At some stage in their lives, one in five Australians will experience a mental illness, varying from mild or temporary to severe or prolonged.

Mental illness is a general term, which refers to a group of illnesses, in the same way that heart disease refers to a group of illnesses affecting the heart.

These illnesses can be separated into two main categories, psychotic and non-psychotic. Psychosis is a condition caused by any one of a group of illnesses, which are known, or thought, to affect the brain, where there is a loss of contact with reality.

Mental illness can be transient – it can come and go in episodes through people’s lives. Some people experience their illness only once and fully recover. For others, it recurs throughout their lives. The vast majority of mental illnesses are to be treatable.

While we know that many mental illnesses are caused by a physical dysfunction of the brain, we do not know exactly what triggers the illness.

Stress may trigger some mental illnesses or may prolong episodes. Stress can also be a result of a person developing a mental illness. The relationship between stress and mental illness is complex. People react differently to stress; some respond psychologically (with mental illness like depression) and others respond physically (with conditions such as raised blood pressure).

People who have a mental illness usually suffer a great deal. They can be very disturbed and frightened by their illness.  Not only do they and their families have to cope with an illness that can radically alter their lives but also, due to ignorance and misunderstanding of mental illness, they also often experience rejection and discrimination.  What they need is the same understanding, support and acceptance we extend to people with physical illnesses. Mental illness is no different – it is not an illness for which they should be blamed. 

Psychotic Illness

People experiencing an acute stage of a psychotic illness lose touch with reality. Their ability to make sense of thoughts, feelings and external information is seriously affected. Psychotic illnesses include schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (manic depression).

During an episode of these disorders, people perceive their world differently from ours.  For them, what they see, hear and feel is very real, but people around them do not share their experiences.

Non-Psychotic Illness

We have all experienced uncontrollable or exaggerated feelings of depression, sadness, tension or fear.

For some people, these feelings can become so disturbing and overwhelming that they have difficulty coping with day-to-day activities, such as going to work, enjoying their leisure time and maintaining relationships.

These feelings describe a group of mental illnesses once known as neurotic disorders. They are a common experience for many people and include phobias, anxiety, some forms of depression and obsessive compulsive disorder.

While the symptoms of these illnesses are often not evident to others, they cause considerable personal distress and can usually be relieved by appropriate treatment.

WHAT IS ANXIETY?

When faced with danger or a threat, anxiety is a normal emotion which we all experience.  This threat is often called stress, and can be caused by problems such as job loss, relationship breakdown, serious illness, major accident or the death of someone close.  People experience life stresses in different ways, with different intensity, ranging from mild worry to panic attacks.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN TYPES OF ANXIETY DISORDERS?

Approximately 5% of Australians experience anxiety so crippling that it affects every single aspect of their lives.  Often it makes it difficult for them to hold jobs, form relationships or enjoy normal leisure activities.  Usually the anxiety begins in early adulthood and is often, but not always, triggered by a series of significant life events.

Anxiety can be seen with several other emotional disorders including the following: 

• Acute Stress Disorder 
• Panic Attack 
• Agoraphobia 
• Phobia 
• Anxiety Disorder Due to Medical Condition 
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder 
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder 
• Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder 
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

People with this disorder experience extreme panic attacks in situations where most people would not be afraid. The attacks are accompanied by all the unpleasant physical symptoms of anxiety, along with a fear that the attack will lead to death or a total loss of control.

It is therefore not surprising that some people start to experience a fear of going outside (Agoraphobia) and being in places where help is not at hand.

WHAT TREATMENT IS AVAILABLE?

WHAT IS SCHIZOPHRENIA?

Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder. This mental condition can manifest itself in a variety of ways. The predominant difficulties associated with schizophrenia are related to a person’s thinking, which is unusual or bizarre. Because the person’s thinking is intermittently disordered, a person with schizophrenia may have a variety of behaviors that appear odd or strange to others. In addition, the person’s speech is irrational or disjointed. 

There are several types of schizophrenia including the following: 

• Paranoid – 
• Catatonic – 
• Disorganized – 
• Residual – 
• Undifferentiated – 

What characteristics are associated with schizophrenia?

Some people with schizophrenia have delusions; others have hallucinations; still others have delusions and hallucinations. Delusions are described as false, inaccurate beliefs that a person holds onto or adheres to even when he/she is presented with true, accurate information. Hallucinations are episodes of sensory perceptions, such as sights or sounds, that are not actually present. 

WHAT IS PANIC DISORDER?

Panic is a rush of overwhelming anxiety that comes on very quickly. People use the word “terror” to describe

the severity of the anxiety connected with panic.  Sometimes the sudden episode is called a panic attack.

WHAT IS DEPRESSION?

We often use the word ‘depression to describe feelings of sadness and grief which most of us experience at stages through our lives.  It is also a clinical term used to describe forms of mental illness.

Clinical depression is not just one condition, but a group of conditions ranging from understandable reactions to stress (such as a death) to a serious depressive illness.

When faced with stress such as loss of a loved one, relationship breakdown, great disappointment or frustration, most people will feel unhappy or sad.

These are emotional reactions which are appropriate to the situation, and will last only a short time, It is not regarded as depression in a psychiatric sense, but a part of everyday experience.

Because depression is so common, It is important to understand the difference between unhappiness and a depressive illness.

Try this quiz

1. List the common emotional disorders that may affect an older person and outline the  physical, psychological and social symptoms.

2. What are the signs of confusion in an older person and what are the possible causes? 

3. How might you reduce this confusion?

4. What are the two main categories of mental illness?

5. Summarise the aims of the national mental health strategy.

6. How do we help to break down the stigma and discriminatory attitudes experienced by people with a mental illness?

Remember that individual needs may vary, so it is essential to consult a home and healthcare professional for personalized advice. 

For a professional consultation about your Home and Community care needs phone BLU SKY CARE  

For more detailed in-depth information go to The Home & Community Carers Handbook 2024 (available by order through BluSky Care tel:+61884631333 ($90 plus postage)

Blu Sky Care is a Registered NDIS Provider committed to providing a high standard of Complex Care services to people requiring support. We understand the struggles, and are committed to personal and family solutions.