What Causes Mental Illness?

What Causes Mental Illness?

Mental illness is not solely genetic or environmental; many people develop these issues gradually over time, often without even realizing they have them until a stressful event triggers symptoms.

Some risk factors for mental illness include childhood trauma, especially abuse and neglect. This plays a significant role in some mental disorders like complex PTSD or bipolar disorder.

Psychosocial conditions like stress, anxiety and depression can have a significant impact on your mental health. For instance, living in an area where there’s poor social support and high tension between residents may lead to more severe mental health issues than if you lived in more privileged surroundings.

Depression is commonly caused by changes to the brain’s neurotransmitters (chemical messengers that allow us to communicate). The most widely prescribed medications to treat depression are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Other medications may be necessary for long-term treatment, depending on your symptoms and doctor’s guidance. These could include antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs and antipsychotics that reduce certain effects of certain chemicals in your brain.

To effectively address a mental health issue, you need to enlist the aid of professionals. This could include doctors, psychologists or psychiatrists, social workers and other experts who offer education and treatment.

The purpose of treatment is to relieve your symptoms and teach you how to cope with them. This could involve talking with a professional about what you’re going through, learning ways to relax, taking medications or possibly entering into a hospital or residential treatment program for intensive care.