Can Inflammation Explain Why Some Develop Mental Illness?

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• Can Inflammation Explain Why Some Develop Mental Illness?
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Can Inflammation Explain Why Some Develop Mental Illness?

An important question has puzzled scientists, mental health professionals, and people living with mental illness: Why do some people develop mental illness while others don’t?

Consider PTSD. Not everyone exposed to the same trauma will develop PTSD. Why is this? Theories point to genetics, resilience factors, and support systems, but pieces of the puzzle are still missing. A piece has clicked into place: inflammation.

Inflammation is the body’s natural response to a stressor, but if it becomes chronic, body and brain can suffer damage. Researchers are finding that inflammation is a risk factor for nearly every mental disorder, among them:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Schizophrenia
• Bipolar disorder
• PTSD

In a Psychiatric Times article, Dr. Charles Raison asserts that “Brain states that produce mental illness also tend to activate inflammation. And inflammation is equally capable of producing depression, anxiety, fatigue, and social withdrawal.”

Crucial takeaways help you put the inflammation information in perspective as well as put it to good use for your own mental health:

• The presence or absence of inflammation could partially explain why some but not others develop a mental disorder.
• Inflammation and mental illness contribute to, but don’t directly cause, each other.
• Treating inflammation can be an effective mental illness treatment. Diet, stress management, exercise, and removal of toxins are some ways to reduce inflammation.

Sources:

Kraybill, O.G. (2018). How to maintain progress after trauma: Why a self-sustainability play has to be included in trauma treatment. Psychology Today. Retrieved August 2019 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/expressive-trauma-integration/201804/how-maintain-progress-after-trauma

Raison, C. (2018). Introduction: The inflammation connection. Psychiatric Times. Retrieved August 2019 from https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/special-reports/introduction-inflammation-connection

Related Articles Dealing with Mental Illness Causes, Examples

• The Effect of Physical Health on Mental Illness
• The Power of the Mind-Body Connection
• Adult Symptoms of Mental Health Disorders (List of Mental Health Disorders)
• Examples of Mental Illness
• Foods for Mental Health: What Effect Do They Have?

Your Thoughts

Today's Question: Has your mental health professional ever mentioned inflammation as a potential source of your mental illness or a risk factor for developing it? We invite you to participate by sharing your thoughts, experiences, and knowledge on the HealthyPlace Facebook page.

From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.

• How to Help Your Therapist Help You through Illness
• 6 Ways Depression in Recovery Looks Different From Untreated Depression
• Am I Doing Enough to Fight Mental Health Stigma?
• Covert Verbal Abuse and How it Lives On
• Depression Relapse Triggers: Quick and Simple Ways to Cope
• I Hear Voices with Schizoaffective Disorder & It's My Fault
• 8 Ways Mindfulness Calms Anxiety
• How to Recognize an Emotionally Abusive Relationship
• Female Body Image in the Era of #MeToo
• Creative Projects for Recovery from Mental Illness
• Without Gun Control, We Are All More Anxious
• Sex After Sexual Abuse: How Abuse Impacts My Sex Life

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

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Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans

Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:

1. How Connecting with Nature Impacts Mental Health
2. Asking for Mental Health Help Can Be a Difficult Decision
3. The Connection Between Self-Hatred and Suicide

If you're not already, I hope you'll join us/like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.

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Mental Health Quote

"Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously."

Read more borderline quotes.

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