Northern Light Pediatrics-Newsletter

Some Things Everyone Should Know
About Mental Health and Mental Illness

Mental Illness is common. More than 1 in 5 adolescents have, have had, or will have a mental illness. For more than half of these adolescents, their illness affects day-to-day life in significant ways. You are not alone!

Mental illness is no different from any other illness. We now know that our genes, brain chemistry, and other body functions play a role in most mental illness. Physical factors are usually present even when severe stress seems to be the cause. Blaming someone for having a mental illness makes no more sense than blaming somebody for having high blood pressure.

Mental illness shows up in many different ways. Some people will feel sad. Others will feel anxious or irritable. Some will have headaches, stomachaches, or tiredness. Some will simply lose interest in everything and everybody around them. As mental illness becomes more severe, it begins to affect friendships and daily function at school or work. Some people with mental illness feel so hopeless or overwhelmed that they think of hurting themselves, dying, or even taking their own lives.

Mental illness is sometimes hard to diagnose. Because it shows up in so many different ways, mental illness is sometimes hard to diagnose, especially in teenagers. Because it is so common, mental illness is one of the things we consider when people just aren't feeling right and we can't figure out why. People with mental illness often feel bad for a long time before we finally figure out what's going on.

Treatment works! When we do make the diagnosis of mental illness, we almost always have proven treatments to offer. You may need to see another health care provider, such as a psychiatrist or a therapist. This will depend on the illness and the proposed treatment. If you are uncomfortable about your treatment plan, ask questions! There is often more than one way to help someone with a mental illness.

Follow the instructions of your doctor and other health professionals. When mental health treatment does not succeed, it is very often because patients and families do not follow their doctor's advice. If something is bothering you about your treatment plan, let us know and we'll try to fix it. The most unhelpful thing you can do is to just stop your treatment on your own.

Getting around the health care system is a challenge! We know, and we'll try to help.

Long term follow-up is essential! Most mental illness gets better. Once it does, your doctor will help you to decide when your treatment can be stopped. But even when your treatment is finished, your doctor will want to check in with you every so often. Mental illness sometimes returns and early diagnosis offers the best chance for quick improvement.

Learn more! The Internet offers some great resources (and some really bad ones, too) for learning more about mental illness in adolescents. Here are some good ones:

www.aacap.org The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has lots of family-friendly information.
www.nimh.nih.gov The National Institute of Mental Health is the U.S. government's clearinghouse for mental health information, treatment, and research. This site provides great information for families.
www.nami.org The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill is an information, advocacy, and support organization for families struggling with mental health.

This patient education sheet is distributed in conjunction with the July 2005 issue of Adolescent Health Update, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The information in this publication should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician.

-American Academy of Pediatrics