What causes mental illness?
There are many different reasons someone may have a mental illness. Mental illness could be caused by something physical, such as an injury to your head or an infection that attacks your brain. It could also by caused by your surroundings, for example if you have experienced abuse or another extremely upsetting event. For many other people, mental illness is caused by their genes. Just as our genes determine the color of our skin, hair, and even how tall we may grow, our genes can also determine how our brain will function. Often, people with a mental illness are born with some chemical imbalance which makes it difficult for their brain to function like other people’s.
Evidence indicates that mental illnesses are biological based diseases of the brain. Genetics can play a part, but people can develop a mental illness with no family history of mental illness. Others may be emotional or psychological reactions to environmental or social situations. Some of these disorders may be temporary, caused by extreme stress or life change.
