Helping People with Psychiatric Illness
Psychiatric illness is caused by problems in the mind. The person with psychiatric illness may describe strange experiences which others around him do not see or hear. The person does not always understand what has happened to him. Often the person does not even know that he is behaving differently. In all types of psychiatric illness, the person's ability to do daily activities or work, or talk with friends and family changes. Psychiatric illness may begin suddenly, over just a few days, or it may develop more slowly over many months. A person with psychiatric illness may show strange behavior at certain times and seem normal at other times, acting just as he did before the illness.
Every community has a few people who are odd or different. Many people dress and act different from their neighbors but they do the usual activities around their house and go to work. These people act a bit strangely and it is their usual way of doing things. Psychiatric illness however creates a big change from the way the person used to behave in the past.
(2) Chemical imbalance: The brain has special substances called brain chemicals. Changes in these cause psychiatric illnesses.
(3) Abuse of drugs : Many "illegal" drugs and alcohol may have ingredients that can cause psychiatric illness.
People with psychiatric illness do not all act the same way. Family members are usually the first ones to notice the change.
(2) He may suddenly feel his heart is beating very quickly, his breathing becomes very fast and he is afraid for no reason. He is unable to think clearly and does not know what to do. This feeling lasts a short time and returns at any time.
(3) People with psychiatric illness can look very different. Sometimes they do not comb their hair or change their clothes for days. Their facial expressions can change. They can lose a great deal of weight in a short period.
(4) Some people complain about their body. They always seem to have pain, it can move around the body or they have headaches or say they "feel sick". Even after the doctor has done tests, and says there is nothing wrong, they continue to worry. Even after many expensive tests and visits to specialists who say they are healthy, the person with psychiatric illness still believes there is something wrong.
(7) The person may begin to say strange things and make strange decisions that no one in the family can understand.
(9) A person with psychiatric illness may falsely believe things that everyone knows are not true, and may tell other people about these things.
(11) Sometimes when he is very disturbed he may speak strangely, that his family cannot understand what he is saying. The words may be mixed up.
(12) A person who is severely ill will sometimes just stop moving for long periods for no reason and become severely withdrawn.
(13) Some persons may believe that they are someone else.
(14) A person with psychiatric illness may seem like he does not know that anyone else is in the room. However, often he is watching and listening to what is going on around him even though he is withdrawn.
(15) He may think that someone else controls his actions, for example a "voice" tells him that his neighbor wants to steal his things.
(16) Sometimes people with a medical problem also have symptoms like psychiatric illness. A person with a broken back can react to the incident and become depressed when he realizes he will never walk again. A person can also have a medical and a psychiatric illness simultaneously.
(17) Some women become very sad and tearful after the birth of their baby, that precipitates a psychiatric illness. If left alone without help, she may harm herself and the baby.
5. Does psychiatric illness get worse?
There are many kinds of psychiatric illness, which makes the question difficult to answer. Each psychiatric illness has different ways of progressing.
(1) Some people may be ill only once and never have problems again.
(2) Some psychiatric illnesses do not get worse and stay the same way for a long time.
(4) Other people may become worse over weeks or months. They may become severely disturbed.
6. Can psychiatric illness be cured?
There is still a lot to be understood about psychiatric illness. With the right help, in most persons, the problems and strange behavior can be controlled and they can lead a normal life. However, some others may have problems for their whole life.
(1) A person with psychiatric illness may have normal or high intelligence. However, because of the brain disease, her behaviour becomes strange and it appears as though she cannot learn. Mental handicap is caused by damage to the brain before or near the time of birth. He is born with low intelligence and will always have difficulty learning.
(2) People with psychiatric illness are often given medicines when their behavior becomes strange. Medicine will not help a person with mental handicap to think or learn.
(3) A mentally handicapped person may also behave in a strange way but that is because he has not learned how to do things correctly. Such people may learn to do certain things with special training.
(4) A person with a mental handicap can also become mentally ill and may need help for the illness.
8. What is it like to have psychiatric illness?
Psychiatric illness disrupts a person's life and the lives of the families and friends. It can cause problems with almost every activity: working, eating, sleeping, speaking to friends and neighbors, and moving around the community. People with psychiatric illness suffer a great deal just as people with physical illnesses do. Their thoughts and feelings can be very frightening to them and the people around them, just as in the case of people with physical illnesses. The family and friends might think that the strange behaviour is causing the problems and forget how badly the person may feel.
9. Warning signs of serious psychiatric illness
Some behaviour that can distress the family is also signs of severe illness:
- Not washing himself or changing clothes for long time;
- Being active all the time (hyperactivity) with little or no sleep;
- Sitting like a statue for hours without moving;
- Moving about quickly without any purpose and waving his arms and shouting;
- Talking to himself all the time or not allowing others to speak;
- Talking without making sense;
- Refusing to be with family members and spending most of the time alone;
- Eating or drinking too little with a great deal of loss of weight;
- Crying for a long time for no reason.
These warning signs tell the family and friends to get help immediately.
Ways to help
There are a number of ways to help a person with psychiatric illness.
1. Medical Treatment: Medication is one of the ways to change strange behavior quickly and correct. Sometimes people need a short stay in hospital.
2. Counselling: Counselling helps the person to talk about his difficulties and to feel that someone else understands and cares for him. It helps a person to overcome interpersonal conflicts and modify his inappropriate behaviour.
3. Routine Activities: Keeps the person involved with his routines and helps him to return to normal behavior early.
Medical treatment
Medicines do not "cure" psychiatric illness like antibiotic drugs cure an infection, but it changes thoughts and feelings and can make people function appropriately again. Different medicines are used for different illnesses. Some medicines help make the person with psychiatric illness think normally so they no longer have strange thoughts. Other medicines change feelings and behavior, calm down the overactive person or help a person who does not want to do anything, to start doing his daily activities again. Some medicines take some time to start working, 10 days to 2 weeks. Generally, if the medicine is working, persons with psychiatric illness begin to be easier to talk to, they feel calmer, and their inappropriate behavior decrease though it may not go away completely.
Counselling
Cunselling is a process that identifies from the affected person his problems, his feelings about those problems and what changes he can make to deal with those problems. Counselling can also educate people with a psychiatric illness to understand why they have an illness and why they need help. It is also a way to support them while they are ill and deal with interpersonal difficulties and inappropriate behaviours associated with the illness. Many persons with a severe psychiatric illness cannot answer questions or their answers do not make any sense. In this case counselling is not useful at that time.
Daily activities
Daily activities at home or at work will help the person with psychiatric illness to get well faster. These activities help the person to pay attention to real, not "crazy" thoughts. They provide a routine for the person's day. The person with psychiatric illness should reminded to bathe and dress appropriately. With encouragement a person with a severe psychiatric illness can begin to assist in simple household activities. The person should be encouraged to do as much as possible even if it takes longer or is not done well. The person with a psychiatric illness may need to take a break while doing an activity because she cannot pay attention for a long time. The time spent each day doing activities by a person with a psychiatric illness should increase. It is much better for him to be busy than doing nothing.
QUICK REFERENCE TO HELP A VERY ILL PERSON
The information below gives some ways to help people who are very upset or show very difficult behavior. The first thing to do is to find a doctor. However, the doctor is often far away or not able to come, and the family and the community need to take action immediately
Unfriendly and suspicious, thinks others want to harm him, overly watchful of things going on around him, has ideas which are not real
1. Do not argue with the person about their ideas or thoughts or try to prove them wrong.
2. Change to a concrete topic that is not related to suspicions.
3. Be friendly and accepting. Do not get angry with the person.
4. Do not whisper or talk secretly when the person is in the same room or near by.
5. Do not talk or do things behind the person's back.
Restless, constantly walking back and forth or very excited, moving around without a reason:
1. Do not try to hold on or restrict the person.
2. Talk to him and get his attention.
3. Firmly but without anger, ask him to come to you and do what you say.
Avoids people and won't let others come near
1. Approach the person slowly and in a friendly manner. Stop in front of him but beyond his reach and greet him in the usual way.
2. Talk to him first about things you both can see and discuss e.g., Is that chair comfortable?
3. If he answers, continue with small talk.
4. If the person stops talking, try again to get him to answer. If he becomes restless, thank him and leave.
5. Repeat this small talk many times until he allows you to come near and talks to you about how he is feeling.
6. Have the family members continue their activities near the person so that they can watch him.
7. Family members should continue to talk to the person even if he does not answer.
Aggressive behavior, suddenly strikes out
1. Stay clam and do not show that you are frightened but quickly go for help.
2. Speak in a firm loud and commanding voice: "I would like you to stop".
3. Remember that the person does not always know what he is saying or doing.
4. Give the person an activity which requires him to use his energy, like loading a large bag.
5. Do not let him use objects that are sharp or that can be used as a club.
6. Instruct other persons not to argue with the person and to stay away until he calms down.
7. Talk to him about his behavior when the person is calm. Make suggestions about other activities he can do that will help the anger disappear.
CLINICAL DEPRESSION Click here
There are several types of clinical depression, which involve disturbances in mood, concentration, self-confidence, sleep, appetite, activity, and behaviour as well as disruptions in friendships, family and/or work. A clinical depression is different from experiences of sadness, disappointment, and grief familiar to everyone. This note will provide you with an understanding of the symptoms, causes, and treatment of clinical depression. A period of depressed mood, which lasts for several days or a few weeks, is a normal part of life and is not necessarily a cause for concern. Although these feelings are often referred to as "depression," they typically do not constitute a clinical depression because the symptoms are relatively mild and of short duration. Moreover, these are often related to stressful life events and improve with positive life changes. A person experiencing clinical depression, however, is likely to be experiencing substantial changes in their mood, thinking, behaviours, activities, and self-perceptions. A depressed person often has difficulty making decisions; for example, the day-to-day tasks may seem overwhelming. A depressed person may also dwell on negative thoughts, focus on unpleasant experiences, describe him/herself as a failure, report that things are hopeless, and feel as though he is a burden to others. The changes in mood brought on by depression frequently result in feelings of sadness, irritability, anger, emptiness, and/or anxiety. There are also some types of depression, in which depressive episodes alternate with episodes of agitation and euphoria. A severe depressive episode can result in thoughts of death and suicide. The following checklist includes symptoms typical of clinical depression. It is important to note however, that only some of these symptoms are necessary for a diagnosis of depression.
1. A significantly depressed mood or general absence of expressions.
2. Inability to experience pleasure or feel interest in daily life.
3. Inexplicable crying spells, sadness, and/or irritability.
4. Sleeplessness or excessive sleep nearly every day. A substantial change in appetite, eating patterns or weight.
5. Fatigue or energy loss.
6. Diminished ability to concentrate.
7. Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness.
8. Inappropriate feelings of guilt.
9. Lack of sexual desire.
Clinical depression is typically caused by a combination of biological, genetic, and stress factors. A recent death or loss, family conflict or divorce, financial difficulties, major life transitions, and other stresses can precipitate a depressive episode in a genetically vulnerable person. It should also be emphasised that many depressive episodes occur without any identifiable causes. Consumption of sleeping tablets, alcohol and addictive substances also can precipitate a depressive disorder. Consumption of these substances can also 'mask' the symptoms of depression in some people. It is important to remember that depressive disorders are treatable conditions. They are not the result of weakness, personal failure, or a lack of will power.
1. Eliminate the use of alcohol, sleeping tablets or addictive drugs.
3. Get adequate amount of sleep at least for eight hours.
4. Seek emotional support from friends and family.
5. Modify your schedule, and set realistic goals.
7. Consult a physician if you are experiencing any medical problems.
8. Seek early intervention, which may modify the severity of your depression.
Things to Avoid
1. Do not make long-term commitments or important decisions during a clinical depression unless necessary.
3. Do not assume that things are hopeless.
4. Do not assume responsibility for events that are outside of your control and feel guilty.
Treatment of Depression
If symptoms related to a depressive condition are interfering with your ability to do routine, day-to-day activities or they are disturbing significant people around you, you should consider seeking professional help. There are currently a variety of highly effective interventions available for treatment of depression, depending on what is necessary for each person. If you seek treatment, the recommendations you receive will likely depend on the specific symptoms you have experienced, their duration and severity, and any previous history of depression. There are some side effects associated with antidepressant medication, but the medication is often an effective and low risk form of treatment. Frequently, counselling can be useful to resolve interpersonal problems associated with depression, but its success requires a commitment from the affected person to work towards achievement of therapeutic goals. Relaxation exercises that reduce anxiety levels in depressed persons are always beneficial for all people with depression.
SUICIDE PREVENTION
Danger Signals
At least 70 percent of all people committing suicide give some clue to their intentions before they make an attempt. Becoming aware of these clues and the severity of the person's problems can help prevent a tragedy. If a person you know is going through a particularly stressful situation, watch for other signs of crisis. Many persons convey their intentions directly with statements such as "I feel like killing myself," or "I don't know how much longer I can take this" (Suicidal thoughts). Others in crisis may hint at a detailed suicide plan with statements such as "I've been saving up my pills in case things get really bad" or "Lately I've been driving my car like I really don't care what happens" (Suicide plans). In general, statements describing feelings of depression, helplessness, extreme loneliness, and/or hopelessness may suggest suicidal thoughts. It is important to listen to these "cries for help" because they are usually desperate attempts to communicate to others the need to be understood and be helped. Often persons thinking about suicide show outward changes in their behaviour. They may prepare for death by giving away prized possessions, making a will, or putting other affairs in order. They may withdraw from those around them, change eating or sleeping patterns, or lose interest in prior activities or relationships.
- MYTH: "You have to be psychiatrically ill even to think about suicide".
- FACT: Most people have thought of suicide from time to time. Most suicides and suicide attempts are made by intelligent, temporarily confused individuals who are expecting too much of themselves, especially in the midst of a crisis.
- MYTH: "Once a person has made a serious suicide attempt, that person is unlikely to make another".
- FACT: The opposite is often true. Persons who have made prior suicide attempts are at greater risk of actually committing suicide; for some, suicide attempts may seem easier a second or third time.
- MYTH: "If a person is seriously considering suicide, there is nothing you can do”.
- FACT: Most suicidal crises are time-limited and based on unclear thinking. Persons attempting suicide want to escape from their problems. Instead, they need to confront their problems directly in order to find other solutions - solutions that can be found with the help of concerned individuals who support them through the crisis period, until they are able to think more clearly.
- MYTH: "Talking about suicide may give a person the idea".
- FACT: The crisis and resulting emotional distress will already have triggered the thought in a vulnerable person. Your openness and concern in asking about suicide will allow the person experiencing pain to talk about the problem, which may help reduce his or her anxiety. This may also allow the person with suicidal thoughts to feel less lonely or isolated, and perhaps a bit relieved.
Most suicides can be prevented by sensitive responses to the person in crisis. If you think someone you know may be suicidal, you should remain calm. In most instances, there is no rush. Sit and listen to what the person is saying. Give understanding and active emotional support for his or her feelings. Most individuals have mixed feelings about death and dying and are open to help. Don't be afraid to ask or talk directly about suicide. Encourage problem solving and positive actions. Remember that the person involved in emotional crisis is not thinking clearly; encourage him or her to refrain from making any serious, irreversible decisions while in a crisis. Talk about positive alternatives that may establish hope for the future. Although you want to help, do not take full responsibility by trying to be the sole counsel. Seek out resources that can lend qualified help, even if it means breaking a confidence. Let the troubled person know you are concerned, so concerned that you are willing to arrange help beyond that which you can offer.
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER Click here
All of us have patterns in our lives. We follow routines during most days, taking the same route to work or spending our free time in much the same ways. We all have patterns of behaviour, and most of us have reasons for doing things the way we do. In some people however, the patterns are not just patterns. They are patterns that have run wild, patterns with a mind of their own. Such people have strange rituals. They wash their hands too many times a day. They check to see that the lights are turned off so many times that they are late for work or cannot leave the house at all. To make matters worse, they are filled with unbearable anxiety or dread that something terrible will happen if things do not work their way. These frightening thoughts continue without a stop for prolonged periods. They are not able to switch off their unwanted thoughts as though the switch to switch them off does not exist. Thoughts are not under one's control any more. These people have obsessive-compulsive disorder. This disorder causes people to become haunted by repetitive thoughts (obsessions) or compelled to perform senseless, time-consuming rituals (compulsions), or both. Many people who have this disorder feel ashamed of their thoughts and behaviours and hide their condition. In recent years, awareness of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has increased, and effective treatments have been developed.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an illness that traps people in seemingly endless cycles of repetitive thoughts without being able to stop them (obsessions) and in feelings that they must repeat certain actions over and over (compulsions). The obsessions that intrude uncontrolled into the person’s every day thinking may be frightening, disgusting, painful, or trivial. Most people with OCD realise that their obsessions do not make sense, but they are not able to control or suppress them. They may be able to explain in great detail what their obsessions are, but not why they appear. In most cases, the obsessions cause extreme anxiety. Feelings of discomfort or dread can build up to an unbearable level. To relieve their anxiety, some individuals with OCD feel they have to do something. These feelings that they must repeat certain actions or rituals are their compulsions - the things they feel they have to do to avoid some dreaded event or to prevent or undo some harm to themselves or others, as suggested by their obsessions. Often the rituals have to be performed according to some rules. The rituals may be very simple and hardly noticeable, or they may be very elaborate. Rituals may be time-consuming, sometimes taking hours to finish so that they interfere with the person’s daily routine. Rituals do lessen anxiety, discomfort, or feelings of disgust, but only briefly. The fears and tensions soon return, causing the individuals to start their rituals all over again. People with OCD do not want to have obsessive thoughts, nor do they want to engage in time-consuming rituals. They do not get any pleasure from being the way they are when OCD takes hold of them. Most people with this disorder realise how senseless it all is. Recognising the bizarre nature of their obsessions and compulsions, many conceal their condition from others. Eventually people with OCD may be discovered, or their obsessions and compulsions become so time- consuming that they can no longer function at home, on the job, or without developing conflicts with others.
Most people with OCD can be helped with medication. It allows many people to lead normal lives. People can also be taught to reduce their anxiety from their obsessions. The affected persons are first exposed to the objects or situations that cause them problems. They are then asked to delay performing the rituals they usually use to deal with them, or they are asked to perform the rituals less extensively. OCD is not only distressing to the persons affected, it is also hard on the people who live with them. Family members react to living with a person with OCD in a number of ways. They may demand that the person stop ritualising. They may give continual reassurance. They may even participate in the rituals themselves, to pacify the individual and to avoid arguments. These may seem like the best tactics, but they do not improve OCD. If possible, families should not participate in the person’s rituals.
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