your job, close relationships, or current life situation; you can learn to control your emotions and bring your life back into balance.

Do you ever feel or wish you had more control over your mental and emotional state? We all feel emotionally off-balance to be pummeled by stress and anxiety or by depression.

It may seem like a never-ending battle, but you can relieve the emotional turmoil. You can bring your life into balance by learning more about your emotions, how to recognize them, and what you can do to manage them.

Achieving emotional balance takes practice and patience, but feeling the benefits happens quickly. Our brains have the ability to change and evolve. No matter how long you have felt out of control of your emotions, no matter how long you have felt overwhelmed; you can take steps to getting off the emotional rollercoaster.

Some people know when they have an emotional problem, while others only suspect that something in their lives is not working as it should. Think about the following common symptoms. Do you feel overwhelmed by responsibilities and stressed out much of the time? Do you feel misunderstood in your relationships? Do you have a hard time connecting with others?  Do you fight chronic depression, anxiety, worry, or negativity? Are you having trouble getting ahead in your career, despite your job talents? Have you received complaints about the way you interact with customers or co-workers? Do your people in your life complain about your mood swings, temper, irrational fears, or your emotional distance? Do you find yourself getting annoyed or upset at little things?  Do you have a hard time bouncing back from problems? Do you often say or do things, only to regret it later? Do you struggle with a negative cycle, repeating the same mistakes over and over again?

Changing mental and emotional habits takes more than just intellectual understanding; it takes a process that engages you physically and emotionally as well as intellectually.

To repair your nervous system's ability to remain in balance so that you can experience being both calm and focused throughout the day; you need to practice regularly, and can actually change your brain in ways that will make you feel more confident, resilient, and in control. The more you practice, the better you will get at managing your emotions and facing life’s challenges. In order to gain the abilities needed to overcome challenges, experience greater emotional health, build emotional intelligence, and bring your life into balance.  Stress relief and emotional awareness to be emotionally healthy.

The goal is how to regulate stress, then to learn how to recognize, monitor, and deal with your emotions. The strategy is to engage your senses in ways to having lasting change. If you want something to change for the better in your life; the more you want the change, the better your chance of getting what you want.  Your brain is continually evolving and may continue to change for the better for years to come. Learning the reasons for your emotional turmoil takes months or even years in order to control and understand why you are feeling the emotions.  Reducing stress can dramatically change your life and become a different person.  Gaining the emotional balance in your life comes from constant monitoring and controlling the outcome of the drastic actions and feelings. Building from the knowledge takes honesty and work but you can achieve a balance in your life.

Prognosis of Psychotic Disorders

M

How Common Are Psychotic Disorders?

About 1% of the population of the world suffers from psychotic disorders. These disorders most often first appear when a person is in the late teens 20s or 30s. Men and women are affected equally.

Doctors perform a complete medical history and physical exam to find out the cause of the symptoms. There are no laboratory tests to diagnose psychotic disorders except those that are associated with a physical illness; the doctor may use diverse tests, such as blood work and X-rays, to rule out a physical illness as the cause of the symptoms.

If there is no physical reason for the symptoms, a psychiatrist or psychologist, who are specially trained to diagnose and treat mental illnesses must be consulted. Psychiatrists interview a person to evaluate a person for a psychotic disorder.

Most psychotic disorders are treated with a combination of medications and psychotherapy. The main medications used to treat psychotic disorders are called antipsychotics. These medicines are not a cure for the illnesses, but are very effective in managing the most disturbing symptoms of psychotic disorders, such as delusions, hallucinations and thinking problems. Antipsychotics include older medications such as Haldol, Thorazine, and Mellaril and newer medications (often called atypicals) such as; Zyprex, Risperdal, Seroquel, Clozaril, Abilify, and Geodon. The newer medications --sometimes referred to as atypical antipsychotics these are the drug of choice   because they have fewer side effects.

 Various types of psychotherapy, including individual, group and family therapy, may be used to help assist the person. Most patients with psychotic disorders are treated as outpatients.  Severe symptoms, those in danger of hurting themselves or others, or those unable to care for themselves because of their illness may require hospitalization to stabilize their condition.

Each person being treated for a psychotic disorder responds to medications and therapy differently. Some show improvement quickly. For others, it may take weeks or months to become stabilized and for the symptom to be relieved.

Some people may need to continue treatment for an extended period of time, and those who have suffered several severe episodes, may need to take medication indefinitely. In these cases, the medication usually is given in as low a dose as possible to control side effects.

The prognosis varies depending on the type of psychotic disorder and the individual. These disorders are treatable and most people have a good recovery with treatment and follow-up treatment. Some people need medication for life in order to control the psychotic symptoms depending on the disorder.

There is no known way to prevent psychotic disorders, but the symptoms can be prevented with early detection and treatment. Seeking help as soon as symptoms appear can help decrease the disruption to the person's life, family and friendships. Avoiding drugs and alcohol can prevent psychotic disorders caused by these substances

Homlessness and the Mentally Ill

Why are so many severely mentally still homeless. Community mental health centers are inadequate, underfunded, and are often the victims budget-cutting.

Mentally ill homeless people have special problems for health care workers. They may not be as cooperative and motivated; because of their limited or nonexistence of resources, they may have difficulty getting transportation to treatment centers; they frequently forget to show up for appointments or take medications.  Among people with severe mental disorders, those at greatest risk of homelessness are both the most severely ill and the most difficult to help. Many of the homeless mentally ill lack the insight, and do not realize they are sick and they are in need of regular treatment. Others have given up, believing that the system cannot or will not help them. 

Most homeless people when asked what their greatest needs were, they listed affordable housing, safety, education, transportation, medical and dental treatment, and job placement. Mental health and substance abuse services were regarded as unimportant.

Solving the problem of the mentally ill homeless cannot be done without resolving the problem of homelessness totally. State institutions for the mentally ill are no longer available by law to help them.  The mass closure of state hospitals has caused more homelessness. Food and shelter the basic needs of life versus mental health needs, the homeless and those trying to care for them choose the basic needs.

Many cities in taking action against homeless crisis have criminalized homelessness, which shifts the problem to the over-filled jails. Religious institutions provide shelter and food, and basic needs without addressing the reason why the person is homeless.

A national effort is needed to eliminate homelessness; the problem is getting worse, particularly in these economic times. The mentally ill homeless have no place to go, no way to provide for themselves and have little hope in the present situation.

Not all people who are unemployed are looking for jobs and some homeless people, who do not want to work, think that getting money without working is the best way of living makes up only about 25% of homeless people 50% to 60% has a job; approximately 50% get some money which,  is not enough for even basic needs.

Alcoholism is also a major cause of homelessness; 50% of all homeless is an adult who has a drug or alcohol problem, but it is not the only cause of homelessness. Also alcoholism contributes to unemployment.  This means that, regardless of sex, to get a job is more difficult for alcoholic homeless people than nonalcoholic homeless people.

About 1/3 of the single adult homeless population suffers from some kind of severe and persistent mental illness. At least a half of mentally ill homeless people are dually diagnosed with an alcohol or drug problem. According to studies done only 5-7% of homeless persons with mental illness need to be institutionalized, so mental illness is not the major cause of homelessness.

The causes of homelessness is for compound reasons because most of homeless people get some money whether they are employed or not, and some people are not willing to work because of the government assistance payment. In terms of alcoholism and drug abuse, only those who are addicted have a high risk of becoming homeless. Only 5% to 7% of homeless people with mental illness need to be institutionalized. It can be said that homeless people escape from working.

There is no single reason for homelessness, but the severely mentally ill are unprotected by the agencies that put a large majority of the in the situation. With regular treatment this can be avoided and the mentally ill need not suffer on the streets or in shelters.  Without adequate housing and only short term hospitalization the mentally ill will continue to make up a large part of the homeless population.  The transition from hospital care to clinics and available treatment needs to be addressed to give the severely mentally ill a chance at life free from symptoms.  These people deserve a life that is rewarding and gratifying when given the chance to be stabilized on medications the country would see fewer homeless mentally ill.

The Whys of the Homeless Mentally Ill

Why are so many severely mentally still homeless. Community mental health centers are inadequate, underfunded, and are often the victims budget-cutting.

Mentally ill homeless people have special problems for health care workers. They may not be as cooperative and motivated; because of their limited or nonexistence of resources, they may have difficulty getting transportation to treatment centers; they frequently forget to show up for appointments or take medications.  Among people with severe mental disorders, those at greatest risk of homelessness are both the most severely ill and the most difficult to help. Many of the homeless mentally ill lack the insight, and do not realize they are sick and they are in need of regular treatment. Others have given up, believing that the system cannot or will not help them. 

Most homeless people when asked what their greatest needs were, they listed affordable housing, safety, education, transportation, medical and dental treatment, and job placement. Mental health and substance abuse services were regarded as unimportant.

Solving the problem of the mentally ill homeless cannot be done without resolving the problem of homelessness totally. State institutions for the mentally ill are no longer available by law to help them.  The mass closure of state hospitals has caused more homelessness. Food and shelter the basic needs of life versus mental health needs, the homeless and those trying to care for them choose the basic needs.

Many cities in taking action against homeless crisis have criminalized homelessness, which shifts the problem to the over-filled jails. Religious institutions provide shelter and food, and basic needs without addressing the reason why the person is homeless.

A national effort is needed to eliminate homelessness; the problem is get ting worse, particularly in these economic times. The mentally ill homeless have no place to go, no way to provide for themselves and have little hope in the present situation.

The Tragedy of the Homeless Mentally Ill in America

The number of homeless people shifted to the streets and woods in our towns and cities is one of the most disgraceful, horrors of America.

An estimated 750,000 people who are homeless, almost 50% of them have a serious mental illness. These unfortunate mentally ill people go untreated, and unable to work, living on the streets making a meager dollar panhandling, collecting cans and eating out of garbage cans.

The number of homeless Americans, since homelessness is often a transient state and some are in shelters.  An estimation from studies show approximately 3 million people, some of them children, are likely to experience  homelessness in a year; approximately 1% of American citizens experiencing homelessness each year.

Homeless people suffer from high rates of mental health problems made worse by living on the streets and in shelters. 

A great number of homeless persons suffer from mental disorders; which include Anxiety Disorders, Bipolar disorder, Depression, and Schizophrenia. Schizoaffective disorders and severe personality disorders are other illnesses that can be included. There are more people with untreated severe psychiatric illnesses living on America’s streets than are receiving care in hospitals. Substance abuse is also prevalent among the homeless populations.

 Deinstitulization from mental institutions to outpatient care failed; the transition of the mentally ill to outpatient care never materialized in the 1960′s and 1970′s the desire to deinstitutionalize many of those being held in state and other mental institutions began. The plan was to create community health centers where the mentally ill could receive outpatient treatment, along with residential facilities for those unable to make it on their own.

Boarding homes filled with discharged psychiatric patients from the nearby hospitals, the intended policy of deinstitutionalization exchanged one institute for another.  Single-room occupancy hotels and other low cost housing were declining in urban areas as redevelopment came into being.

By the 1980s the consequences of deinstitutionalization were becoming obvious. More and more severely ill people were living on the streets and in public shelters.

Living on the streets and in shelters is can be a trigger for a mental illness. The heart of the plight of the mentally ill homeless are those whose mental state makes them unable to hold jobs; and for the ones that the residential facilities and community health centers has been unsuccessful for.

Without an a national effort to eliminate homelessness, the problem will only get worse, particularly in these  economic times. The helpless and hopeless mentally ill homeless have no place to go, no way to provide for themselves and have little hope in the present situation.

The Hispanic Population and Mental Illness

Many Hispanics depend on their family, the Hispanic community, and their churches for help with health crises.  Hispanics with mental illness often go without professional mental health treatment Because of cultural differences.


Studies have shown that older Hispanic adults and youth are vulnerable to mental disorders due to the stress of immigration and learning to live in a culturally different environment. Many older Hispanic Americans find it difficult to adjust to the new society. Their traditional values and beliefs are at odds with the new culture, have to cross the language barriers and depend on family for care.

 Younger Hispanics also have been found to be at risk for higher levels of emotional distress because of the pressures to rapidly adapt to the new culture as well as inequality, poverty, and discrimination.

  The have trouble relating to their new mor3e3s of society yet aqdhe3re to the traditional values held by their parents.

Lack of access to mental health services is serious problem in the Hispanic community. Hispanic Americans use mental-health services far less than other ethnic and racial groups. They are also uninsured in America limiting access to care.  The lack of interpreters and bilingual health care providers can interfere with appropriate evaluation, treatment, and emergency response.

 Some Hispanics have different attitudes about seeking mental health services, and may feel highly stigmatized for asking for help.  Affected individuals may not recognize their symptoms as those that require the attention of mental health specialists.

Mental health services need to be receptive to the cultural needs of Hispanics; and also bridge the language barriers. With proper care and treatment most mental illneswses can be controlled.

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The Severly Mentally Ill and The Government

Long-term service needed by chronically disabled people to carry out activities of daily life have traditionally been viewed as targeted to the elderly. However, these services are needed also by persons with cognitive or mental impairment from a severe mental illness.

At the present time long term hospitalization is restricted by age; if you are under 21 or 65 and older there you can take advantage of the state’s Medicaid assistance and get the help you need with long term hospitalization in state hospitals. However, there are people with severe chronic mental illnesses that need the time to be stabilized on proper medication. Sometimes for non responsive people the time needed to be stabilized and t5o be able to function in society is lo0nger than 30 or 90 days.  Medication is the only option for severe mental disorders like Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. 

That such services may also be needed by younger persons with disabilities, including not only individuals with physical disabilities but also persons with cognitive or mental impairments due to mental retardation and other developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injury, or severe mental illness. Currently people with physically disorders are covered by Medicaid but for the mentally ill there is no such provision in the laws of Medicaid.  The widespread closure of the state hospitals has added to the discrimination of the mentally ill.

Widespread homelessness among mentally ill New Yorkers became a fact of life in the 1980s due to the failure of policy makers to create adequate community-based care for mentally ill people released from long-term hospitalizations. Deinstitulization has become a failure of the government to give its’ citizens basic human rights.  It did not create the promise of programs to provide psychiatrically disabled New Yorkers with whatever assistance they need to move from the streets to independent living and employment. The goal was to give clients the tools they need to live more and more independently. It unsuccessfully provided the necessary aid to it’s’ citizens and fellow man.

Indigent persons who need treatment in a hospital can count on Medicaid to pay for diseases of the heart, liver, blood and most physical body organs. Medicaid will not cover the individual if he or she is between the ages of 21 and 65 and has a disease in their brain and needs care in a psychiatric hospital. The Federal government's IMD Exclusion prohibits Medicaid from covering any treatment in state and private psychiatric hospitals and other IMDs. To view the brain the organ the body needs to survive is a travesty and a tragedy and totally biased and discrimination of the highest degree. The mentally ill are people you may know it may even be a family member mental illness does not discriminate it can strike anyone any age any nationality.

Medicaid's denial of coverage results in homelessness, incarceration, victimization and even death for many people who are so ill they are unable to care for themselves. These people desperately need aid to conquer their diseases contact you state Medicaid office, call your congressman appeal to the government to repeal the IMD exclusion law which is outdated, a total failure and prejudice taken to the extreme.

Bipolar Disorder II

Bipolar II disorder is a mental illness Bipolar II is similar to Bipolar I Disorder, with moods cycling between high and low over time.

However, in bipolar II disorder, the highs never reach full mania. The less intense elevated moods in bipolar II disorder are called hypomania.

A person affected by bipolar II disorder has had at least one hypomanic episode in life. Most people with bipolar II disorder also suffer from episodes of depression.

In between episodes of hypomania and depression, many people with bipolar II disorder return to normal states. Bipolar II is fairly common and anyone can develop bipolar II disorder. Almost six million people in the United States have Bipolar Disorder.

Most people are in their late teens or early 20s when the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder first start. Usually everyone with bipolar II disorder develops it before age 50  and people with an immediate family member with bipolar are at higher risk.

During a hypomanic episode, elevated mood can be either euphoria or irritability.

Symptoms during hypomanic episodes include: Thoughts that suddenly jump from one idea to the next, rapid, and loud speech, increased energy, with hyperactivity and a decreased need for sleep

People experiencing hypomanic episodes can be pleasant to be around. They can often making joke, taking an intense interest in other people and activities, and have a very positive mood. However, hypomania can also lead to erratic and unhealthy behavior. People in hypomanic episodes might spend money they don't have, have sex with people they normally would not, and engage in impulsive or risky behaviors.

Also, people with bipolar II disorder experience significant depressive episodes. These can occur soon after hypomania subsides, or much later. Some people cycle back and forth between hypomania and depression, while others have long periods of normal mood in between episodes.

Untreated, an episode of hypomania can last for a few days to several years. Usually the symptoms continue for a few weeks to a few months.

Depressive episodes in bipolar II disorder are similar to clinical depression, with depressed mood, loss of pleasure, low energy and activity, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, and thoughts of death and suicide. Depressive symptoms of bipolar disorder can last weeks, months.

Hypomania often seen as happiness and relentless optimism; when hypomania is not causing unhealthy behavior, it generally goes untreated. This is in contrast to true mania, which nearly always requires treatment with medication. For some people Bipolar II can progress into Bipolar I more research is being done on this supposition.

Bipolar II should not go untreated; usually the episodes are mild and do not require medication, but it may be necessary to use antidepressents for the depression they may experience.  Therapy proves helpful and most people can return to their normal lives.

Achieving Good Mental Health

People who are emotionally healthy are in control of their emotions and their behavior. They are able to handle life’s inevitable challenges, build strong relationships, and lead productive, fulfilling lives. When bad things happen, they are able to bounce back and move on.

Unfortunately, too many people take their mental and emotional health for granted  focusing on it only when they develop problems. But just as it requires effort to build or maintain physical health, so it is with mental and emotional health. The more time and energy you invest in your emotional health, the stronger it will be. The good news is that there are many things you can do to boost your mood, build resilience, and get more enjoyment out of life.

What is mental health or emotional health?

Mental or emotional health refers to your overall psychological well-being. It includes the way you feel about yourself, the quality of your relationships, and your ability to manage your feelings and deal with difficulties.

Good mental health is not just the being free of mental health problems. Being mentally and emotionally healthy is to have positive characteristics.  Some people may not have negative feelings, they still need to do things that make them feel positive in order to achieve mental and emotional health.

People who are mentally and emotionally healthy have: a sense of contentment; the ability to laugh and have fun; the ability to deal with stress and bounce back from adversity; a sense of meaning and purpose, in both their activities and their relationships. the ability to learn new things and adapt to change; a healthy balance between work and play, rest and activity; the ability to build and maintain fulfilling relationships; self-confidence and high self-esteem.

These positive characteristics allow you to participate in life to the fullest; through productive, meaningful activities and strong relationships. These positive characteristics also help you cope when faced with life's challenges and stresses.

Resilience in mental and emotional health means that even through bad times or experiencing emotional problems; which wee all go through disappointments, loss, and change. This is a normal part of life; they can still cause sadness, anxiety, and stress.

The difference is that people with good emotional health have an ability to come back and learn from adversity, trauma, and stress.  People who are emotionally and mentally healthy have the coping skills for dealing with difficult situations and maintaining a positive outlook. They are focused, flexible, and creative in bad times as well as good.

One factor with resilience is the ability to balance your emotions. The capacity to recognize your emotions and express them appropriately helps you  to avoid depression, anxiety, and the various negative mood states. Also having a strong support network; people you can turn to for encouragement and support will boost your resilience in tough times.

Resilience entails maintaining flexibility and balance in your life as stressful circumstances and traumatic events occur in your life. You can build resilience in many ways: allowing yourself to experience strong emotions, and also realizing when you may need to avoid experiencing them in order to continue functioning; taking action to deal with your problems and meet the demands of daily living, and also giving time to rest and reenergize yourself; spending time with family and friends to gain support and encouragement;  relying on yourself.

Physical health is related to the body’s overall health; taking care of your body is a powerful first step towards mental and emotional health. The mind and the body are connected. When your physical health is enhanced, you experience better mental and emotional well-being. Exercise strengthens our heart and lungs, but also releases endorphins, chemicals that lift our mood.

 To have good mental and emotional health, it is important to take care of your body. That includes getting enough sleep. Most people need seven to eight hours of sleep each night in order to function optimally. Learn good nutrition and practice it. The more you learn about what you eat and how it affects your energy and mood, the better you can feel.

Exercise to relieve stress and lift your mood. Exercise is a powerful antidote to stress, anxiety, and depression.

Get a more sunlight. Sunlight lifts your mood, so try to get some sun per day.

Limit alcohol and avoid cigarettes and other drugs. These are stimulants that may make you feel good in the short term, but have long-term negative consequences for mood and emotional health and physical health.

Monitoring and maintaining your health both physically and mentally will lead to positive thoughts and emotions; this leads to emotional and mental wellbeing

Depression What Is It

WHAT IS DEPRESSION?

Depression, or unipolar depression, is an illness characterized by an extremely sad mood that lasts for a long period of time and a lack of interest or pleasure in doing things that a person usually enjoys.

Someone with depression also has problems sleeping , either sleeping too much or too little; trouble thinking and concentrating; low levels of energy; unexpected changes in weight; either gaining or losing weight; and feelings of nervousness or agitation. With severe depression, there can also be recurrent thoughts about dying or suicide attempts.

If people experience these symptoms for at least two weeks, they might be diagnosed as having a major depressive episode. Untreated, some major depressive episodes last for months.  After a depressive episode ends, the person might return to feeling normal. However, after experiencing the first major depressive episode, the person is at more risk for experiencing a second one, and with each new episode the odds only get worse that and the depressive episodes will keep coming.  Getting treatment for depression is important even if the person’s most recent depressive episode has ended.

Depression is not a sign of weakness or an inability to cope with normal problems. Most people with depression cannot treat the problem by themselves; they have a very pessimistic view about themselves, the world, and life in general. People with depression think of themselves as incapable of handling their problems, which is both a result of the disorder or its cause. Depression is a very serious problem that can affect anyone.

When people are suffering with depression, there are probably many days when they don’t feel like getting out of bed. Either they feel too tired or maybe they think thar since life in general feels hopeless or pointless so it is not worth trying.  Depressed people feel sad, blue, sluggish, unmotivated, and empty inside, like there’s a part of themselves that’s missing. They might even experience headaches or body aches for which there are no apparent causes, feel restless and agitated, and find it difficult to concentrate.

In most cases of depression, the person no longer has an interest in pleasurable activities, like hobbies, exercising, socializing, or even sex. The person may be preoccupied with thoughts about death and dying. Often  people with depression think about ways to kill themselves. A number of them actually try to commit suicide. Others who are no longer concerned if they live or die might frequently take dangerous risks..

Depression can also cause many problems in people’s relationships, especially marriages.  Often, people who are depressed have problematic beliefs about their relationships. They may believe that they shouldn’t disagree with their partner, which puts added stress on both people. Some people who are depressed seek constant reassurance from their friends and loved ones, which strains those relationships. People with depression may do this to determine  to find out if they’re still loved. But no amount of reassurance from the partner or friend ever seems to be enough.

Another type of depression is dysthymia;  a type of depression that’s longer-lasting and seems to stay with the person for his or her entire life. In some ways, dysthymia might not be as severe or debilitating as a major depressive episode, because often the person can still function in everyday life. People with dysthymia also might not have as many problems with sleeping, thinking, or weight changes.

But because dysthymia is so constant and long lasting, it becomes a part of a person’s personality. A person with dysthymia might look generally unhappy or sad all of the time, and his or her mood might never return to a healthy state. A person with dysthymia might also experience depressive episodes at times. Depression and dysthymia, along with the bipolar disorders, are collectively referred to as mood disorders.

There are very effective treatments for depression that could help people avoid the long-term disability associated with the disorder. In general, more than 80 percent of the people who get appropriate treatment for their depression experience an improvement in their lives.

The majority of people who seek help for depression are given antidepressant medications. For some causes of depression, such as heredity, biology, illnesses, medications, and other substances, antidepressant medications might be the best initial treatment. In other cases, a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressants might be necessary, especially to treat chronic depression.

Whatever the treatment may be it is crucial that there is some sort of treatment plan.  The risks of living depressed are to great and to live a life of misery and sadness is too much of a strain on a person physically and mentally.  It is essential that the person receives treatment for themselves and for the people in their environment.  Depression is a treatable disease and can be controlled so that the person can live their life with peace free from the chains of depression.

Anger Control Problems

 People with anger problems often quickly react in aggressive ways when they feel insulted, or offended, especially when they think they are being ill-treated. People struggling with this problem often blow up or hit the roof at others. They also tend to blame other people for their problems, without considering the role they might be playing in the situation.

Everyone gets angry sometimes. This is normal, and sometimes it is even necessary and healthy. If a person is being hurt, it might be beneficial to their health and survival to get angry and tell the other person to stop. In other, less threatening situations, some people try to communicate and find compromises, some try to think of nonthreatening responses, and others try to distance themselves from the situation before reacting.

However, people with an anger problem react in a way that is more intense and aggressive than the situation calls for. Some of them physically hurt others or themselves. Some take their frustrations out on objects by punching walls or kicking doors. Others argue aggressively. They call others insulting names, make threatening gestures, or even hold all their anger inside and let the hostility simmer, perhaps while plotting how to take revenge.

People with this problem frequently have disruptive relationships and family life. A person’s anger might even lead to physical fights with his or her spouse or partner, the person’s children, or maybe even strangers. In these situations, It can be exceptionally violent and dangerous to the individual and others.

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When angry, the person probably notices excessive physical sensations related to stress. Their heart races, their face and ears get hot and flushed, muscles become very tense, breathing gets faster and deeper, the palms get sweaty, and the person feels edgy or nervous. The person may feel a sick in the stomach, much like. Then, when the episode of intense anger has ended, the person with may feel guilty when they see that others who witnessed the situation feel uneasy and upset.

Having high levels of anger can lead to problems sleeping at night; increased daytime fatigue as a result of not sleeping. It’s also has been shown that men who commit domestic violence against their spouses and partners consistently have higher levels of anger and hostility when compared with men who don’t commit these acts of violence. Excessive anger is often associated with other disorders, such as depression, bipolar disorder, antisocial personality problems, self focused personality problems, and borderline personality disorder.

The exact causes of anger problems are unknown, but studies find that there are biological and social factors that contribute to its development. One supposition is that the emotion of anger activates the behavioral activation system within the larger human nervous system. When a person is confronted with an anger inducing situation, the behavioral activation system causes that person either to confront the situation and express the anger, or to escape the situation and suppress the anger. The choice someone makes in that situation is influenced by a combination of social factors and inheritable genetic tendencies

Anger is a fundamental emotion that is expressed and seen in every culture around the world; but the way in which a person expresses anger is largely determined by what is considered acceptable by that person’s culture. Some cultural groups are more likely to suppress their anger, while other groups are more likely to express their anger. Children imitate aggressive behaviors they observe in other people, especially when that type of behavior is rewarded. So if a person grows up in a family or culture where excessive anger is frequently displayed or accepted as normal, that person has a greater chance of developing an anger control problem

There are some very successful treatments to help people with anger problems reduce their anger.  Many of these treatment, often referred to as anger management, help people identify the triggers for their anger and then learn how to create distance between the triggers and their angry responses.

Many people feel as though their anger quickly overwhelms them and leaves them little choice but to get angry. Anger management treatment aims to create time between the moment a person feels angry and the moment when he or she responds, providing the person with time to choose a different more constructive response.

Cognitive behavioral therapy has been proven to be beneficial. This treatment often uses relaxation skills to help manage angry feelings, thought processing to help recognize triggering situations, and skills training to learn new types of responses to these situations.

Other forms of successful treatment include anger management group therapy, and mindfulness therapy. Acceptance and commitment therapy is a form of behavioral therapy that uses mindfulness techniques, and it can be effective for anger control

Coping With a Mental Illness

Help someone close to you find and continue to take the medication needed for a balanced life. 

It is essential that a person with a mental health problem takes proper medication in order to manage the symptoms of their illness. Family and friends of this person need to know what the medication is, the effects it has, and the doctor who prescribes it. If for some reason the medication is no longer effective, the person quits taking the medication, or the side effects become unmanageable, it is the family and friends who often need to intervene and help the person to continue with their treatment plan.

Along with medication, some form of therapy is critical for someone with mental health problems. Family and friends can be invaluable in supporting this need for counseling and in assisting the person find the right therapist; who can help the person cope with the mental illness. It is also valuable for the family and friends to seek some form of therapy themselves in order to support the patient.

Learn as much as we can about their mental health problems. The more we know about the mental illness, the more you can understand their behavior, thoughts, and feelings.  You can assist in developing a healthy self-esteem. Many people with a mental health problem suffer from problems with their self-esteem. Their self-esteem is often either too low or too high. People who are close to the person are in a position to observe the level of self-esteem and to respond appropriately.

Accept the mental health problem they may be having even if this mental health problem does not cover all of life.

A mental disorder can become the focus of the life of a person with mental health problems There are two steps to you can take in order to be supportive: to accept the fact of the mental health problem; once this fact is acknowledged, it is crucial to accept that the disorders not the only problems in their life, that there are also other parts of life that deserve attention and focus.

Take an active effort to have:  proper exercise, sleep, diet, relationships, and by monitoring our feelings.

Often a person with mental illness requires special attention from family and friends. Become a supportive network who knows about the mental health problem and to act in their best interest as far as we are possible. A network of support can make it easier to deal with a person’s mental illness; a shared knowledge of the illness and a shared responsibility offers the best opportunity for everyone. This network will therefore require commitment to the loved one and to each other, including a commitment to resolving conflicts when they arise.

Identify the early warning signs that precede an onset of a problem and try to assist the person when these signs emerge.

You may have to monitor and identify early warning signs of a change in the thinking or behavior. Often a change in medication or the effectiveness of a medication, a stressful situation in life, a change in a relationship will trigger a more difficult stage of the mental illness. When those close to the person can identify this change, they can intervene and help the person to regain control over the mental illness.

Most people in our society acknowledge a belief in a Supreme Being whom many identify as God fostering that belief can be encouraging and supportive. In coping mental illness, many family and friends know that their efforts, support, and effectiveness are limited. Incorporating our belief in God or a Supreme Being we can understand that belief, makes coping with the mental illness easier and it more possible for the person stay in control.