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Mental illness

Mental illness. Dr Iram Sattar GP. Aims. Myth busting What does Islam say about mental illness? Types of mental health problems Causes Treatment What can you do to help someone with mental illness? Where to turn for help? What can we do as a Muslim community? Useful Resources.

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Mental illness

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  1. Mental illness Dr IramSattar GP

  2. Aims • Myth busting • What does Islam say about mental illness? • Types of mental health problems • Causes • Treatment • What can you do to help someone with mental illness? • Where to turn for help? • What can we do as a Muslim community? • Useful Resources

  3. A little Quiz...

  4. Timings • 2.00 Prayers • 2.15 Introduction • 2.30 Quiz • 2.40 Mental illness – causes, types • 3.10 - 3.20 Group work – Impact of Mental Illness • 3.20 - 3.30 Break • 3.30 Treatment, how to help someone, Jinn • 3.50 - 4.10 Group work – What can Muslim community do? • 4.20 Q&A • 4.30 End

  5. What is ‘Mental Health’? • Being mentally healthy isn’t just not having a mental health problem. • Good mental health: • Make the most of your potential • Cope with life • Play a full part in your family, workplace, community and among friends • Also called ‘Emotional health’ or ‘Well-being’ • We all have times when we feel down or stressed or frightened. Most of the time those feelings pass. • Everyone is different. You may bounce back from a setback while someone else may feel weighed down by it for a long time.

  6. Mental illness and Islam • All diseases are trial and test from Allah • Sins are forgiven • Abu Hurayrah narrates that The Prophet pbuh said:“There is no disease that Allah has created, except that He also has created its remedy.” (Bukhari 7.582) • UsamahibnShuraik narrated:“… ‘O Allah’s Messenger! Should we seek medical treatment for our illnesses?’ He replied: ‘Yes, you should seek medical treatment, because Allah, the Exalted, has let no disease exist without providing for its cure, except for one ailment, namely, old age’.” (Tirmidhi) • To seek treatment!

  7. Mental illness and Islam • Amber Haque (2004), "Psychology from Islamic Perspective: Contributions of Early Muslim Scholars and Challenges to Contemporary Muslim Psychologists", Journal of Religion and Health • Abu Zayd Al-Balkhi (850-934) • Described several types of mental illness • Criticised medical doctors for ignoring the psychological aspect of disease • Advocated psychotherapy • IbnSina (980-1037)

  8. Myth 1 – “not a real disease” • MYTH: Mental illness is caused by weakness rather than a medical disorder. Psychiatric disorders are not true medical illnesses like heart disease and diabetes. People who have a mental illness are just "crazy”. • FACT: It is a medical condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, and ability to relate to others and daily functioning. Research shows there are genetic and biological causes for psychiatric disorders, and they can be treated effectively. (Imbalance of neurotransmitters).

  9. Causes of Mental illness • Genetic – family history • Small increased risk, most people do not have family members affected • Stressors – past and present • Difficult family background e.g. abuse - sexual, domestic violence, emotional, physical, financial, torture, etc. • Stressful life events e.g. work, family, marriage, bereavement, relationship difficulties, financial, abuse, etc. • Physical illness – head injury, long-term physical illness, epilepsy • Long term substance abuse

  10. Myth 2 – “addiction is your own fault” • MYTH: Addiction is a lifestyle choice and shows a lack of willpower. People with a substance abuse problem are morally weak or "bad" • FACT: Addiction is a disease that generally results from changes in brain chemistry. It has nothing to do with being a "bad" person

  11. Types of Mental illness • Depression • Anxiety • Schizophrenia • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder • Eating Disorders – Anorexia, Bulimia • Bipolar Disorder

  12. Depression • Common • Lowers your mood • Feel hopeless, worthless, unmotivated, exhausted • Affects sleep, appetite, libido, self-esteem • Tearful • Mild, moderate, severe • Self-harm, suicidal thoughts

  13. Anxiety • Common • Constant unrealistic worry about any aspect of daily life • Restless, sleeping problems, increased heart beat, stomach upset, feeling shaky, muscle tension (headaches) • Panic attacks • Phobias

  14. Schizophrenia • Hearing voices and/or seeing (hallucinations) and believing (delusions) things other people don’t share and that are abnormal for your context • Confusion re thoughts, withdrawn, suspicious of others • Reluctant to believe help needed • Up to 4% of population hear voices – most have no problem

  15. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder • Obsessions – repeated unwelcome thoughts, ideas, urges e.g. • contaminated by dirt/germs • worrying that you haven’t locked the door • Compulsions – repetitive activities that you feel you have to do a set number of times. • Obsessions interrupts your thoughts and concentration on work – feel anxious • Compulsions takes up time and relief is short lived

  16. Eating Disorders • Eating too much or too little • Anorexia – lose weight • To feel control • Bulimia – More common. Weight is steady. • Binge, vomiting, laxatives • Constantly thinking about food, weight, self-image • To disguise emotional pain, deeper issues • 1 in 20 women

  17. Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression) • Extreme swings in mood • Mania – overactive, excited behaviour, euphoria • Depression • Hearing voices and/or seeing (hallucinations) and believing (delusions) things other people don’t share and that are abnormal for your context

  18. Impact of Mental illness • Time to use your brain! • Individual • Family • Society • Other

  19. Myth 3 – “pull yourself together” • MYTH: If you have a mental illness, you can will it away. Being treated for a psychiatric disorder means an individual has in some way "failed" or is weak. • FACT: A serious mental illness cannot be willed away. Ignoring the problem does not make it go away, either. It takes courage to seek professional help.

  20. Treatment • SUPPORT • Exercise • Relaxation – music, art, reading , walking, resting • Talking therapies • Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) • Counselling • Psychotherapy • Group therapy • Islamic Counselling • Relationship or family therapy • Medication • Minor tranquillisers or sleeping pills – to help someone calm down or sleep • Anti-depressants – to lift depression and anxiety • Anti-psychotics – to control disturbing thoughts • Mood stabilisers – to control extremes of mood

  21. What can you do to help someone with a mental illness? • You don’t need to be an expert to help! • TALK – Don’t be afraid to ask how they are. They may want to talk about it or not. To let them know they don’t need to avoid the issue with you. • ASK – how can I help? Accompany to appointment. Exercise together. Help with shopping. • Be open-minded and LISTEN. • Talk about other things you would normally talk about too. • Learn about the mental health problem • Look after yourself • Emergency – A+E, Samaritan’s helpline, NHS 111 • Non-emergency – leaflets, helpline, talking

  22. Jinn related illness • Jinn mentioned in the Quran – made of smokeless fire, have free will, accountable for actions, can change form, have families, eat, die • Most scholars believe jinn possession is possible; some don’t • 80-90% of those who think jinn related illness are wrong. Possession is even more rare. • Ruqya – recites verses from Quran • Patient will experience seizure and the jinn will speak through the client. • No seizure occurs, but signs indicate that jinn caused the problem and is now gone. • Nothing happens, in which case the problem was physiological or psychological.

  23. What can we as a Muslim community do to help those with mental illness? • Discuss... • Individuals • Society, mosques • Work • Home • Friends, family • Government • Etc.

  24. Resources • www.mind.org.uk • www.mentalhealth.org.uk • www.rethink.org • www.patient.co.uk • www.nhs.uk • www.samaritans.org - 24hr helpline: 08457 90 90 90 • www.myh.org.uk – 0808 808 2008

  25. Resources - videos • www.talkingfromtheheart.org Videos in Somali, Urdu, Bengali/Sylheti • www.healthtalkonline.org/mental_health/mentalhealthserviceusersVideos and transcripts of people's experience with having a mental health problem. Also of parents, siblings, carers. • www.youthhealthtalk.org/Young_people_depression_and_low_mood/People/Interview/2040/Category/426Videos and transcript of Sara (Muslim), aged 20, talking about her mental health problems and the stigma she faced from her family.

  26. Questions • Is there a link between Domestic Violence and mental health concerning both women and their children, particularly in adulthood? • A woman runs a social support group, one of the stakeholders presents to her that she has frequent and numerous suicidal thoughts. She doesn't appear to be an immediate danger to herself or anyone else. In such a circumstance, what do you recommend she does in response?

  27. Thank you! • iramsattar@hotmail.com • www.mwnuk.co.uk

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