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About
Mental Illnesses

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Mental Illness

A mental illness is a medical condition that impact 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.

Serious mental illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder. The good news about mental illness is that recovery is possible.
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. Most people diagnosed with a serious mental illness can experience relief from their symptoms by actively participating in an individual treatment plan.

Learn more about treatment and services that assist individuals in recovery.

INFOGRAPHICS

Children & Teens
America Mental Health Facts
Multicultural Mental Health Facts
Getting the Right Start
Taking Charge
How to Help a Friend
Mental Health Parity
Supporting a Loved One

ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS

Mental illness is a medical condition that imapct 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.

​Serious mental illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder. The good news about mental illness is that recovery is possible.
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. Most people diagnosed with a serious mental illness can experience relief from their symptoms by actively participating in an individual treatment plan.

Learn more about treatment and services that assist individuals in recovery.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SPECIFIC MENTAL ILLNESSES HERE.

MENTAL HEALTH CHANNEL

Mental Health Channel provides “mental health and wellness programming, free to view, free to share and commercial free, for anyone with an internet connection.”

ARTICLES

Sleep Guide For Anxiety via Purple.com

Take Some Time for You Today, by Karen Cousins, Mentorship Coordinator, NAMI Franklin County

Is Today a Good Day? by Karen Cousins

It’s Okay Not to Be Perfect by Karen Cousins

Pets Help Owners with Mental Health Problems by Janice Wood

Pride by Karen Cousins

MENTAL HEALTH – A TO Z

Information on each mental illness is available on the NAMI National website, www.nami.org. We encourage you to explore the site and learn more!

Anxiety Disorders – a group of related conditions with unique symptoms, all including persistent, intense, and excessive fear or worry in situations that are not threatening.

Borderline Personality Disorder is a condition characterized by difficulty regulating emotion, which leads to severe, unstable mood swings, impulsivity, instability, and insecurity.

Dissociative Disorders – disorders that cause involuntary escape from reality, characterized by a disconnection between thoughts, identity, consciousness, and memory.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – characterized by repetitive, unwanted, intrusive throughs (obsessions) and irrational, excessive urges to do certain actions (compulsions).

Schizoaffective Disorder – a chronic mental health condition characterized by symptoms of schizophrenia, and symptoms of a mood disorder.

Anosognosia – being unaware of one’s own mental health condition or being unable to perceive one’s condition accurately.

Psychosis – Impact on a person’s thoughts and perceptions that make it difficult for them to recognize what is real and what isn’t.

Suicide – The intentional taking of one’s own life.

Bipolar Disorder is a chronic mental illness that causes dramatic shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to think clearly.

Depression is a serious mood disorder which causes symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working.

Eating disorders are commonly associated with women, but men can develop them as well, 5% of Americans are affected by an eating disorder during their life, most common during the teens and early 20s.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – ongoing unwanted psychological symptooms brought on by a traumatic event such as military combat, assault, accident, or natural disaster.

Schizophrenia – a serious mental illness that interferes with a person’s ability to think clearly, manage emotions, make decisions, and relate to others.

Dual Diagnosis – when someone experiences a mental illness and a substance abuse problem simultaneously

Self-Harm – hurting one’s self on purpose.