Lively Women

Care for Your Psychological Self for Total Health

by Kristen King on May 10th, 2007

It’s another theme day at b5media, and this month is all about mental health.  Check out the round-up of posts over at Alzheimer’s Notes with Mary Emma Allen and Liz Lewis.

Particularly in the United States, where mental illness is often seen as a sign of weakness and self-medication (with alcohol, drugs, and even over-committed lifestyles) is common, many women are living their lives with undiagnosed psychological and emotional illnesses that are completely treatable.

According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, there are seven categories of mental disorder that are particularly common in women:

• Anxiety Disorders, including OCD, panic, PTSD, social phobia, and generalized anxiety disorders.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD, ADD)
• Bipolar Disorder
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Depression
• Eating Disorders
• Schizophrenia

The best way to find out if you or someone you love has a mental disorder or illness is to see a medical doctor and a mental health professional for a physical and psychological evaluation.  Your local hospital or community services board may be able to help you find an appropriate health professional in your area if you’re not sure where to start.

Here are some tools to help you work with your doctor to make sure you’re as all-around healthy as possible. More information on these and other disorders can be found at the National Institutes of Mental Health and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. 

Anxiety Disorders

We talked about symptoms of and screening for anxiety disorders earlier this month in honor of National Anxiety Disorders Screening Day, but we didn’t really get into treatment.  Like most of the disorders we’ll be talking about, anxiety disorders are generally treated with a combination of psychotherapy, behavioral modifications, and medication.  You and your doctor will decide what’s right for you based on your medical history, your lifestyle, and your personal preferences.  If you suffer from an anxiety disorder, or think you may have one, you may want to check out the online support groups at Find the Light, About.com, and Panic and Anxiety Connection for some encouragement and advice from folks who’ve been there.

ADD/ADHD

Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder used to be thought of as predominantly childhood disorders, but they’re being diagnosed in adults in growing numbers lately. Unfortunately, though, most of the materials out there at this time talk about symptoms in kids, which are often quite different from how the disorder manifests in adults.  According to NIMH,

Many people think of ADHD as a childhood illness, but it can continue through the teen years and into adulthood.

The teen years can be especially hard. With ADHD, people act without thinking first. This can make it hard for teens to make careful choices about drugs, drinking, smoking, or sex. In therapy, teens and parents work on rules, limits, and choices to help things go smoother at home and at school.

ADHD also makes it hard to finish what you start. This can be a real problem for adults. Men and women may have trouble keeping up with the things they need to do at home and at work. Adults with ADHD may lose job after job because [of] their illness.

At any age, treatment can help.

Having problems concentrating and seeing stuff through doesn’t automatically make you ADHD, but it might be worth checking out.  Your physician or mental health professional will be able to tell you more, and regardless of your diagnosis, help you develop behavioral coping methods that will make things easier for you.

Bipolar Disorder

Because there are different types of bipolar disorder and its symptoms can be mistaken for other illnesses, bipolar is often hard to diagnose and treat.  However, if you’re up front with your health care provider and take an active role in your evaluation and subsequent treatment, you’ll get much better results than if you just sit quietly and wait for something to happen. 

I love what Kimberly Read and Marcia Purse have to say about bipolar disorder over at About.com.  Their series of articles on Red Flags to Bipolar Disorder is top notch!  Be sure to check them out and take what you’ve learned to your doctor if you think it may explain problems you’ve been having.

Borderline Personality Disorder

BPD doesn’t get quite as much press as the other disorders we’re talking about, but it’s prevalent just the same, occurring in 2% of adults and predominantly affecting young women.  NIMH has an excellent publication called Borderline Personality Disorder: Raising Questions, Finding Answers that explains BPD symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment beautifully.  And if someone you love has BPD, you won’t want to miss BPD Central, which provides resources and support for people dealing with someone else’s BPD.

Depression

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the US today, and there’s a ton of information out there on it.  If there’s one thing to remember about depression, it’s that depression is a medical problem.  People who are depressed can’t just “cheer up,” and it’s not their fault or the fault of anyone around them.  Depression.com, which is funded and developed by pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, provides a great overview of what it means to live with depression. 

For a preliminary evaluation of whether you may be suffering from depression, try the screening test at Depression-Screening.org.  It’s not a substitute for a doctor’s diagnosis, but it’s a great tool to use when talking with your physician or therapist.

Eating Disorders

Although they’re most common in women in their teens and twenties, eating disorders can affect women — and men — of all ages, and they’re found in people of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds.  The National Eating Disorders Association has literally dozens of resources to help people struggling with an eating disorder and those who care about them.  The best place to start is their Information Index. Other fantastic resources for those suffering from eating disorders include Mirror Mirror and ANRED. 

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a very complex disorder that, if left untreated, can be quite debilitating.  The manifestation most people are familiar with is “hearing voices,” but there’s a lot more to it than that.  According to NIMH,

People with schizophrenia may hear voices other people don’t hear or they may believe that others are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. These experiences are terrifying and can cause fearfulness, withdrawal, or extreme agitation. People with schizophrenia may not make sense when they talk, may sit for hours without moving or talking much, or may seem perfectly fine until they talk about what they are really thinking. Because many people with schizophrenia have difficulty holding a job or caring for themselves, the burden on their families and society is significant as well.

For women, symptoms generally arise in their twenties or thirties, but they can appear later or earlier.  For more information about schizophrenia, check out Schizophrenia.com. 

Please note: As with every Lively Women post, this post is not intended to diagnose or treat any mental disorder or illness, but rather to serve as a starting point in your search for information.  Please see a physician or mental health professional for evaluation and treatment of all mental health disorders — and stay lively!

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POSTED IN: Depression, Encouragement, Health, Mental health, Mind, Prevention, Spirit, Stress, Wellness, Women's Issues