By Mr. Hershel Wertheimer

Executive Director of Hamaspik Kings County

‍

Question: 

What makes someone mentally ill? Are there external factors that play a role in someone becoming ill, or is it something you’re born with?

If there are risk factors, is there a way of preventing mental illness from developing? Are there warning signs to look out for?

‍

Answer: 

Thanks for this wonderful question.

You’re actually asking three questions:

1. What makes someone mentally ill?
2. Is it nature and/or nurture?
3. Are there preventative measures?

What causes mental illness to develop?

Mental illness can be caused by a combination of different factors, including biological and environmental. Here are some common factors that can contribute to the development of mental illness:

a) Biological factors: These include genetic predisposition, imbalances in brain chemistry or neurotransmitters, hormonal imbalances, and structural abnormalities in the brain.

b) Environmental factors: These include traumatic experiences, childhood abuse or neglect, significant life changes, social isolation, poor socioeconomic conditions, exposure to violence or abuse, substance abuse, and more.

The way mental illness unfolds in real life is as follows: Every person is born with wants and needs, and seeks to find pleasure and avoid pain. The brain essentially studies the environment and tries to find a way to exist in the world and stay safe.

When someone else consistently stands in the way of the person’s goals, knocks them down, or makes them feel unsafe, the person may eventually develop a mental illness.

Nature or Nurture?

A person who has a 100% healthy brain with no biological risk factors of mental illness will have an easier time handling the emotional toll that life’s hardships bring. But when the hardships are too much to handle, even someone with a healthy brain will be impacted.

On the other hand, even a person with biological shortcomings can be 100% mentally healthy if he’s fortunate enough to grow up in a healthy and supportive environment.

This is basically a puzzle — for a person to grow up healthy, a lot of pieces need to fall into place, as therehere are always many contributing factors to mental illness. To reiterate, there is no one risk factor that always causes mental illness.

Parents have a lot to offer their children in terms of  preventing mental illness. For example, many people with strong risk factors to develop serious issues like schizophrenia will never know about it because they grew up in a supportive environment that helped them avoid the stressors that were too hard for them to handle.

Still, many people will grapple with mental health problems no matter how supportive a childhood they had. 

Now let’s face the most burning questions: Can you lead a happy and fulfilling life with mental illness, or not? Can you have schizophrenia and live a fulfilling life? Can you lead a fulfilling life even with anxiety? These are the questions that need to be asked.

It’s not all about this diagnosis or that diagnosis. It’s about the ultimate goal, that a person should feel good about himself, be fulfilled, and lead a happy life. If a person has schizophrenia and is still leading a happy, fulfilling life, then he achieved his goal. On the other hand, if a person has a miserable life without any mental illness, he still has a problem he needs to work on.

Can I Prevent Mental Illness?

While preventing mental illness completely is never possible, there are preventive measures that can promote mental well-being and reduce the risk of developing certain conditions. These preventive measures include:

1. Early intervention: It’s important to address mental health concerns before they worsen or lead to more significant issues. Recognizing early warning signs and seeking appropriate professional help can make a significant difference in the outcome.
2. Building resilience: Developing strong coping skills, problem-solving abilities, and emotional resilience can help individuals better manage stress and navigate challenging life situations, reducing the risk of developing mental health issues.
3. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle: Engaging in regular physical exercise, adopting a balanced diet, getting sufficient sleep, and avoiding substance abuse can contribute to overall mental well-being.
4. Seeking support: Building and maintaining healthy relationships, reaching out to friends, family, or support groups, and seeking professional help when needed can provide the necessary support and resources to cope with stressors, hopefully preventing mental illness from developing.

As we mentioned above, there are a lot of risk factors that can potentially cause mental health issues, but parents who practice good parenting, teach their children coping skills, and give them love, acceptance, and  thecourage to face challenges, give their kids a the greatest chance of  preventing mental illness and living a full, successful life.