What Causes A Mental Disorder To Develop?

Past Mental Illness

Past mental illness can have an impact on an individual's chances of developing mental illness in the future. A few different factors are at play here. One is that patients may be more predisposed toward certain chemical imbalances that lead to mental health symptoms. Certain mental illnesses, like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, tend to be caused by ongoing chemical imbalances. They require lifelong treatment, typically with a combination of medication and therapy. If patients stop taking the medication, they might experience a recurrence in their symptoms that feels like a new mental illness.

Another factor is mental illness causes distorted patterns of thinking and cognition. If individuals have had trouble regulating their thoughts and emotions in the past, they might continue to experience those problems in the future. One of the most helpful things for individuals with emotional regulation issues is cognitive behavioral therapy, which aims to help patients identify unhealthy patterns and break them. It's also possible individuals might experience mental health symptoms of a past disorder even after months or years in recovery.

Lack Of Healthy Relationships

A lack of healthy relationships can have a serious effect on the human psyche. As with other social and environmental factors, there are several layers to this. When dealing with normal stress, it's vital for individuals to have those in their life who can support them. A lack of a support system can lead to feelings of isolation, anxiety, despair, hopelessness, and anger. Individuals need to be able to lean on others. For those who are already predisposed toward mental illness, lacking a support system can make symptoms much worse.

If individuals don't have healthy relationships in their life, one thing they can do is look for support groups or community events that will let them meet new people. Another factor influencing the development of mental illness is the negative effects toxic and abusive relationships can have. Living in an abusive or toxic environment can have serious, ongoing effects on an individual's self-esteem and perception of the world. It also leads to heightened stress, which in turn can cause mental illness.