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Common mental health problems & demographic picture of mental health service users in Bolton. Written by Yunus Mohamed (Community development worker BAND) Mental Health. This research is mainly aimed at acquainting the general reader with the information of the very common types of Mental Health illnesses, along with statistical information of sufferers in the population of Bolton. COMMON MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS There are four main categories of Mental Health disorders: Psychotic disorders are characterised by a loss of contact with reality. Sufferers are unable to distinguish between delusions, hallucinations and the real world. At times they may have very little or even no insight in to their condition. This condition may lead to non recognition and cognition of when they are becoming ill. AVAILABLE TREATMENTS Medication Talking treatments Family therapy Hospital admission MOST COMMON TYPES OF PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS SCHIZOPHRENIA Symptoms Strange thinking Hallucinations Delusions Negative symptoms BI-POLAR Someone diagnosed with bipolar disorder (formerly known as manic depression) may swing from moods of deep depression to periods of overactive, excited behaviour known as mania. Between these severe highs and lows can be stable times. Some people also see or hear things that others around them don't (known as having visual or auditory hallucinations or delusions). Everybody has their ups and downs in daily life, but with bipolar disorder these changes are extreme. During the manic phase, people may feel euphoric, full of a sense of their own importance and brimming with ambitious schemes and ideas. They may spend money extravagantly, and build up debts. They may eat and sleep very little, and talk so quickly that it's difficult to understand them. They may be easily irritable and angry. Their libido can go into overdrive. A person may be quite unaware of these changes in their attitude or behaviour. After a manic phase is over, they may be quite shocked at what they've done and the effect that it has had. People can be very creative during mania, and may feel that it's a very valuable experience. Mania may flare up periodically, but depression is the most consistent symptom. People may feel overwhelming despair, guilt and worthlessness. They may feel chronic fatigue and gain weight, or have difficulty sleeping. They lose interest in everything. Problems concentrating and remembering things can make life very difficult and undermine the simplest tasks. The experience of bipolar disorder may provoke suicidal feelings. The current diagnoses in the UK in 2006 are likely to be:
Some people have very few bipolar disorder episodes, with years of stability in between them. They may experience a couple of cycles (episodes) in their whole lifetime. Others have more frequent cycles. DEPRESSION We often use the expression "I'm feeling depressed" when we're feeling sad or miserable about life. Usually, these feelings pass in due course. But, if the feelings are interfering with life and don't go away after a couple of weeks, or if they come back, over and over again, for a few days at a time, it could be a sign of depression in the medical sense of the term. In its mildest form, depression can mean just being in low spirits. It doesnt stop the sufferer from leading their normal life, but makes everything harder to do and seem less worthwhile. At its most severe, major depression (clinical depression) can be life- threatening, because it can make people suicidal or simply give up the will to live. There are also various specific forms of depression: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) Postnatal depression Symptoms Depression shows up in many different ways. People don't always realise what's going on, because their problems seem to be physical, not mental. They tell themselves they're simply under the weather or feeling tired. But, five or more of the following symptoms, is a major sign of depression.
Neurotic disorders are generally related to stress and emotional problems and although they are sometimes deemed less serious than psychotic disorders, the impact on the sufferer can be severe and disabling. Neurotic disorders can include: Anxiety Panic attacks
What happens during a panic attack? How the body may react
Phobias A phobia is an intense fear of a situation or an object that wouldn't normally worry other people (unless they, too, suffered from the same phobia). It severely restricts the quality of life, and may force the sufferer to take extreme measures to avoid whatever triggers it. A phobia is known as an anxiety disorder (like obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic attacks), which means it centres on our natural reaction to fear. Anxiety is about fear, and we all get anxious at some time. It's a natural reaction in all of us, and keeps us safe. As we grow up, we learn what is dangerous, and how to avoid it. We know what it's like to be afraid in certain situations, and many of us have particular fears, whether it's of going up ladders, of water or of dogs, for instance. These are understandable responses to something that might do us harm. Almost all phobias feature places, situations, animals or objects that aren't necessarily at all threatening, but which people react to, out of all proportion. Those who suffer from phobias aren't really frightened of particular situations or places, but of the feelings of terror they experience when in them. While they know they are not in real physical danger, they can't convince themselves this is the case. A phobia is not a psychosis. When someone is diagnosed with a psychosis, such as schizophrenia, they may have hallucinations and delusions, which are experiences that other people don't share because they can't hear or see them. They may feel as if thoughts are being placed in their heads by an external source. But someone with a phobia knows that it's their own thoughts troubling them. Obsessions An obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) sufferer may feel they have no control over certain thoughts, idea or urges, which seem to force themselves into their mind, like a stuck record. These thoughts, obsessions are often frightening or distressing, or seem so unacceptable that they can't be shared with others. Contained within the obsession is an underlying belief that they themselves, or other people, may come to harm. However absurd or unrealistic this belief, you can't dismiss it or reason it away. It creates unbearable anxiety, and makes the sufferer feel helpless to do anything except perform the particular ritual which can neutralise the devastating thought. The irresistible urge to carry out such rituals is known as a 'compulsion'. This could be something like repeatedly opening and closing a door, washing hands, repeating a litany, or counting. There are many physical illnesses which can affect mental health either temporarily (Delirium) or permanently (Dementia), such as: Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's comes on gradually to begin with. The first noticeable sign is usually short- term memory problems forgetting something thats happened very recently, such as having eaten a few minutes earlier. Scientists have recently proved that head injuries may also contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease. Vascular dementia(multi-infarct dementia) The word 'personality' refers to the pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviour that makes each person the individual that they are. People dont always think, feel and behave in exactly the same way. It depends on the situation they are in, the people with them, and many other things. But people do tend to behave in fairly predictable ways, and can be described, accordingly, as shy, selfish or lively, and so on. Each person has a set of these patterns, and this set makes up their personality. Generally speaking, personality doesn't change very much. Yet it does develop as people go through different experiences in life, and as their circumstances change. A person will mature with time, and their thinking, feelings and behaviour all adapt to fit their circumstances. People are usually flexible enough to learn from past experiences and to change their behaviour to cope with life more effectively. But, if someone suffers a personality disorder, they are likely to find this more difficult. Their patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving are much more stubborn, and they will have a much more limited range of emotions, attitudes and behaviours with which to cope with everyday life. Personality disorders usually become noticeable in adolescence or early adulthood, but sometimes start in childhood. They can make it difficult for the sufferer to start and keep friendships or other relationships, and they will find it hard to work effectively with others. The risk of suicide in someone with a personality disorder is about three times higher than average. DEMOGRAPHIC PICTURE OF BOLTON Bolton has a population of 265,000. Parts of Bolton are amongst the most deprived in England. The Majority of the population is white (89%). The ethnic population (11%) is concentrated in a small number of wards, all of which are in the most deprived areas of Bolton. The population profile of Bolton is younger than England as a whole. This is partly explained by the younger profile of Black & Minority Ethnic groups. It is estimated that one in six adults will experience a common mental health difficulty, such as; anxiety or depression at some point in their life. In general, ratios are higher among women than men with these difficulties peaking in the middle years of life. Also, people tend to experience more mental health disorders in areas of high unemployment and lower social classes. National prevalence figures when applied to Boltons population show that there could be between 44,000 and 53,000 people in the 16-65 year age group experiencing mild to moderate form of mental health difficulties. Unfortunately only a fraction of these seek help. The number of people who consult their GP with physical symptoms, not realising they have a mental health disorder is estimated to be around 40,000 people each year. The number of people with a recognised mental health illness in Bolton, treated at the Primary Care is approximately 17,000 each year. Some 970 are admitted to psychiatric wards with a complex or severe mental health illness. If you require further information or require the above information in a different language please contact me through the following contact details: Yunus Mohamed BIBLIOGRAPHY Improving Mental Health & Wellbeing for Adults in Bolton (Joint Commissioning Strategy 2007-2012) |
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