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Is there a reason why paranoia is not here? I suspect a complot!

According to current thinking, paranoia is a symptom of a number of mental illnesses, most notably schizophrenia, rather than an specific illness in itself. However, we do have a tinfoil hat article... -- The Anome 08:53, 12 Oct 2003 (UTC)

Removed from the article:

Mental illness can also be caused by unstable blood sugar levels due to insulin resistance (hypoglycemia). If this happens then the brain is not supplied with a steady concentration of glucose, its only source of energy.

When there is sudden drop in blood sugar levels, the adrenal glands are stimulated into secreting stress hormones - adrenaline and cortisol - that function to raise blood sugar levels in order to feed the brain with energy again. But these internally generated stress hormones interfere with the normal synthesis of serotonin and dopamine, causing the various forms of mental illness, such as depression, anxiety attacks, phobias, alcoholism and drug addiction among others.

See “What is Hyppoglycemia” at http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/what_is_hypo.html

Is this a mainstream point of view? If so, please give mainstream cites supporting it. -- The Anome 10:08, 27 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Wondering why

Anome keeps removing the link I put in for a mental health support resource and then doesn't enter a reason!

Wondering why

Is there a reason why paranoia is not here? I suspect a complot!

According to current thinking, paranoia is a symptom of a number of mental illnesses, most notably schizophrenia, rather than an specific illness in itself. However, we do have a tinfoil hat article... -- The Anome 08:53, 12 Oct 2003 (UTC)

But paranoia is also a major part of Paranoid personality disorder and can be a large part of Delusional disorder. I think symptoms are as important to explain as the illnesses themselves. Think dissociation here - it's not an illness but a symptom of several illnesses.--seanetal 09:53, 16 Sep 2004 (UTC)

This is a very important point. No two cases are the same, despite identical diagnoses (and despite my personal theory that crazy is predictable ;p); in most cases, especially those of personality disorders (e.g., Borderline Personality Disorder), it is the symptoms that can be treated. The disorder is often just a label to help understand the syndrome.

Removed from the article:

Mental illness can also be caused by unstable blood sugar levels due to insulin resistance (hypoglycemia). If this happens then the brain is not supplied with a steady concentration of glucose, its only source of energy.

When there is sudden drop in blood sugar levels, the adrenal glands are stimulated into secreting stress hormones - adrenaline and cortisol - that function to raise blood sugar levels in order to feed the brain with energy again. But these internally generated stress hormones interfere with the normal synthesis of serotonin and dopamine, causing the various forms of mental illness, such as depression, anxiety attacks, phobias, alcoholism and drug addiction among others.

See “What is Hyppoglycemia” at http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/what_is_hypo.html

Is this a mainstream point of view? If so, please give mainstream cites supporting it. -- The Anome 10:08, 27 Aug 2004 (UTC)

shift from negative to positive

We need to shift this article's perspective from mental illness to mental health. Focus on the positive. Much more constructive and useful way of looking at the problem of mental illness.--Sonjaaa 18:06, Sep 13, 2004 (UTC)

I agree completely.--seanetal 09:49, 16 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Then please write a separate article about the quite valid topic of mental health. Unfortunately, however, serious mental illness exists and cannot be made to go away by focusing on the positive. This is one of the most common mistakes made by people with no clinical knowledge or experience of mental illness. Mental illness, like all other topics, needs to be studied objectively, without any considerations of "nice" or "nasty".

An analogy: take the topic of aortic dissection; pretending that this does not exist, or is not a serious and life-threatening (and in many cases life-ending) condition, is not helpful. However, this does not mean that there is not a place for a heart health article describing the positive things which can be done to keep the heart healthy. -- The Anome 10:52, 16 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Well said Anome, I'll defer to Sonjaa to start this one.--seanetal 13:50, 16 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Mental Health does not refer to the absence of mental illness. The term refers to the mental state of a person, ill or nil. variable 23:55, 18 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Thoughts on content

In the "symptoms" section, it would be nice to have some sort of reference to numbers to back up the comparison of crimes committed by elderly and the mentally ill. I have no idea if what's said is true or not, but it's a bold statement to make with no reference to support it.

With that said, the "Cures of mental illness" section...well, it has absolutely nothing to do with anything I or anyone I know does in therapy. Ignoring that there don't currently seem to be cures, in general, just treatments and ways of dealing with mental illness, that doesn't particularly sound like a modern approach that's used (in my experience, at least). It doesn't mention medication at all, and it doesn't mention anything like Cognitive Behavior Therapy, or other types of currently used talk therapy. To be honest, that entire section is rather insulting to anyone who's had to deal with serious problems and how much work it can be to "cure" them or make them manageable, especially the last sentence about "other cures". No offense intended, but if you say something like that directly to most people with mental illness, you're lucky if you don't get smacked in the face (exaggerating a bit, but "suggestions" like that don't tend to be appreciated).

Maybe this will be the article that finally gets me to create an account and do some editing... --anon

Regarding "cures", you're absolutely right. I've rewritten the section to be more reflective of what treatment of mental illness actually involves. For reference, here is the old version:

Cures of mental illness

People with mental illness almost always have thoughts that are too complicated, chaotic, or unorganized. This is called a "complex". The psychiatrist's job is to help the patient think in a simpler way, such as to focus on food, water, shelter, and physical warmth - basic human needs. Everything else is unimportant: stress from family, friends, work, love and other complex and difficult emotions and problems are ignored in favor of "the basics". This helps the patient focus on what is important in life. These basics are solid objects that are easier to understand and control. The patient relaxes because he/she no longer has the burden of complicated expectations and emotional stress. This is called "shrinking the complex". This is why psychiatrists are sometimes called "shrinks". Some psychiatrists are accused of making the patient's complex more complex, by focusing on relationships and asking the patient stressful questions.

Other cures are relaxation, a stress-free environment, soothing music, fun non-stress games, easy exercise, easy physical outdoor activities, coloring, "brain food" (like fish), the sound and smell of water, and regression therapy.