What is mental illness?
Mental illness is an illness that affects or is manifested in a person’s brain. It may impact the way a person thinks, behaves and interacts with other people.
The causes of mental illness are not fully understood. It is not caused by dysfunctional families nor is it evidence of weakness of character. The brains’ neurotransmitters do not function properly due to biological imbalances in the brain, which are comparable to imbalances in other areas of the body that cause illnesses such as diabetes and cancer. Just as with diabetes, many symptoms of mental illness can be controlled with medication.
Heredity may be involved in mental illness as in diabetes and cancer. Stress may contribute to the onset of mental illness in vulnerable persons as well as stress from unhealthy family relationships. "Recreational drugs" may contribute to onset but are unlikely to be the primary cause.
The World Health Organization, in 2001, estimated that 450 million people have a mental or neurological disorder, and 1 in 4 people will suffer from a mental or neurological disorder in their lifetime.