Physiologic Basis of Mental Illness

Physiologic Basis of Mental Illness
Mental health is a continuum that begins with structure and function of the
brain at the physical level. Next is the personal level where each of us cares
about ourselves; this leads to the interpersonal level where we interact with
others. The continuum ends at the societal level where we embrace social and
cultural beliefs. Mental illness has been defined as the inability to see oneself as
others see you and the lack of the ability to conform to what culture and society
consider normal. General medical conditions are considered when assessing
mental health because an underlying medical disorder can mimic symptoms of
mental illness. For example, hypothyroidism may result in fatigue and lack of
energy, which is a sign of clinical depression. In contrast, hyperthyroidism may
present with signs of anxiety, nervousness, increased irritability, and difficulty
in sleeping, which may mistakenly lead the clinician to focus on mood disorder
or anxiety disorder. Psychosocial and environmental problems with family and
support groups, educational challenges, lack of a job and job skills, housing
issues, and financial and legal problems have to be addressed. There is a blurred
line between mental illness and neurologic disorders since researchers are discovering
that mental illness is the result of changes in chemistry of the brain.
Such changes could be considered a neurologic disorder since these chemical
changes occur in the brain and affect the neurologic system. In this chapter, you
will learn about the physiologic foundations for mental illness.