We are pleased to publish the third and final section of our
2012 Blog on Mental Illness. We
appreciate all the positive feedback we received and hope that this has been a helpful
resource for our readers.
Self Injury:
Self-harm is a way of expressing and
dealing with deep distress and emotional pain. As counter-intuitive as it may
sound to those on the outside, hurting yourself makes you feel better. In fact,
you may feel like you have no choice. Injuring yourself is the only way you
know how to cope with feelings like sadness, self-loathing, emptiness, guilt,
and rage.
The
problem is that the relief that comes from self-harming doesn’t last very long.
It’s like slapping on a Band-Aid when what you really need are stitches. It may
temporarily stop the bleeding, but it doesn’t fix the underlying injury. And it
also creates its own problems.
If
you’re like most people who self-injure, you try to keep what you’re doing
secret. Maybe you feel ashamed or maybe you just think that no one would
understand. But hiding who you are and what you feel is a heavy burden.
Ultimately, the secrecy and guilt affects your relationships with your friends
and family members and the way you feel about yourself. It can make you feel
even more lonely, worthless, and trapped.
Self-injury
can indicate a number of different things. Someone who is hurting themselves
may be at risk of suicide. Others engage in a pattern of self-injury over
weeks, months or years and are not necessarily suicidal.
Suicide:
Suicide
is rarely a spur of the moment
decision. In the days and hours before people kill themselves, there are
usually clues and warning signs. The strongest and most disturbing signs are
verbal – "I can’t go o"
"Nothing matters any more"
or even "I’m thinking of ending it
all." Such remarks should always be taken seriously.
Other common
warning signs include:
·
Becoming
depressed or withdrawn
·
Behaving
recklessly
·
Getting affairs
in order and giving away valued possessions
·
Showing a marked
change in behavior, attitudes or appearance
·
Abusing drugs or
alcohol
·
Suffering a major
loss or life change
The following
list gives more examples, all of which can be signs that somebody is
contemplating suicide. Of course, in most cases these situations do not lead to
suicide. But, generally, the more signs a person displays, the higher the risk
of suicide.
Experts in
the field suggest that a suicidal person is feeling so much pain that they can
see no other option. They feel that they are a burden to others, and in
desperation see death as a way to escape their overwhelming pain and anguish.
The suicidal state of mind has been described as constricted, filled with a
sense of self-hatred, rejection, and hopelessness.
It
is best to treat talk and threats about suicide seriously. Research indicates
that up to 80% of suicidal people signal their intentions to others, in the
hope that the signal will be recognized as a cry for help. These signals often
include making a joke or threat about suicide, or making a reference to being dead.
If we do take them seriously and ask them if they mean what they are saying,
the worst that can happen is we will learn that they really were joking. Not
asking could result in a far worse outcome.
Research
suggests that 70 to 90 per cent of people who have made a lethal attempt, or
died by suicide, were suffering from one or more unmanaged mental health issues
– such as protracted depression or anxiety, bi-polarity, psychosis, and/or
substance abuse. While the presence of an unmanaged mental health issue is
strongly associated with suicide, it is important to note that most people
assessed with a mental illness are not at risk of suicide, and that few
suicides are wholly the result of a mental illness.
If you suspect
someone may be at risk of suicide, it is important to ask them directly about
suicidal thoughts. Do not avoid using the word ‘suicide’. It is important to
ask the question without dread, and without expressing a negative judgment. The
question must be direct and to the point. For example, you could ask “Are you having thoughts of suicide?” or “Are you thinking about killing yourself?” If you appear confident in the face of the
suicide crisis, this can be reassuring for the suicidal person.
Although some
people think that talking about suicide can put the idea in the person’s mind,
this is not true. Another myth is that someone who talks about suicide isn’t
really serious. Remember that talking about suicide may be a way for the person
to indicate just how badly they are feeling.
Violence:
People
with psychotic symptoms, particularly paranoia, have been found to be at higher
risk of physical aggression toward others. Physical violence in hospital has
been reported in approximately 20% of samples studied. Typically, a small
number of patients (e.g. 5%) are found to be responsible for just over half of
all violent incidents and more than half of the serious injuries.
A number of studies have examined the relationship of specific
diagnoses to violence within populations of psychiatric inpatients. The major
issue addressed by this avenue of research is what kinds of mental illnesses
predict violence and criminality among mentally ill populations, not whether
mental illness, per se, predicts criminality and violence.
Perhaps the most consistent and striking finding is the
association of substance abuse disorders (alcohol and/or drug) with violence
and criminality, and the lack of or small association between other disorders
(e.g. schizophrenia, affective disorders, or anxiety disorders) with violence.
Mental
Illness in Canada
20% of Canadians will personally experience a mental illness
during their lifetime. The economic cost
of mental illnesses in Canada was estimated to be at least $7.331 billion in
1993.
During their lifetime about 1 in 10 people in Canada will
experience an episode of major depressive disorder (the diagnosis given to
those suffering from depression). Unfortunately many people, unaware of how
common depression is, avoid seeking treatment because they worry what others
will think of them. They feel like they’re the only ones. Depression is in fact
a widespread medical condition.
Schizophrenia affects 1% of the Canadian population; 52% of
hospitalizations for schizophrenia in general hospitals are among adults 25-44
years of age.
Anxiety disorders affect 12% of the population, causing mild
to severe impairment. The highest rates of hospitalization for anxiety
disorders in general hospitals are among those aged 65 years and over.
It is estimated that about 6% to 9% of the population has a
personality disorder. Anti-social
personality disorder is frequently found among prisoners (up to 50%). Suicide accounts for 24% of all deaths among 15-24 year-olds
and 16% among 25-44 year-olds. In 1998, 3,699 Canadians died as a result of
suicide.
If anyone has questions or concerns not addressed in this
blog, or you just need someone to talk to, the Association of BC Mental Health Information & Crisis Line is
open 24/7 at 310-6789 (no area code required).
This concludes our three part blog on Mental Illness; we put
a lot of research into its writing so we could share an up-to-date and thorough
review of current Mental Health issues without being weighed down with too much
medical terminology.
If there are any topics of interest our readers would like
us to address in the near future, please do not hesitate to send your ideas and
requests to Margot@ShyloNursing.caMargot@ShyloNursing.ca
Excerpts:
http://www.bcss.org/category/resources/about-mental-illness/psychosishttp://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/page/elephant-in-the-room-campaign
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