Do people become mentally ill (madness etc) from stress?

There are existing theories that if you have a genetic predisposition to a mental illness enough stress can help trigger it and bring it into being. Typically though it has to be something major like severe physical or sexual abuse, or possibly witnessing something terrible that you can't get over.

Some suggest that there aren't genetic predispositions, or that they don't necessarily matter and say that certain forms of stress or trauma can actually induce a mental illness. An example of this is that though it it exceedingly rare, Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly called Multiple Personality Disorder) is likely to be caused by abuse, at least in over 90% of the time.

the short answer is yes stress and mental illness are related, however being stressed is not a guarantee u will get mentally ill. Everyone is different in their stress level threshold. What one person finds stressful, another may find not at all stressful so just because you are stressed out does not mean you will or won't get a full blown mental illness. Stressful life events are just one factor that can contribute to developing a mental illness, however so are many other factors such as personality types such as people who are analytical, sensitive, emotional, have obsessive thoughts etc are more prone to developing certain mental health problems. Also your genetics play a part, not to mention your childhood. Furthermore lifestyle choices can increase the chances of developing mental illness such as regularly taking illicit drugs can lead to long term changes in your brain chemistry which may lead to mental illness. however even then with all these factors there is no guarantee of developing a mental illness as it very much depends on so many different variables. The main point is to seek help early so if you feel you are becoming unwell you can deal with it before it snowballs. Also madness is a very old fashioned, general term used when doctors did not have the diagnostic criteria to accurately label conditions. It is sort of the same as calling people 'kooky' or 'loony'. It is somewhat derogatory and unhelpful as it has a negative stereotype and is somewhat outdated nowadays when describing mental illness. HTH.

I'm paranoid schiz, or had an extreme psychosis (not diagnosed)

Stress was a factor, not sleeping makes it worse, but I think they are the things that help drive you mad, and there is another underlying factor.

That said, a stress-free life where I can focus on figthing what I call 'the thing' has helped me not to relapse in a severe way.. So, yeah, it sure helps to be stress-free..

And yeah, you have to eat well. I often take a multivitamin, but alpha liponic acid (Hulda Clark) and/or niacinamide and especially melatonin are more important for me now than B12..

Love

Their are many factors that can cause mental illness.

1) Having no control over what you believe is correct of outcome.

2) Injury to the cranium

3) Drug abuse that would induce un normal emotional characteristics

4) Imbalance of nutritional factors

5)Social harassment or family pressure to excell

6) Divorce

7) All of the above are a stress factor ,so Yes they do become mentally ill from stressful conditons.

No they usually don't. When you say 'madness' i assume you are referring to (like most of us do) the psychotic mental illnesses.

Stress is acknowledged to be one of several factors that lead to the development of the mental illnesses. it is not referred to as 'cause' of any mental illness.

However if one has a genetic vulnerability to develop psychotic mental illnesses like Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder then stress can be like the final straw.. It can tip over the person already trying to 'cope', into developing a full fledged episode of the illness. Stress at home or work can also precipitate a relapse of the psychotic illness in vulnerable individuals.

Generally moderate to high levels of stress can lead to the neurotic disorder like Anxiety Disorders, Disthymic Disorder, Adjustments Disorder, other somatoform disorders, or addictions.

Yes! This is a known and researched fact. Lack of sleep contributes to stress, and excess stress is a debilitating condition. PTSD is an example, this is a disorder caused by extreme stress which leads to horrific flashbacks and anxiety/panic attacks. OCD is stress related, where simple things in day-to-day life can become excessively stressful unless an "order" is put to it. These 2 conditions alone come from stress, and people witnessing a person go through these could refer to these people as "insane".

Yes one can become metally ill from stress because when a person is in stress his/her mind is not in control. more the stress high are the chances of madness.

- partly. Stress is due to lack of nutrients in your body and therefore you feel run down and difficult to cope with things. Stress is also inflicted by others who can be the cause of your breakdown. be strong and dont let them get you down.

It has been found that people suffering from dementia and other mental health issues have a serious lack of vitamin B, especially B12.

Alcohol is know to seriously deplete Vitamin B12

I am not sure whether it is possible in the literal sense, but then yes, it happens to me when i get stressed out completely. its just that we feel we have been stretched to our limits and at that point we feel nothing is moving nothing is happening despite our best efforts. The fear of being static is what i believe stresses the mind forcing us to believe that we are no longer in a position to better the things.

Hope my point made a difference in your quest for the answer.

Cheers!

Rudra

Prolonged stress keeps your 'fight or flight' response on an unhealthy level. Chronic stress makes it harder for your left and right brain to work together. People get anxious, confused and fearful.