Background
Conflicting concepts
Within the various mental health professions and among the complementary therapies there are many conflicting ideas about the exact nature and origin of mental illness, appropriate labels, diagnoses and treatment. Lay people also have many different perspectives influenced by culture, community and ethnic origins. Debate surrounds the roles of nature, nurture, genes and brain chemistry.
Talking with young people
Recent research in the UK indicates that when discussing 'mental health' with young people terminology can be problematic. For many the term has solely negative connotations relating to illness and therefore they tend not to make an association between themselves and mental health issues. It is important therefore to support young people in exploring a variety of ways of looking at 'mental health' in order for them to develop skills to promote their own mental health and better understand mental illness.
In the film…
Anorexia Nervosa In teenage years life can be challenging and uncertain. One area people can exert control over is what they eat. Pushing the body to limits by surviving on less and less food can give satisfaction. Gradually how such people see themselves becomes increasingly distorted. To view the condition as an excessive form of slimming is misleading.
Bulimia Nervosa On the surface people with this disorder can appear to be coping well with life. Underneath they can be very unsure of themselves and frightened of not achieving what they think is expected of them. Excessive eating is seen as a way of coping. Guilt and disgust follow, resulting in vomiting and use of laxatives to rid the body of the food.
Depression is a term often used by people to mean they've hit a bad patch and are feeling down. In time they usually emerge from this state fairly intact and continue with their lives. However there are those who at some time in their lives experience deep feelings of hopelessness and despair. Everything becomes a struggle. They see no future and nothing seems worthwhile. This is called clinical depression.
Manic Depression is now more frequently referred to as bi-polar affective disorder. It is characterised by periods of elation and high energy and periods of deep depression and despondency. The exact pattern or cycle varies and some people find their mood swings veer more in one direction than the other.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) The most common features are obsessional thoughts that cannot be ignored and compulsive behaviour in the form of ritual actions people feel compelled to repeat. They do this to relieve the anxiety and stop the obsessional thoughts. Most people have worries, doubts and superstitious beliefs. It is only when thoughts and behaviour make no sense, cause distress or become excessive that people need help.
Paranoia can involve debilitating feelings of extreme suspicion, mistrust, resentment, jealousy and self-importance. It can be drug related and is also linked with the complex illness described by some as schizophrenia, where the way in which people see and understand the world becomes distorted and disturbed leading to bizarre changes in behaviour, causing alarm in others.
Self-harming translates emotional pain into physical pain giving some relief from the former. Contrary to popular belief it is not about attention-seeking and is often carried out in secret.
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