Mental illness can strike anyone. It knows no age limit, economic status, race or religion. Mental disorders vary from mild, temporary stress-related disorders to severe and prolonged disorders. About 16 % of the people in Singapore suffer from minor mental disorders.

Mental illness is not a single disease but consists of many different types of diseases. It includes many kinds of mental and emotional disorders that differ in causes, symptoms and treatment. The disease causes mild to severe disturbances in thinking, feeling and behaviour resulting in an inability to cope with life's ordinary demands and routine.

People with psychotic illness lose touch with reality and perceive the world differently from others. They may develop delusions i.e. false beliefs of grandeur and persecution and experience hallucinations. They may see, hear, smell, taste and feel things, which are not there. They may be depressed or elated out of proportion to their life circumstances

Non-psychotic illness (minor mental illness)
e.g. anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder and eating disorder.

The symptoms of the non-psychotic illness are exaggerated forms of normal types of behaviour and feelings. People with non-psychotic illness may feel uncontrollable anxiety, tension, fear and depression. These feelings can cause considerable personal distress resulting in difficulties coping with daily activities.

In adults:

1. confused and unrealistic thinking
2. talking to himself or herself, laughs or cries without good reason
3. talking rapidly and non-stop, jumping from one topic to another
4. prolonged sadness and irritability
5. feelings of extreme highs and lows
6. excessive fears, worries and anxieties
7. social withdrawal
8. dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits
9. strong feelings of anger
10. delusions or hallucinations
11. inability to cope with daily activities
12. suicidal thoughts
13. numerous unexplained physical complaints
14. denial of obvious problems
    

In children and adolescents:

1. changes in school performance
2. school refusal
3. excessive complaints of physical ailments
4. excessive anxiety and worry
5. change in sleeping and eating habits
6. persistent disobedience and aggression
7. frequent outbursts of anger
8. defiance of authority, truancy, theft
9. prolonged negative mood with thoughts of death

Mental illness, like many physical illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus, cannot be cured but can be treated. Proper care and treatment can reduce and relieve symptoms of mental illness resulting in resumption of normal activities.

The treatment for mental illness usually involved a combination of

1. Medication such as antipsychotics and antidepressants and
2. Counselling or psychotherapy

• Learn to look at mental illness like any other medical illnesses.
• Accept that if a person acts strangely it may be a symptom of mental illness.
• Be supportive and empathetic of the mentally ill.
• Encourage people with signs of mental illness to seek psychiatric treatment
  
  Mental illness can be treated.
  

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