(Note: The lists of causes in this week’s post were taken from an excellent article found at webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-causes-mental-illness#1 If that link doesn’t work you can do a search for mental illness causes at webmd.com and you should be able to find it)
When someone suffers from a mental illness like depression or anxiety, it is normal to look for the reason why. Unfortunately, the reason is usually not clear. Any number of biological, psychological, and environmental factors can combine and lead to a mental illness.
Biological:
*Abnormal functioning of nerve cell circuits or pathways that connect particular brain regions, which communicate through chemicals called neurotransmitters. Sometimes these chemicals need to be changed through medicines, psychotherapy, or other medical procedures.
*Genetics (heredity) can also play a big part in mental illness
*Infections can be linked to the development of mental illness or the worsening of its symptoms
*Brain defects or injury
*Prenatal damage – disruption of early fetal brain development or trauma at time of birth may be a factor in the development of certain conditions
*Other factors – Poor nutrition and exposure to toxins like lead may play a role
Psychological:
*Severe trauma as a child
*An important early loss, such as the loss of a parent
*Neglect
*Poor ability to relate to others
Environmental:(Certain stressors can trigger an illness in a person who is susceptible to a mental illness.)
*Death or divorce
*Dysfunctional family life
*Feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, anxiety, anger, or loneliness
*Changing jobs or schools
*Social or cultural expectations
*Substance abuse by the person or the person’s parents
Now, this is a long list of causes.
You may recognize some factors that have possibly caused your own mental illness or that of someone you love. You may never be able to pinpoint exactly what led to the suffering you’ve gone through (or may be going through right now), but it can be helpful to be aware of causes as you get help and begin the recovery process.
We’re just getting started as we explore mental illness and what we need to do to get healthy. In the weeks ahead we’ll keep going deeper into this complex topic.
I understand the despair you can sometimes feel when you are in the depths of depression and other mental illnesses. Remember, the illness is what’s causing that despair.
You may not feel hope, but you have hope. God loves you and he wants what is best for you. Please note, I’m not telling you to just pray and watch all of your symptoms go away. It will take courage and hard work to get back to good emotional health. God is with you through it all. He really is!
“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 43:5 NIV)
Is it frustrating to see how many factors could lead to a mental illness? How can focusing on God help you to examine possible causes, but hold on to hope that you can get healthy again?
“You may not feel hope, but you have hope.” That statement packs quite a punch. It’s so easy to hang onto feelings instead of the truth found in God. I hope your words will touch many lives like they have mine.