Abstract: Mental health and Veterans
Mental health in the United States has always been a field of study that can be described as the new frontier for health exploration. The National Alliance of Mental Illness reports that roughly 61.5 million Americans experience some form of mental illness in any given year, and approximately 42 million American adults suffer from anxiety disorders like panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many of those suffering from these illnesses are our military veterans and as of March 31, 2010 2.27 million Americans were serving in the armed forces and of that 2.27 million, roughly a quarter reported leaving the military with at least one form of mental illness …show more content…
A mental illness is defined as a disorder that affects an individual’s mood, thinking and behavior and can take form as anything from eating disorders and anxiety disorders to manic depression and schizophrenia (MAYO). Some mental illness are congenital and often stay with the individual for life while other illnesses may occur later in life as a result of trauma, disease, or exposure to harmful substances. While most mental illnesses cannot be cured without some form of invasive surgery there are many differing treatment options for the varying illnesses. Psychotherapy is one such treatment that is designed to help treat patients with mental or emotional problems by psychological means rather than medications. This treatment is typically used cooperatively with the client and sometimes with a primary care physician to discuss problematic topics that may have been the cause or result of a negative life experience …show more content…
Robert Caldwell a local psychiatrist who specializes in substance abuse and addiction among other disorders about the care provided for those living with mental illness. Of course each case presents its own challenges and is unique to each client but Dr. Caldwell said, “Under the right circumstances the standard of care for substance abuse clients can be summed up in a twelve step program but the goal of that program is to use self motivation to eliminate future interaction with the substance.” I found this interesting because it made substance abuse less about the physical changes happening in the brain and focused more on initiating behavioral changes in the individual. People resort to using substances for many different reasons and that is where the complexities lay in diagnosing substance abuse
Mental health in the United States has always been a field of study that can be described as the new frontier for health exploration. The National Alliance of Mental Illness reports that roughly 61.5 million Americans experience some form of mental illness in any given year, and approximately 42 million American adults suffer from anxiety disorders like panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many of those suffering from these illnesses are our military veterans and as of March 31, 2010 2.27 million Americans were serving in the armed forces and of that 2.27 million, roughly a quarter reported leaving the military with at least one form of mental illness …show more content…
A mental illness is defined as a disorder that affects an individual’s mood, thinking and behavior and can take form as anything from eating disorders and anxiety disorders to manic depression and schizophrenia (MAYO). Some mental illness are congenital and often stay with the individual for life while other illnesses may occur later in life as a result of trauma, disease, or exposure to harmful substances. While most mental illnesses cannot be cured without some form of invasive surgery there are many differing treatment options for the varying illnesses. Psychotherapy is one such treatment that is designed to help treat patients with mental or emotional problems by psychological means rather than medications. This treatment is typically used cooperatively with the client and sometimes with a primary care physician to discuss problematic topics that may have been the cause or result of a negative life experience …show more content…
Robert Caldwell a local psychiatrist who specializes in substance abuse and addiction among other disorders about the care provided for those living with mental illness. Of course each case presents its own challenges and is unique to each client but Dr. Caldwell said, “Under the right circumstances the standard of care for substance abuse clients can be summed up in a twelve step program but the goal of that program is to use self motivation to eliminate future interaction with the substance.” I found this interesting because it made substance abuse less about the physical changes happening in the brain and focused more on initiating behavioral changes in the individual. People resort to using substances for many different reasons and that is where the complexities lay in diagnosing substance abuse