Lara Carolina Da SilvaFinal Essay 1Chapter Nine: Mental HealthMental illness is the leading cause of disability in North America and Europe in every community, costing the United States more than half a trillion dollars a year. Mental health is defined as the emotional and social well-being and psychological resources to cope with the daily problems of life. Mental illness is the term describing all mental disorders. Mental disorders are health problems identified by changes in thinking and behavior. Mental disorders as well as mental retardations can occur following postnatal exposure to physical, chemical and biological agents, such as second-hand cigarette smoke. Impaired brain function can be caused by trauma, such as a car accident or gunshot wound, or by disease, such as syphilis, cancer, or stroke. Maladaptive family functioning (such as having a parent with a mental illness or substance abuse problem), poverty, violence, physical or sexual abuse, or neglect can also lead to mental illness. Growing up in neighborhoods marked by social division leads to discrimination, and social difficulties add to the risk. Families with mental disorders typically received treatment for mental disorders in colonial America, either sick or through private caregivers. Institutionalization began in the 18th century; people with mental disorders were placed in almshouses or undifferentiated almshouses which were locally run public institutions for the mentally ill or infirm. Around the second half of the 20th century, this type of treatment was replaced by moral treatment, based on the theory that environmental changes could affect an individual's mind and, therefore, alter their behavior. People with mental illness with ...... in the middle of paper ...... a program that gives legal resources, lawyer referrals, help with estate and life planning having special needs, as well as help navigating the legal system, which is something that greatly helps people with mental illness who are sometimes unaware of their benefits and helps with legal issues. Another program offered by NAMI is the Veterans and Military Resource Center, which is a center that provides resources, support and education on mental health: active duty military personnel, veterans with mental illness and their family members. They cover many veteran-related mental illnesses and issues that are common problems among veterans; they provide information on diseases, treatments, screenings, research data and much more. This is absolutely necessary as many of our veterans suffer from illnesses like PTSD, depression and other mental or brain injuries..