Consciousness and mental illness

Nov 05, 2016, 11:08 AM

Do you think consciousness is the reason why we suffer from most mental illnesses?

JustMeMyself&I · Nov 05, 2016, 01:31 PM

Well, I think it definitely contributes to that. When you think about it, consciousness is basically your mind, it's the thoughts you think all the time, it has your ideas, feelings etc.
It makes us aware of our existence. If we're capable to be aware of our existence we can certainly be aware of many things that can change us or make us a certain way- it has a big impact on our whole mindset.
Such as the awareness of everything wrong with the world, or death itself, can lead you to things such as depression. It's a really mainstream example, though there are others.

However, some mental illnesses rely more on things such as your senses etc., and not so much consciousness.

eyesclosed · Nov 05, 2016, 08:23 PM

I have been knocked out 3 times and u really do hear a bell ring this all happened from age 8-12. who knows

Reao · Nov 06, 2016, 08:33 AM

Quote:

What Causes Mental Illness?
Although the exact cause of most mental illnesses is not known, it is becoming clear through research that many of these conditions are caused by a combination of genetic, biological, psychological, and environmental factors -- not personal weakness or a character defect -- and recovery from a mental illness is not simply a matter of will and self-discipline. Mental Illness: Learn the Definition, Tests and Statistics

Quote:

"Consciousness is the last outpost of pure mystery in our scientific understanding of the brain. We are learning ever more about the brain's physiology and how it controls our bodies, but the idea of where "we" exist, how we develop that sense of self and how it can be explained in terms of the activity of brain cells, all of that is still largely the domain of philosophers rather than scientists." https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...ain-psychiatry

There are many sources online that reference consciousness, none I could find that directly identified consciousness as a cause of mental disorders.

One source is the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:

Quote:

Perhaps no aspect of mind is more familiar or more puzzling than consciousness and our conscious experience of self and world. The problem of consciousness is arguably the central issue in current theorizing about the mind. Despite the lack of any agreed upon theory of consciousness, there is a widespread, if less than universal, consensus that an adequate account of mind requires a clear understanding of it and its place in nature. We need to understand both what consciousness is and how it relates to other, nonconscious, aspects of reality.
***
A comprehensive understanding of consciousness will likely require theories of many types. One might usefully and without contradiction accept a diversity of models that each in their own way aim respectively to explain the physical, neural, cognitive, functional, representational and higher-order aspects of consciousness. There is unlikely to be any single theoretical perspective that suffices for explaining all the features of consciousness that we wish to understand. Thus a synthetic and pluralistic approach may provide the best road to future progress. Consciousness (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Nov 06, 2016, 03:33 PM

Yes, without it mental illness wouldn't exist. If nobody was conscious, there would be nobody capable of knowing the difference

Nov 06, 2016, 03:52 PM

The obvious examples are depression and anxiety. These MIs are related to our thoughts and imagination.

eyesclosed · Nov 06, 2016, 09:44 PM

oh boy ya see i can't even read now i read it as concussions i just looked up the psychologist meaning so yes i do but sometimes i dont feel aware of my surroundings.

Reao · Nov 07, 2016, 02:41 AM

Quote:

What are the possible causes of depression? The fact is, despite decades of research into this question, scientists still don’t really know the cause of depression. The Causes of Depression | Psych Central

Causation is more complex than simplistic.

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