Mental Disorder and Recovery in Mental Illness - Case Study Example

Case study on mental health and illnesses and recovery Name Course Date Case study on mental health and mental disorder Mary is a 41 year old lady. She works as an accounts manager at a large company. She has been married for 18 years with three kids; John, 17, Philip who is 18 and Sarah who is 10. She has not been diagnosed with any medical condition but was diagnosed with clinical depression at the age of 31. Her mother has also lived with depression for 35 years. Mental health is a state of well being where each individual realizes realize their potential, work fruitfully and productively, are able to cope with normal life’s stresses and are able to make a contribution to their community1 (Thompson 2007, P59). Mental illness refers to a range of mental health conditions that disrupts an individual’s feeling, thinking, mood, social interactions and normal functioning and behavior2 (Thompson 2007, P59). For patients like Mary with mental health problems and illnesses, recovering does not mean curing. It simply means engaging in an active life, social identity, getting and retaining hope, meaning and purpose in life, understanding ones strengths and weaknesses and a positive self sense. The principles to recovery are to ensure that services offered helps and support the recovery of mental health consumers. They include3: Self direction: it is where the consumers determine the path to recovery, individualized and person-centered: an individual’s personality, needs, unique strengths, experiences, cultural background and preferences are used to determine the pathways to recovery for each consumer, empowerment: it is where a consumer is allowed to choose and participate in making decisions that affect them, holistic: the recovery focuses on the individual’s whole well being; the body, spirit, mind and community. Nonlinear: it does not have a step by step process of recovering rather it is based occasional setback, continual growth and learning from experience. It is strength-based which means that it is build on an individual’s strengths, peer support is also highly encouraged and plays a very invaluable role in recovery. Others include respect, where the society, community, system of care and the consumer should appreciate and accept themselves and the affected. Responsibility: it is where the consumers are responsible for their recovery journeys and self-care. Finally we have hope, which is the most important. Motivating consumers can help them a great deal. There is a relationship between mental health and physical health. In Mary’s case, she doesn’t have any recorded medical condition. We see that she has the mood disorder and yet she displays signs of physical problems. There is a great connection between the mental and physical health. This connection is seen especially when the individual is suffering from a chronic illness4 (T. Gadalla, 2008, P151). Symptoms portrayed by both mental and physical illnesses are quite similar. They include decreased energy levels and food cravings which increases their food consumption and decreased physical activity that highly contribute to weight gain. The risks of developing chronic physical condition is increased as well as have a negative impact on an individual’s mental well being. Mary has changed her eating habits and tends to eat for longer hours yet she is only mentally ill. She also becomes so weak to the extent of being carried from her bed. Individuals with mental illnesses experience and display a variety of physical symptoms that result from both the illness itself and the side effects of the treatment. It can impact social and cognitive function to the extent of decreased energies that may negatively impact the embracing of healthy behavior. People adopt unhealthy habits such as eating and sleeping and sometimes turn to substance abuse. It also makes them lack the motivation to take care of them. We have seen Mary has adopted some poor sleeping habits where she sleeps for fewer hours. She is also lacking motivation to do some simple tasks such as eating and dressing. People living with mental illnesses face higher poverty levels, lack stable housing, unemployment and social isolation. These factors increase their chances of getting health problems that can be caused by inadequacy of the above factors5. Mary is lucky to have her job and good housing. She also has a supportive family and is in a local church where she attends weekly meetings. These factors have helped her not to fall victim of social isolation and the effects of the same 6(D.L. Evans et al. 2005, P177). Some chronic physical conditions may cause high blood sugar levels and disrupt blood circulation that can affect the brain function. Emotional stress and chronic pain are experienced by most people with chronic physical conditions. The two factors are associated with anxiety and development of depression. Mary feels like she is a burden to her family especially when she needs a lot of physical support. The husband also explains that she has been having negative thoughts and says she has shown lose of hope in life at some points. To be able to understand her to go about mental illnesses, we must know the signs and symptoms involved. Health status can change from time to time. We should be in a position to realize and respond to signs ill mental health in the early stages for ourselves and those around us. We should know when something is not okay. In the workplace an employer or the colleagues to the affected may begin to notice some of the following symptoms in an individual7 (Comccare, 2011.P4). Reduced performance levels, low morale and disengagement, withdrawal signs, working for longer or fewer hours than usual, obsession with particular parts of the job and neglecting others, increased unplanned absence, change in personal appearance such as ignoring personal grooming, increased workplace conflict and negative language use, erratic behavior and emotional responses and physical symptoms such as headaches and often appearing tired. we can respond to this by having regular conversations with the employee are highly encouraged. The manager can plan sessions where they talk with their employees and the employees can open up to them and tell them the problems they are going through. The conversations should not be official. The manager should have a friendly conversation with the employee and advise them on what to do to ease the situation8 (Comcare, 2010, P.1). Mary’s manager is supportive as he/she offers her a sick off when her health deteriorates. These are the different types of mental disorders which include9 Barry, P. & Farmer, S. (2002, P37) Anxiety disorder: This disorder is diagnosed if an individual’s response does not match the situation, if they can’t control their response or if the anxiety interferes with their normal functioning. It is characteristics by showing fear and dread and physical signs of panic as a response to certain things and situations. Mood disorders/ affective disorders: They include bipolar disorder, depression and cyclothymiacs disorder. It is characterized by long periods of feeling sad or very happy or sudden change from extreme happiness to extreme sadness. Psychotic disorder: The most common characteristics of this disorder are hallucination and delusion. It involves distorted thinking and awareness. Eating disorders: It involves extreme attitude and behavior to food and weight. The most common eating disorders are binge, bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa disorders. Personality disorders: It changes a person’s thinking and behavior to differ with the society expectations and interfere with an individual’s normal functioning and social relationships. The most common are antisocial personality disorder and paranoid personality disorder. Impulse control and addiction disorders: People with this disorder are unable to control urges to do things that can cause harm to them and others. They become irresponsible and ignore relationships. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): People with this disorder have fears that make them undertake certain rituals and routines. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): It can develop after traumatic events. It causes lasting memories and thoughts. Individuals with this disorder tend to be emotionally numb. We discover that Mary has a mood disorder. It is also known as the affective disorder. She feels sad sometimes and feels like she is a burden to her family who are her greatest care givers. She has depression and had even been taking some antidepressants, Citalopram though she has quit taking them in the past year. There are factors that can impact on cares such as stigma or attitude which can have a big influence on the patient. Stigma is the isolation and neglecting of individuals for various reasons especially with illness. An individual with mental illness needs great support from family, friends, society and the community at large10 Morey, B. & Mueser, K. (2007, P 39). If it does not happen and the individual is neglected and let to go through it alone, it makes them slow to recovery or more often make their health deteriorate and sometimes they even give up. Mary is a lucky consumer as she has a supportive family. Her husband gives clear details on her illness and her journey with it. It is an expression of the husband being involved in her life and supporting her. Mary is also a member of a local church and attends weekly meetings. It is a prove that they offer her support as if the neglected her, she would have already quit attending the meetings Though Mary has a supportive family, she stills feels like she should give up. It gets to a point where she loses the meaning of life. It is a clear indication that these individuals need a lot of support and hope11 D.L. Evans et al. (2005, P177). If we take a case of somebody who does not support from anybody, it is very easy for them to give up. They have much stress and the deterioration in their physical health also takes a toll on them. Mary doesn’t want to receive medical attention and insists that she is okay. She thinks she is bothering her family if they have to get her medical attention. She has recently been increasing her lamentations about life. She needs medical attention and counseling so that she can accept her current state and this will be the starting point for her recovery. The family needs to do more to convince her to seek medical attention. Mary needs some practices to manage her mental illness. Mary is a wife and a mother of three. Her illness and recovery has to involve her family as they are her greatest support. Her mother has been living with depression for 35 years. Mary has not had any medical history. She also has never used, or been an addicted to smoking or drinking or any drug substance. We need to develop a support system that totally involves her family in her care giving and recovery. Mary needs professional care now. It is quite noticeable that the mental illness is now really affecting her. She has been incapable to go to work and now has been offered a sick off. We are informed that she has been previously admitted for five weeks. She seems to be changing her behaviors such as eating longer than usual, dressing longer than usual though it is after long periods of being in her night gown and less sleeping hours. Acceptance is the first step in recovering. She needs counseling so that she can stop being in denial as she claims that she is okay. With counseling, she will understand that she is not a burden to her family, and all they want is for her to get well. When she is in a poor state of health, it affects her family as they are worried of her state. When a parent is having a mental health illness, it has effects on their children and the family as a whole12 Parrott L, Jacobs G and Roberts D (2008, P.77). Mary’s children are aged between 10 and 17 inclusive. These are not adults and sometimes don’t understand their parent’s illness. Their parent’s illness may have adverse effects on them and may also end up developing stress. It affects the child’s adulthood life and their transition to adulthood. There are several recommended steps to recovery which would greatly help Mary13 Cooper, D. (2011, P.113). The first step is admitting and accepting that an one has a problem and this is the starting point of the recovery process. The next step is to take action. The individual should seek for possible. If it is still in the early stages, it might require much professional help. In later stages, it will require more medical attention including being admitted to hospital at some point if it is necessary. An individual must trust cooperate with their care givers and those aiding in the recovery process. A cooperative individual will recover quite faster and will also earn trust from the group helping them recover. An individual will be involved in making decisions that affect them. The individual should then get the power to do what they are advised to do. Illnesses especially those caused and involving addictions will require to be more cooperative and need to totally take power and do what is required of them. The next step is to develop and use wellness tools. These are the tools and factors that will help an individual to keep living with the factors that are necessary for recovery. The individual should then keep on evaluating themselves to see the progress they are making. They will make to analyze where they need to put more effort and what they need to keep up. Cultivating healthy thinking and behavior are the next important steps. It creates a foundation for what an individual will live for and do during and after the recovery. An individual should then realize that feelings are not facts. They should always base what they do and involve themselves in on facts and not feelings. It is very tempting to follow ones feelings but it is important to check the effects of the same on one as an individual and those that surround them. The individual should get on with their lives. They should learn to always do what is expected of them, mingle with others like nothing is wrong and when something is not right, they should talk it out with people they trust. They should then give it time to be part of them. Change does not come in a day and they should therefore realize it is not easy and appreciate the single simple steps they make each time. They should then pass it on even after the recovery period is over. There are outcomes that will come with Mary’s management of the mental illness. The children will understand the cause of the mother’s illness and will help in the parent’s recovery. They will manage to cope with the effects of the current illness and the postpartum effects of the treatment. Mary will appreciate the steps and the role that the family is taking for her to get medical attention. She will understand that the family is only concerned and that she is not a burden but the family is only having her best interest at heart. She will get a new meaning of life and a hope to continue living. She has lost hope of life but with counseling and support, it will change the way her way of thinking and the way she faces life14 Cooper, D. (2011, P113). Conclusion Mental health and mental illness is related to physical health. Mental health is manageable with adequate support. Bibliography Andresen, R., & Oades, L. G. (2011). Psychological recovery beyond mental illness. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley. Barry, P. & Farmer, S. (2002). Mental health & mental illness. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins Pg 37. Comcare 2011, Submission to House Standing Committee on Education and Employment inquiry into mental health and workforce participation, Comcare, Canberra, p. 1-4. Cooper, D. (2011). Intervention in mental health-substance use. London: Radcliffe Pub. D.L. Evans et al., “Mood Disorders in the Medically Ill: Scientific Review and Recommendations,” Biological Psychiatry 58, no. 3 (2005): 175-189 Engdahl, S. (2010). Mental health. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press/Gale Cengage Learning. Magazine Article (January 2012) Recovery principles Morey, B. & Mueser, K. (2007). The family intervention guide to mental illness : recognizing symptoms & getting treatment. Oakland, Calif: New Harbinger Publications. Parrott L, Jacobs G and Roberts D (2008) Stress and Resilience factors in parents with mental health problems and their children Ralph, R. O., & Corrigan, P. W. (2005). Recovery in mental illness: broadening our understanding of wellness. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. T. Gadalla, "Association of Comorbid Mood Disorders and Chronic Illness with Disability and Quality of Life in Ontario, Canada," Chronic Diseases in Canada 28, no. 4 (2008): 148 -154 Thompson, M. (2007). Mental illness. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press P 59. Read More