Suffering is the Root of Many Mental Disorders
Actually, it’s part of a psychological technique called logotherapy. It focuses on the meaning of human existence, and on a human being’s search for that meaning.
There is a wide variety of mental disorders, and each looks different. In general, they’re characterized by a combination of alterations in thought, perception, emotions, behavior, and relationships with others.
For the World Health Organization (WHO), effective treatments against mental disorders are the ones that alleviate the suffering they cause.
Also, we should mention that the prevalence of mental disorders is still increasing. It is having significant effects on people’s health and serious consequences on both a socioeconomic and human rights level. And, it’s true for all countries.
Who Is at the Greatest Risk of Mental Illness?
One out of every four people will have from some kind of mental health problem in their life. We understand mental health as a harmonized way of relating to oneself and others. As keeping up a good social level and a quality of life no matter what season a person is in or what their expectations are.
It may change for various reasons. Life brings troubles, and we react to painful situations that they cause. But we shouldn’t see these as illnesses. They are illnesses if they last a long time or are extremely intense in nature.
The determiners of mental health and mental disorders don’t just include individual characteristics. It also includes our ability to process our thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and interactions with other people.
In addition, there are social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental factors. Here we’re thinking of national politics, social safety, quality of life, work conditions, or a community’s social support.
Other factors that may play a role in mental disorders are stress, genes, food, perinatal infections, and exposure to environmental risks.
How Does Suffering Influence Mental Disorders?
There are illnesses that show up at the same rate in nearly every culture and country. On the other hand, there are some that have more specific causes.
Some are related to social, familial, cultural, socioeconomic, etc, conditions. There are also genetic factors that predispose people for certain illnesses, and factors tied to gender.
But a decline in mental health is especially significant when it’s the product of much suffering. If this suffering changes the way a person lives, perceives, and understands things. Also, we should mention it can come from many different sources, whether biological, psychological, or social.
We also have to keep in mind that anybody, at any moment of their life, might fall into the wrong circumstances. For example, maybe they’ll have an emotional problem and huge pain directly affects their life.
But there are specific, necessary factors that influence whether or not it is a mental illness. These come on many levels. But, whether biological or psychological or social, current or past, the suffering grows so much they become mentally ill.
