Introduction
Do you know that one out of four or five individuals has a diagnosable and treatable psychological ‘illness’? Many of these conditions present themselves as physical or ambiguous somatic symptoms, such as imprecise aches and pain in your body, lack of interest in daily activities, sleep difficulties or general feelings of being ‘unwell’. As most complaints are rather vague and mild, one tends to ignore them. Thus, quiet suffering ensues. In other words, these “illnesses” are what and how they affect you and how you deal with them.
Over the last few years, many reports, much research and personal stories regarding mental health have circulated across mass media. Although awareness about psychological illnesses can be seen in a positive light, it can be complicated to navigate research data, emotions and what behaviours might or might not require intervention. Let us start with the scientific definition of psychological disorders.
“A psychological disorder is a condition that is said to consist of the following: There are significant disturbances in thoughts, feelings, and behaviours”. APA (2013).
Although this is the official definition, one can broaden it to include any psychological condition that causes distress to the individual. Often lay people are not familiar with the jargon and struggle to describe to the therapist what exactly is happening to them! Someone might say, “I don’t know why I feel scared, there is really no threat to me, I am okay”, others might tell you “I feel as if something is going to happen to me, my heart just races”, yet another might say “ I am unwell, I have pains in different parts of my body; sometimes a headache, other times burning in my stomach, shooting pain in my legs…. I really can’t describe my thoughts”. These could be symptoms of general anxiety disorder, and often what the client is really looking for, is an explanation of their ‘trouble’ from the therapist. In this article, I shall try to simplify scientific explanations so that you can understand which symptoms are the manifestations of certain psychological conditions. Firstly, let me explain what are referred to as “psychological disorders”. Please understand that if you feel distressed and unable to concentrate on your routine work, it is time that you seek help from a qualified professional. In this modern age, there is no need for anyone to suffer in silence, help is always available.
Overview of Psychological and mental health disorders
Psychological and mental health disorders are the two labels that are generally used interchangeably. Moreover, mental illness is a term which carries stigma. One has to go back into history and read that most societies have been critical of mental illness and those afflicted by them. Mental illnesses, even today, are not perceived in the same sympathetic light as other illnesses, although both are ubiquitous and occur in all cultures and at all levels in society. Over the centuries the intensity of negative attitudes to mental health problems have considerably diminished as people in many countries have accepted mental illness as being similar to physical disorders.
Research estimates that approximately half a billion people around the world are affected with a psychological disorder. Simply put, in the general population, one in four or five subjects have a psychological problem that the scientists can identify and diagnose. However, it is important to know how we can identify a psychological disorder and when to seek assistance from a psychologist. Bear in mind that all of us have peculiarities (personal qualities) that are socially acceptable as normal and do not cause us anxiety and we continue to function normally. However, should those peculiarities interfere with our day to day life or cause us distress or discomfort, professional advice, intervention or therapy might be necessary. For example, many people have a routine when they get ready for work or school to get there on time. You leave the house to go to work, normally you would lock the door and ensure it is locked by pushing it once. This has been your norm, but lately you double or triple check if the door is locked, thus wasting your valuable time. Even at work you fear you probably have not closed the door properly. You panic and phone your neighbour to recheck it. You don't realise why this is so, and feel distressed. I can give you many such examples. As a result of such an obsession, you become irritable and short tempered. In the process you lose your temper with your loved ones and make everybody around you miserable. You may endanger your job, lose friends or annoy family members. Such behaviour induces anxiety that interferes with routine activities, the latter which until now were done smoothly. In such a situation a psychologist’s intervention is necessary to help to rid the tension, distress and abnormal behaviour. The therapist will assess you, explain the nature of your difficulties and manage you with a suitable therapy. Sooner rather than later, your equilibrium will be restored and you start enjoying your life again. Someone described her recovery “as if the dark cloud has lifted and the sun is shining again!!”
Let us, now, turn our attention to find out why some of us face such difficulties and their causes in general. What might have caused someone to develop such unusual behaviour? There is no simple answer because there are several possible reasons. Usually, it is maladaptive behaviour. So, the question is, what causes maladaptive behaviour? The answer is rather complex: it is a combination of one or more factors, such as one’s own thinking, genetics (physiological), the environment or some disturbing life event or crisis. How can a clinical psychologist assist you? The psychologist is a trained professional who would explore the possible cause of your distress by a thorough interview. They will assess your circumstances, duration of symptoms, possible triggers, your personality and ability to cope with the stress (your strengths and weaknesses). They also watch your behaviour closely and may also ask your dear and near ones some questions that might be necessary to understand your case. They will tell you the results of their assessment, possible causes and suggest how best to treat your difficulties. They will make a care plan and expect you to cooperate until you are back to your ‘normal situation’. You may ask the therapist about any doubts you may have, and don’t be shy. All information gathered by the therapist is of a confidential nature and will not be revealed to anyone without your consent. The psychologist may conduct clinical observations using questionnaires that compute behaviours from normal (acceptable) to abnormal and deviant (unacceptable). For a correct diagnosis the clinician has to identify a cluster of behaviours that are classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM). To add to the complication, in some cases, people have more than one condition called comorbidity.
Finally, I would like to reiterate that psychological problems should not cause you any embarrassment, feelings of guilt or stigma. Rest assured you have an elevated chance of recovery through proper management, providing you are willing to reach out to a professional. In Bahrain, trained and licensed mental health professionals can help you. These include psychiatrists, psychologists, neuro-psychologists, therapists and counsellors. In the next article, I shall review the role of each of these professionals and how they can support anyone in need.
Nivedita M. Dhadphale. MSc (Psychology) (Strath), MBA (Strath).
PGD Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health (IOPPN, KCL), PCBT (Foundation), BPS
Assistant Lecturer in Psychology at the British University of Bahrain (BUB).
Member British Psychological Society (BPS) and Applied Neuroscience Association (ANA).
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).
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