How should mental illness be defined? How do you decide when somebody's abnormal behavior is an illness that needs to be cured or just an interesting personality trait? Is a trait something to be corrected when it causes "harm"? How do you define "harm" then?

An excellent question....perhaps best said as:

Everyone’s Crazy But Me ‘n Thee (& I’m not too sure ’bout Thee)

Oh god, not this shit again.

I swear I'm perfectly sane!

(December 23, 2013 at 1:47 pm)teaearlgreyhot Wrote: How should mental illness be defined? How do you decide when somebody's abnormal behavior is an illness that needs to be cured or just an interesting personality trait? Is a trait something to be corrected when it causes "harm"? How do you define "harm" then?

IIRC, it is considered a disorder when it causes "distress or disability" - in other words, "harm" would be when the person who is experiencing it finds it distressing or disabling.

That works for me.

I have no idea how to define a mental illness. at least we're calling it a mental thing nowadays, instead of demonic possession. Some of us, anyways. Transgenderism sounds like a mental illness to some. Someone thinking they're a different gender because their brain processes things differently. Yet many say it isn't.

I guess it may just boil down to "As long as they aren't hurting themselves or others". That's a pretty good bar, right?

Generally it is seen as an illness if it adversely affects the person's ability to function day-to-day. Its one of the reasons why homosexuality was proven not be a mental illness in the 1970s and stuck off from the DSM.

From a person with depression it does affect me day-to-day sometimes I have to be forced to get up by my boyfriend since I don't feel like its worth it, sometimes I can't go through the day without needing to cry and hurt myself over nothing, I am irritable, don't eat well etc. thats an illness.

Mental, illness = Hypochondriasis

My 17yr old daughter who runs a local campaign for mental health in the area (https://www.facebook.com/t4lkpreston?fref=ts) says an illness is something where the symptoms can be treated, whereas a trait is just who you are.

(December 23, 2013 at 2:05 pm)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote:

(December 23, 2013 at 1:47 pm)teaearlgreyhot Wrote: How should mental illness be defined? How do you decide when somebody's abnormal behavior is an illness that needs to be cured or just an interesting personality trait? Is a trait something to be corrected when it causes "harm"? How do you define "harm" then?

IIRC, it is considered a disorder when it causes "distress or disability" - in other words, "harm" would be when the person who is experiencing it finds it distressing or disabling.

That works for me.

I'm glad to hear that I can finally refer to my job as a mental illness.