Rotator 17th October 2006 ...cont

 

Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute joined an international campaign marketing Mental Health Awareness week in October. This years theme "Changing Minds, Changing Times - Facing Mental Illness" is focused on educating the public about mental health issues.  Our best hope for eradicating the stigma of mental illness is the power of education.  It is important for our community to understand that with proper care and treatment people do recover from mental illness and go onto lead relatively normal lives within the community.  

 

Mental illness knows no age limit economic status race, creed or colour.  It is a disease that causes mild to severe disturbances in thinking, perception and behaviour.  One in five people in Bermuda will be affected by a mental health condition.  Many mental illnesses are believed to have biological causes, just like cancer, diabetes and heart disease, but some mental health disorders are caused by a person's environment and experiences.  While progress has been made over the last century to understand, cure and eliminate the causes of many diseases, some functions of the human brain remain a mystery.  We still do not understand how the brain works or why it malfunctions.

 

The development of newer antidepressants medication and mood-stabilizing drugs in the last 20 years has revolutionized the treatment of depression.  Medication can relieve symptoms of depression, and it has become the first line of treatment for most types of the disorder. Treatment may include psychotherapy, which may help you cope with ongoing problems that may trigger or contribute to depression.  A combination of medication and a brief course of psychotherapy usually are effective if you have a mild to moderate depression most antidepressants are slow to work.  You may see a result in 2 weeks, but many people don't see a full benefit for 6 to 8 weeks.   There are several types of psychotherapy each type involves a short term goal orientated approach aimed at helping you deal with a specific issue. Both medication and psychotherapy can take 4 to 8 weeks to have an effect.

 

People with mental illness may exhibit extreme sadness and irritability.  In most severe cases they may also suffer from hallucinations and total withdrawal.  Instead of receiving compassion and acceptance, people with mental illness may experience hostility, discrimination and stigma.  The more people understand the truth about mental illness, the faster stigma will be eradicated.  It is hoped that with better education clients will meet with tolerance, acceptance and understanding from others

 

Director Jim gave the thanks of the club to Glenn Caisey for an informative and interesting presentation.