Anxiety disorders, mood disorders, personality disorders, addiction disorders, impulse control disorders, sexual and gender disorders…the list goes on. There are multiple types of mental illness, each with its own features and underlying causes. "Saying mental illnesses are all the same is just like saying that all cancers are the same," says Goldbloom. Using the cancer analogy, he points out that while in skin, brain and liver cancers cell growth is out of control, the causes of and treatments for these different cancers are all different.
Similarly, each mental illness is a variation on the theme of brain chemistry gone awry, affecting things like mood and perception. But each of these illnesses has its own specific causes, features and approaches to treatment.
Myth 10: People with a mental illness never get better.
Treatments for mental illnesses are more numerous and more sophisticated than ever. As well, researchers continue to discover new treatments. Because of these advances, many people do recover from mental illness, and others are able to keep the condition under control, says White. For instance, a person who experiences depression triggered by a family loss can recover fully if the depression is treated.
Indeed, today's pharmaceutical treatments are better able to target the specific parts of the brain where treatment is needed. While some conditions, such as schizophrenia, might wax and wane in severity throughout a person's adult life, symptoms can be kept under control with proper treatment.
The treatment goal of a full recovery is not unreachable, says White. That goal, he adds, involves more than just drugs; it also includes being socially and physically active because recovery means getting people back to leading normal lives.
Finding help online:
Do you still have a question or concern about a mental health issue? Check out these websites:
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
The centre's website offers links to treatment programs, information in 17 languages and publications on new research in mental health and addiction.
• Canadian Mental Health Association
This charitable organization raises money for mental health awareness and research. Its site has a large section devoted to debunking mental health myths and providing information on mental illness in children and adults.
• Mood Disorders Society of Canada
This charitable group's website features a section with facts on mental illness and addiction, as well as information for "vulnerable groups" like women, children, homeless people and Aboriginal Peoples. The site hosts real-time, online discussion forums and has a question submission page so that you can "Ask an Expert" a question on mental health.
• Mind Your Mind
At this website, youngsters can get information and resources, and meet others who deal with stress, anxiety or mental health problems, or are facing crisis situations.
• Children's Mental Health Ontario
This group encompasses 81 children's health centres across Ontario; its website has information for parents and youth, plus an extensive resource and link guide for all aspects of mental illness relevant to those under 18.
• Public Health Agency of Canada
This government site offers information and statistics on mental health (including children, youth and postpartum depression), as well as a list of frequently asked questions. It also includes an evaluation of mental health services and programs available in Canada.
– Katie Drummond
Read more:
• Prevent brain health to heart
• Teen moods and mental health
• How to cope when your child has OCD
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