It is hard and scary to talk about mental illness. But it is very important not to keep it secret. A lot of people experience at one moment or another an episode of what could be categorized as a mental illness. Depression alone affects 20-25% of the population at some point in life, according to different studies. Meanwhile, even in cases of major depression less then 50% of people seek professional help.
Grief, tiredness, stress, aggression, even changes of perception are a normal and necessary part of life. But sometimes this part wins over the rest and becomes too persistent, or too acute. If you suspect that your state goes beyond the limits of what you experience as normal, find a specialist to help you. The earlier you do so, the more chances you will have to stay afloat. As a clinical psychologist I always tell my clients if they should consider seeing a psychiatrist.
Psychiatry, at least in Europe, doesn’t necessarily mean hospital incarceration and heavy pharmacological treatment any more. Non-pharmacological approaches develop all the time (for example in Finland). At the same time, there are cases when limited drug treatment can help build solid ground for further psychotherapeutic work. People, who suffered episodes of mental illness (sometimes even chronic) often return to successful professional and personal life. It is very important to seek help in time and to know that a psychiatric diagnosis is not a lifelong sentence, but a guide for action.
Comments are disabled