I think I'm mentally ill?
Just take some deep breaths
Is anxiety really a mental illness?
According to what a former therapist of mine told me, depression and anxiety come together. It has to do with a certain part of the brain called the amygdala. But...are you SURE you have "anxiety disorder"? Have you actually been diagnosed with it? Or are you just a jittery, nervous person? And if you were to take medication for "anxiety disorder" that works for you, you would certainly notice the before-and-after difference. So yes, it is a mental condition.
Is there a stigma associated with mental illness?
unfortunately mental illness is largely stigmatized. i have no clue why...i don't know if it has to due with a lack of understanding of it, or what people go off of, based on preconceptions. But it is extremely frustrating. Even when it comes to employment benefits, i have found the mental health benefits to be extremely lacking, and this makes me irate. i have been very lucky, for the most part. i have very intelligent, very open, very accepting friends, so when i told them what i was dealing with, they didn't look at me differently and let me know that if i ever needed to talk, never to hesitate to do so. i know, unfortunately, that schizophrenia is arguably one of the most stigmatized disorders that exist, alongside Borderline Personality Disorder. Literally (and this makes me sick), people think those with Schizophrenia are truly insane...nuts..devoid of all possible reality and cognitive thought...it is outrageous. Way back in the days, when labotomies were legal, those with Schitzophrenia usually were the ones who went under these sort of ridiculous treatments. Thankfully they've outlawed labotomies today. But between Schizophrenia and Borderline, they're both extremely stigmatized and people tend to avoid...fear...or abandon these poor souls, leaving them with no one. It's so messed up. Mental illness has been something that has always been stigmatized, and it always will be. i just don't understand..know why. But i think things would be so much better if they weren't stigmatized and people had a better understanding that we're no different than they are.
How easy is it to fake a mental illness?
Yes, MI can be faked but...as has been said, it is very difficult to sustain the act over time. So in the long run faking a MI is a major project. I worked with many people applying for psychiatric disability, both military and civilian. Almost everyone needed a long "paper trial"...a history with documentation of the MI, especially in-patient hospitalizations, medications, previous treatments, lost jobs and such. It was not easy. The fakers soon dropped out.There is a concept called "secondary gain"which means that an illness could result in financial gain, avoiding something unpleasant, e,g, the military, jail, school, work, alimony and so on. If secondary gain is a possibility, then the person is going to be scrutinized even more and may require numerous evaluations.The example you provide is not typical and laziness, by itself, does not necessarily indicate MI, so this person would have to have a lot of other areas of life impairment ( symptoms ) and would need that paper trail.Also, normal psychological testing, with a little knowledge can be faked for MI but, sophisticated neuro-psychological tests are extremely difficult to fake. Besides neurological illness can be distinct from MI so if you are going to bother to fake an illness, keep it simple and get ready for the long haul.
Does doing drugs mess up your mental health?
Yes. Doing drugs can and does mess up your mental health. Marijuana can bring you- Hallucinations, anxiety and panic attacks, increased risk of cancer, long term mental illness,loss of motivation,loss of co-ordination, impaired perception,irreversible lung and respiratory damage.Short term effects of ecstasy are- nausea,hallucinations, sweating, muscle cramps, impaired vision, a raised body temperature which can lead to death In fact the long term effects of ecstasy are still by and large under research by scientists worldwide and it is widely felt that ecstasy causes long term brain damage including depression, memory loss and neuro-psychotic disorders .In fact, any drug has an effect, and messing about with it is dangerous.Even 'just trying it out' is a dangerous action. Well, you can't turn back the clock. I urge you to get help from a reputable mental health practitioner as soon as you possibly can.
How is anorexia a mental illness?
unless you have fun house mirrors, it's physically impossible to see yourself as fat when you're a sack of bones. .__. when you choose to eat, or not eat when you're hungry,it's your choice. not your brain. so HOW is it a mental illness?