Research Paper on Mental Illnesses Many people have a poor range of knowledge on the topic of mental illnesses; However, some may not know that, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 1 in 5 adults in the United States suffer from mental illness in any given year. Mental illnesses, also known as mental disorders, can severely affect a person's life, be it major or minor. There is a wide range of severities and types of mental disorders. Some of the main types are depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar mood disorder, personality disorders, trauma, and eating disorders (Department of Health and Human Services). Throughout history, the understanding of such diseases has steadily advanced and been reshaped by new discoveries. Since each mental illness has a different effect on social life, behavior and daily lifestyle, it is a very serious topic in which a lot of time and investigation has been invested. While not everyone is educated on the topic, through research you can learn a lot about the history, effects and symptoms, as well as misconceptions about mental disorders. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThe way society has addressed mental illness over the years has continued to progress, as has the way those affected by one are treated. In ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, and Roman writings, mental illness was classified as a religious or personal problem (Unite For Site, Module 2). During the Middle Ages, mental illnesses were believed to be religious punishments or demonic possession. Negative attitudes toward mental illness continued throughout the colonial era in the United States, leading to the stigmatization of mental illness and the unsanitary, often degrading isolation of mentally ill individuals. At the time, American society called those who suffered from mental illnesses “crazy” and locked them away and isolated them (Leupo 1). There were limited treatments at the time, those based on the idea of ​​catharsis. The treatments, such as immersing patients in ice baths until they lost consciousness, giving a massive shock to the brain, inducing vomiting, and removing "bad blood", were very dangerous, rarely improving patient's health and often led to death. Although these practices led to death, the colonials were satisfied because it removed the mentally ill, the “crazy” from society (Leupo 1). According to the Association for Natural Psychology, William Tuke, founded the moral management movement, a practical, humane and effective non-pharmaceutical approach to treating serious mental illnesses in the early 1800s. The focus was on practicality, self-discipline and on positive human interactions, as well as attention to the spiritual needs of the individual. The “crazy people” were considered normal people who had lost their reason due to severe psychological and social stress. These stresses were called moral causes of insanity, and moral treatment aimed to relieve the patient through friendly association, discussion of his difficulties, and daily pursuit of purposeful activities" (Carson, 307). The stigma on the mentally ill began to change from them being harmful to society, to innocent people only needing protection and special care. This change in perspective has led to the use of therapy as a treatment for those affected, as opposed to the previous inhumane practices William Tuke stimulated research on the care of patients in mental hospitalsafter the death of a woman in the York Asylum for the mentally ill in England, who died allegedly due to neglect or abuse (Association for Natural Psychology was opened in the United States exclusively for the purpose of treating the mentally ill). in October 1773 in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. As a result of Tuke's moral management movement, the emphasis on kindness, firm but gentle encouragement of self-control, work therapy, and recreational activities have become the new approach to assisting patients in asylums and throughout the world (Association for Natural Psychology). Improvements in care for asylum seekers have continued in America and Europe, although subpar conditions persist in many American and European institutions. Many countries around the world have also been slow, or have completely failed, to implement sufficient reforms; mental asylums in Nigeria, Africa, were not even established until 1906. When mental asylums were finally established, conditions were far from pleasant. There were dark, overcrowded cells, lack of basic supplies, inadequate bathing facilities and the use of chains to restrain patients. Very little treatment was offered to help patients with their mental illnesses, except for minimal occupational therapy and farm work, as well as the administration of sedatives to keep patients calm and under control (Foerschner, 3-4). In the 1930s and 1950s, psychosurgery became widely practiced when electroconvulsive therapy was unsuccessful. To perform this procedure, the patient was first placed in a coma with electroshock. The surgeon then hammered an ice pick-like instrument into the top of each eye socket and severed the nerves connecting the frontal lobes to the emotional control centers of the inner brain. It was only after tens of thousands of patients around the world underwent this procedure over the next twenty years that people began to notice its unwanted side effects. This practice was quickly abandoned with the introduction of psychoactive drugs (Foerschner, 4). The approach to mental illnesses and their treatment is constantly evolving. Nowadays, mentally ill people are commonly treated with therapy and/or medications. Furthermore, people with mental health problems are held in high regard due to their social standing. Mental illnesses come in different types and degrees of severity and affect everyone differently. The most common mental illnesses are anxiety and depressive disorders. Although most people experience strong feelings of tension, anxiety, or sadness at times, a mental illness is present when these feelings become so disturbing and overwhelming that people have great difficulty in daily life. Things like working, enjoying free time, and maintaining relationships become much more difficult; in more extreme cases, you may not be able to get out of bed or care for yourself physically. “Mental health and physical health are closely connected. Mental health plays an important role in people's ability to maintain good physical health. Mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety, affect people's ability to participate in health-promoting behaviors. In turn, physical health problems, such as chronic diseases, can have a serious impact on mental health and decrease a person's ability to participate in treatment and recovery” (Healthy People). Less common are mental illnesses that can lead to psychosis. These include schizophrenia and bipolar mood disorder. People experiencing a mild episode of psychosis have a false perception ofreality and lose contact with what is considered normal. This challenges their ability to make sense of thoughts, feelings and the world around them. Delusions, such as false beliefs of persecution and guilt, may be involved. As well as hallucinations, in which the person sees, hears, smells or tastes things that are not there. Psychotic episodes can be threatening and confusing to other people, such behavior is difficult for people who are unfamiliar with it to understand. Bipolar disorder is characterized by mood changes, as well as changes in activity and energy levels. The disorder involves experiencing changes between elevated moods and periods of depression, mania, or hypomania. People with anxiety disorders present with excessive and abnormal fear, worry, anxiety, and related behavioral disturbances. Anxiety involves the anticipation that a future threat may arise; with this anticipation you could suffer an anxiety attack, which has various effects. People with certain types of anxiety disorders may not be able to leave the house or have compulsive habits that help them ease their fears. Research conducted by the Kim Foundation shows that approximately 40 million American adults aged 18 and older, or approximately 18.1% of people in this age group in a given year, suffer from an anxiety disorder. Trauma disorders involve prior exposure to a stressful or traumatic event. Those who experience them may find themselves in a state of shock or upset by things related to their traumatic event. Eating disorders are characterized by obsessive concerns about weight and disruptive eating patterns that negatively impact physical and mental health. Types of eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and many others (Cherry, 1). There are many misconceptions about mental illnesses, just as there are with many things at this degree of complexity. Lack of adequate education, that is, receiving false or misleading information, or simply an inadequate understanding of these disorders, can cause false perceptions about them. These errors can create offensive or insulting connotations towards those affected by them. A very common stigma is that mental illnesses are “invented” illnesses, created in the heads of people with personality weaknesses or character defects, and that if they try hard enough, they might “get better”. Along with this, you may think that therapy and self-help are ineffective and a waste of time; to truly heal, pills are the only solution. Not only are therapy and self-help believed to be useless, but some also believe that there is no way to help someone who is mentally ill. People with mental health problems are believed to be hopeless in terms of recovery or receiving help from others. Another false understanding is that anyone suffering from a mental illness is essentially “handicapped” in some aspect, such as being able to handle the stress of holding down a job. Unfortunately, people with mental health problems may also be thought of as violent and unpredictable. All of these misconceptions about mental disorders can lead society to fear and/or despise the mentally ill. Therefore, to ignore these errors, it is crucial to provide information to contradict them. In reality, mental health problems have nothing to do with being lazy or weak, and many people need help to get better. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including biological factors, life experiences, and family history of mental illness. Genes, physical diseases, injuries, brain chemistry, i.