Can Mental Illness Be Cured?

 

Mental health conditions affect every aspect of life for approximately 20% of the population. In addition to causing emotional and family issues, mental health challenges can even contribute to respiratory problems, cancer, and heart disease. While mental health issues cannot be cured in the traditional sense of the word, there is hope and help available.

Many different factors can cause an individual to end up with a mental health diagnosis, including:

• Genetics
• Stress
• Chemical imbalances
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Mother’s exposure to toxic chemicals or harmful substances before giving birth
• Use of alcohol or substance abuse
• Severe medical conditions, like cancer
• Social isolationWithout the proper help, many people with mental illnesses turn to other harmful behaviors, like alcohol and substance abuse.

No Cure but Help Is Available

While there is no cure for mental illnesses, help is available to help you lead a more productive life that you will enjoy more. Working with a mental health professional is essential because it allows you to find the right treatment plan for you. Options can include:

• Medication – There are five major types of mental health medications available and many different options within each classification.
• Therapy – There are at least eight unique types of therapy and many ways that each can be utilized.
• Brain-stimulation treatments – These treatments change the way that the brain responds.
• Support groups- These groups often provide friends and fellowship and learn what is working for other individuals.

Science Is Making Progress on Mental Illness Cure

While there is still no cure for mental illness, science is making headway in understanding different mental health conditions. For example, scientists have identified several genes that can make a person more susceptible to having a mental illness. Furthermore, in a study involving more than 50,000 individuals, scientists found that five major mental illnesses shared dysfunctional cellular machinery that helps regulate the flow of calcium into neurons. They also found illness-linked variations in some areas of chromosomes three and 10. This is just one example of how scientists are working to discover what causes mental illnesses.

There is also work being done to help identify circumstances in a child’s life that may contribute to the onset of mental illness. While progress can be sluggish at times, scientists hope that they will someday have a cure for mental illness.

Until that time, treatment is available. Talk to American Behavioral Clinics about the right course of action to take. Do not wait until there is a cure to start taking better care of your mental health.