University”AAB”

Psychology Program

Emotional impact of living with a mental illness

Student: Blerina Sahiti

Profesor: Ardian Sallauka Mirjeta Gjakova
November, 2023 Aleina Sahiti
❏ Content

❏ What is the mental illness?

❏ What causes mental illness?
❏ What are the emotional effects of mental illness?
❏ How is mental illness treated?
❏ Supportive therapy
❏ Can mental illness be prevented?
 What is the mental illness?

❏ Mental illness, also called mental health disorders, refers to a wide range of mental
health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior.
❏ Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia,
eating disorders and addictive behaviors.
❏ A mental health concern becomes a mental illness when ongoing signs and
symptoms cause frequent stress and affect your ability to function.
❏ Schizophrenia is characterized by impairments in the way reality is perceived and
changes in behavior.
What causes mental illness?
The main causes are:

❏ Hereditary factors—mental illness that runs in the

family,
❏ Drugs such as cocaine, marijuana can cause
paranoia.
❏ Health problems that affect your brain
❏ Trauma and stress — in adulthood, traumatic life
events or ongoing stress can increase the risk of
mental illness
❏ Issues such as social isolation, domestic violence,
can impact on mental health.
 What are the emotional effects of mental illness?
❏ Signs and symptoms of mental illness can vary
depending on the disorder and other factors.

Examples of signs and symptoms include:

❏ Feeling sad or down
❏ Excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings
of guilt
❏ Extreme mood changes of highs and lows
❏ Significant tiredness, low energy or problems
sleeping
❏ Detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia
or hallucinations
❏ Inability to cope with daily problems or stress
❖ How is mental illness treated?
❏ Mental illness is treatable. Treatment can vary according to the individual and how serious the
symptoms are.

Psychological therapy Medicines

There are many different types of psychotherapy.
Some examples are:
Medicines can be used in the
❏ supportive therapy
treatment of mental illness.
❏ interpersonal therapy ❏ Antidepressants can be used
❏ Other therapies are group, couple
and family therapy.
for anxiety or depression.
❏ Mood stabilisers are used
for bipolar disorder.
❏ Supportive therapy can help individuals feel
understood and less alone in their struggles.
❏ Supportive therapy can help individuals
express their feelings and emotions freely
❏ Family therapy is a form of talk
therapy that focuses on the
improvement of relationships among
family members.
Talking with doctor about mentall illnes

❏ It is important to be honest with your doctor about

your feelings and behaviour so that they can give Mental health assessments often take more
you the best treatment. than one visit
They may ask questions about your:
Tell your doctor: ❏ lifestyle choices
❏ goals
❏ your symptoms, thoughts and how you feel
❏ physical health
❏ any circumstances that may be relevant to your
❏ family history of physical and mental illness
mental health
❏ your concerns (including privacy concerns) ❏ psychological or emotional experiences
❏ how what you feel has affected your life
Lifestyle measures

❏ • Exercise is known to help ease or prevent anxiety and

depression.
❏ • A healthy diet and good nutrition are also important.
❏ • Maintaining good social support is important.
❏ • People should avoid illicit drugs and alcohol.

Complementary therapies
❏ Complementary therapies for mental illness can include:
❏ • relaxation strategies for stress relief
❏ • meditation
 Can mental illness be prevented?

Good mental health can be boosted by positive things in

life such as:

❏ Having support from family, friends and the

community
❏ Having a strong sense of identity and culture
❏ having a healthy body, by eating a healthy diet and
exercising
❏ Reducing stress if possible
❏ Being optimistic
❏ Developing adaptive ways of coping with life's
problems
❏ Getting support
❏ References

❏ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968
❏ https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-illness#diagnosis
❏ https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-mental-illness
❏ https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/supportive-psychotherapy#evidence
Thank You!