I think the way the term "mental illness" is used makes it seem something just about beyond understanding, something that is nearly fatal and has to be treated forever by specially gifted people who can grasp things that the ordinary mortal cannot. I think that is false and is only used because those 'specially gifted people' are off the track and it is THEY who do not understand that it is something rather easily understood by people who do not have blinders on. Namely, it is an adaptation (many kinds of adaptation) to a crazy-making situation, an adaptation adopted by a being who is small and inexperienced just by the nature of being small and new in the world.