Mental Illness vs. Developmental Disorder

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NeantHumain
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04 Apr 2006, 4:39 pm

I originally posted this as a response to a thread elsewhere, but I think the discussion may be of interest here, as well.

edgey123 wrote:
Sean wrote:

Not a bad article, let us remember that Autism isn't a mental illness- even if we sometimes wished it was

The difference between mental illness and developmental disorder is not as cut and dry as this statement makes it out to be. The two best known examples of mental illness are schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (i.e., manic depression). People with developmental disorders like Asperger's syndrome and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or nonpsychotic psychiatric disorders like generalized anxiety disorder or clinical depression like to distinguish between what they have and mental illness. Admittedly, they may not have the formal thought disorder, highly disinhibited and bizarre behavior, unusual bodily sensations, hallucinations, delusional beliefs, states of frantic activity, or total purposelessness that may manifest themselves in the severe psychotic and mood disorders, but their causes are not all that different.

Schizophrenia—or at least some cases of it—may be a neurodevelopmental disorder, just as autistic spectrum conditions are posited to be. A subset of children who later developed schizophrenia showed certain cognitive and psychomotor deficits, an abnormal brain development trajectory, and even common genes. Some symptoms of schizophrenia, particularly the so-called negative syndrome, are quite common among autistic individuals. True, schizophrenic patients in active psychosis seem to show dopamine disregulation, but their disorder is much more complicated than a mere chemical imbalance.

Bipolar patients may be a neurological disorder similar to epilepsy, and some experimental treatments involve anticonvulsants commonly used to treat epileptic seizures. Their frontal lobes, which regulate planning and behavioral inhibition, may be underdeveloped or otherwise damaged. Another part of the brain that regulates emotion may also be abnormal.

Usually, mental disorders become disorders from maladaptive interaction with the environment. For example, so-called schizotypal children, who show a highly unusual way of thinking and often an interest in supernatural phenomena, grow up relatively socially isolated in Western culture. As their brains mature along their unique trajectory, their relatively impoverished life leads their cognitive disinhibition combined with certain emotional ingredients to set the seed for a disruptive psychotic break. They experience frightening paranoia, splintered imagination as hallucinations, and deadening depression and apathy. In other cultures, individuals with such personality styles may be valued for their closeness to the netherworld and may experience their unusual cognitive profile as a gift rather than as a frightening disorder that only leaves them more isolated.

Depression and anxiety are usually less disruptive than psychosis, but they too are the result of different brain development. Some people's personalities are especially reactive to stress and prone to develop negative self-evaluations and worries (i.e., the personality trait of high neuroticism). Too much stress and ineffective coping mechanisms can cause such a person to develop the signs and symptoms of one of the anxiety or depressive disorders. Obsessive-compulsive disorder probably has a somewhat different etiology from the anxiety disorders, however.

Other brain development trajectories may put a child at risk of developing a conduct disorder or impulsive behavior problems.

It's all in the brain; it all interacts strongly with how we think of ourselves, our options, and others. What's the difference really?



PinkPanther
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05 Apr 2006, 12:09 pm

That was very interesting and thanks for sharing it.



aspiesmom1
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05 Apr 2006, 12:28 pm

Quote:
Bipolar patients may be a neurological disorder similar to epilepsy, and some experimental treatments involve anticonvulsants commonly used to treat epileptic seizures. Their frontal lobes, which regulate planning and behavioral inhibition, may be underdeveloped or otherwise damaged. Another part of the brain that regulates emotion may also be abnormal


Since you seem to have such a great interest/knowledge in the area - I'd like to ask you a question.

Is it possible that a person who grows up seemingly "normal", then has an accident which causes them to suffer damage to the right temporal lobe of their brain could become bipolar as a result of this accident? This person also went from being highly moral and extremely modest to having a baby out of wedlock, giving said baby to family, and becoming a "dancer".


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NeantHumain
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05 Apr 2006, 1:10 pm

aspiesmom1 wrote:
Quote:
Bipolar patients may be a neurological disorder similar to epilepsy, and some experimental treatments involve anticonvulsants commonly used to treat epileptic seizures. Their frontal lobes, which regulate planning and behavioral inhibition, may be underdeveloped or otherwise damaged. Another part of the brain that regulates emotion may also be abnormal


Since you seem to have such a great interest/knowledge in the area - I'd like to ask you a question.

Is it possible that a person who grows up seemingly "normal", then has an accident which causes them to suffer damage to the right temporal lobe of their brain could become bipolar as a result of this accident? This person also went from being highly moral and extremely modest to having a baby out of wedlock, giving said baby to family, and becoming a "dancer".

No, I don't think that's considered bipolar disorder. Some forms of brain damage cause an organic personality disorder, meaning the damage changed their personality.



aspiesmom1
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05 Apr 2006, 1:16 pm

Rereading my post, I wasn't very clear. She was diagnosed as bipolar. And she appears bipolar. She also had this change in behavior/personality. I was wondering if it *all* could have been caused by the brain trauma?


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05 Apr 2006, 5:06 pm

Quote:
even if we sometimes wished it was


Who wishes it was? There utter fools