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Healthinmind/About
Mental Health Disorders
Causes of Mental
Problems
Why do people have mental problems? There are two kinds of reasons
for mental
problems, just as there are for physical problems. The first kind is something
inherent in the individual; for physical illness the cause could be an inherited
defect, for example one that leads to diabetes or cystic fibrosis. Genetic
defects or chemical imbalances may also cause mental illnesses like schizophrenia. The second kind of cause is environmental circumstances. A bad
environment can cause physical problems, mental problems, or both. Exposure to germs
can cause severe physical consequences, and exposure to extreme
stress can cause mental problems. Some problems are difficult to classify, or
have multiple causes; for example, the flu is caused by a virus, which is an
environmental cause, but people only catch the flu if their immune system fails
to ward off the virus.
Mental problems also may have multiple causes; a given
level of stress may cause a mental problem only if a person has low tolerance
for stress. To summarize, mental problems, like physical problems, can be caused
by imbalances within the body, by unfavorable environmental circumstances, or by
a combination of both.
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