Dr Manju Antil (Counselling Psychologist and Psychotherapist)

CASE STUDY:

I was 15 years old and studying in class 9th of a Convent school. I was doing good in my studies and wanted to become a doctor. Teachers continuously appreciated my performance in class, which boosted me to fly high in my life. I wanted to achieve something extraordinary. By profession, my father is a lawyer practising in a high court, and my mother is a government servant. They, too, have high expectations of me. My younger sister was in class 6th; she was also doing well in her studied. Suddenly during my second quarterly term examination, I started feeling nervous and anxious; I did not share my feelings with anyone, but it appeared in my behaviour with others. I got irritated with petty things. For example, whatever my mother served me to eat during my study time or otherwise, I did not like it, and I refused to eat. I did not help others at all. Most of the time, I wanted to be alone, thinking of moving high.

I dreamt of flying high in the sky, touching the moon and stars, talking to birds and butterflies, sitting over the clouds, and enjoying my private life. I was afraid to walk. I thought I could not balance myself; I would fall whenever I would take the next step. My walking style turned into a baby walker. I started strolling with simple small steps. I could not run even if I had to rush to go somewhere. Everyone started behaving differently from me at home and in class. They did not like me. They were not talking to me the way I wanted, and I was alone in class. I did not want to go to my school. I did not want to play in the evening with my playmates with whom I used to play and enjoy their company. One day, my parents took me to a nearby hospital. They explained my behaviour to the doctor. They referred me to the district hospital to meet a psychiatrist and a counsellor. They interacted with my parents and me. They were very nice. They understood me. They had given me some medicines to take before sleep and asked m to come whenever I wished to talk to them. I started going to them frequently and took my medicines regularly. After that, I felt more excited to revisit the previous world. I had a feeling of coming back from somewhere else. After a few months, I was taken back to my school. Everyone was pleased looking at me. The teachers and my classmates welcomed me. I was enjoying their company and led them again in the class.

Myths and Facts about Mental Illness: Some of the myths and their corresponding facts are as follows:

Myth: A person showing extreme mood swings has a mental illness

Fact: Stress reactions such as irritability, crying easily, and mood swings are common in people dealing with difficult situations, e.g., the death of a family member, preparing for examinations and adapting to a new environment, etc. Most people will act like any other person and regain the previous behaviour when the crisis is over. However, students with persistent reactions that affect their daily life (e.g., work, study, and social and self-care ability) would need counselling or advice from other professionals.

read it: Types of Psychotherapy| Describe Psychotherapy in psychology| What is Psychotherapy

Myth: Mental illness cannot be prevented

Fact: A healthy lifestyle and effective coping strategies may reduce the risk of certain types of mental illnesses (e.g., depressive disorders and anxiety disorders), but there is no absolute way to prevent mental illness due to its causes. However, further deterioration can be prevented by noticing early symptoms and providing appropriate intervention at an early stage. The severe impact of the illnesses can be reduced, and the chances of recovery may be increased.

Myth: People never recover from mental illness

Fact: Most people with mental illness can stabilize, recover gradually and resume everyday lives by noticing early symptoms and receiving timely medication and therapeutic interventions. However, the speed of recovery and symptoms varies from person to person.  Some symptoms may persist for an extended period, and repeated episodes may be experienced, leading to a prolonged treatment and recovery period, whereas some of the symptoms of people with mental illness will subside gradually. The support they need would vary at different stages.

Myth:  General people cannot help people with mental illness.

Fact: The fact is that even though people with mental illness need treatment from healthcare professionals, they also need the care, support, understanding, and acceptance from their families, teachers, and friends, which will facilitate their recovery. By enhancing the understanding and knowledge of mental illnesses, an ordinary person can show their support and care for the ones with mental illnesses. Everyone can contribute to making this world a better place to live and avoiding mental illness.

Occurrence in  India

Occurrence in Indian Population

A report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that 7.5 per cent of the Indian population suffers from some form of mental disorder. Mental illnesses constitute one-sixth of all health-related disorders, and India accounted for nearly 15% of the global mental, neurological, and substance abuse disorder burden. Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

read it: Types of Mental Health Issues in Children and Adolescents| psychological disorder

7.2.2        Occurrence in Indian Children

One in 10 children has a diagnosable mental health condition, equating to roughly three children in every classroom. Our figures show that just 23% of parents of young adults and children feel confident that they would be able to identify the symptoms of mental health issues in their children. 80% of the parents say that their children’s mental health impacts all aspects of family life.

Causes

There are many causes of mental illness, such as:

It includes factors such as chronic health impairments, brain infection or injury, substance dependency (like smoking, drinking, drugs, etc.), hypothyroidism, hormonal issues, imbalance of neurotransmitters, and intake of harmful substances during pregnancies. Environmental stressors, inflammatory conditions, etc., can sometimes be linked to mental illness.

Mental illness is more common in people whose blood relatives also have a mental illness. Certain genes may increase the risk of developing a mental illness, and your life situation may trigger it.

Psychological causes like stress, fear, trauma, sudden shock, emotional turmoil, poor coping, faculty perception, over-expectations about oneself or others, and loss of loved ones can trigger mental health issues.

Social and environmental causes: The social factors around the childlike poor parenting, arguments and violence amongst parents, family problems, bullying in school, over expectations of parents and society, and pressure from the community and neighborhood can profoundly influence the child’s mental health