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Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
In the last edition, we defined mental health and how God has called us to wholeness as women. In this edition, we will be reviewing mental illness, causes, risk factors, and common mental health illness/disorder.
What is Mental Health?
Mental illness, also called mental health disorder, refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your emotional regulation (mood), cognition (thinking) and behavior.
Mental illness, like any other illness or disease, is a state of brokenness. It is contrary to God’s will and original plan for our lives as children of God, especially women.
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Causes and Risk Factors
Causes
Mental illnesses, in general, are thought to be caused by a variety of genetic and environmental factors:
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Inherited traits. Mental illness is more common in people whose blood relatives also have a mental illness. Certain genes may increase your risk of developing a mental illness, and life situations may trigger it.
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Environmental exposures before birth. Exposure to environmental stressors, inflammatory conditions, toxins, alcohol, or drugs while in the womb can sometimes be linked to mental illness.
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Brain chemistry. Neurotransmitters are naturally occurring brain chemicals that carry signals to other parts of the brain and body. When the neural networks involving these chemicals are impaired, the function of nerve receptors and nerve systems change, leading to depression and other emotional disorders
NOTE!
Risk Factors
Certain factors may increase the risk of developing a mental illness, including:
- A history of mental illness in a blood relative, such as a parent or sibling.
- Stressful life situations, such as financial problems, a loved one’s death, or a divorce.
- An ongoing (chronic) medical condition, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer.
- Brain damage as a result of a serious injury (traumatic brain injury), such as a violent blow to the head.
- Traumatic experiences, such as domestic violence, dating violence, assault, sexual abuse or rape especially childhood sexual abuse, traumatic childbirth, military combat (Boko haram victims).
- Use of alcohol or recreational drugs.
- Adverse childhood effect (ACE) such as childhood history of abuse or neglect.
- Few friends or few healthy relationships.
- A previous mental illness.
- Sin is a major risk factor. It increases the chances of mental health disorder as in King Saul.
COMMON MENTAL HEALTH ILLNESS / DISORDER
There are over 22 categories of mental health disorders, our review will cover some of the ones commonly found in women.
- Depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Insomnia
- Feeding and eating disorders
- Substance abuse disorders and other addictive behaviors
- Suicide ideation
- Schizophrenia
Each one will be discussed extensively in the next edition.
Remember. It is God’s desire for you to be whole.
References:
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2013
- Mental illness (2019) https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968.
Oluyemisi Adeyemi has a Masters’ in Counseling Psychology with concentration in Trauma Studies.
Joy Joseph
July 29, 2022More grace