What makes us insane

But we can protect ourselves by adopting the habits of our distant ancestors, he said. Certain circuits in the brain react to stress as if it is an infection, triggering social withdrawal, inflammation and potentially leading to brain damage in areas such as the hippocampus, the frontal cortex and the basal ganglia, Ilardi said. In short bouts, inflammation is the body's way of protecting itself.

But if prolonged, it can take a tremendous toll. Like heart disease and insulin resistance, mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression, autism, anxiety and bipolar disorder have all been linked to inflammation. And the prevalence of many of these illnesses has increased in lockstep with modernization, Ilardi said. The relative sanity of our distant ancestors should not imply they led stress-free lives. Hunting dangerous game does not exactly instill Zen-like breaths.

But "our remote ancestors had many factors woven into the fabric of their lives that turned off the brain's stress response," — habits that in most developed countries have fallen out of fashion, Ilardi said. For example, if met with an impediment on a path to some succulent boar, hunter-gatherers may have vented their frustration by, say, heaving a boulder out of the way.

Physical exertion holds up a potent stop sign to the stress-inflammation circuitry, Ilardi said. But today, an urban dweller stuck in traffic can do little but stew. Many mental illnesses are recognized as a problem with brain chemistry, and therefore treated chemically with medication. But behavior also alters brain chemistry.

Several primitive habits, researchers have found, may check the stress response and prevent it from making our brains sick. A program developed by Ilardi and colleagues — that helps individuals adopt the habits of cool, collected cavemen — is proving more effective in treating mental illnesses than conventional medication. For primal protection from modern insanity , try to:. The ideal balance between Omega 6 and Omega 3 fats is one-to-one.

In the typical American diet, the ratio is closer to to-one, largely due to the modern tendency of feeding livestock grains instead of grass. Compounds derived from Omega 6 fats encourage inflammation, cross the blood-brain barrier and can trigger depressive responses, Ilardi said.

Omega 3 fats, found in salmon, walnuts and flaxseeds, are anti-inflammatory and can help break the stress-inflammation cycle. Mental illness can begin at any age, from childhood through later adult years, but most cases begin earlier in life. The effects of mental illness can be temporary or long lasting. You also can have more than one mental health disorder at the same time. For example, you may have depression and a substance use disorder. Mental illness is a leading cause of disability.

Untreated mental illness can cause severe emotional, behavioral and physical health problems. Complications sometimes linked to mental illness include:.

There's no sure way to prevent mental illness. However, if you have a mental illness, taking steps to control stress, to increase your resilience and to boost low self-esteem may help keep your symptoms under control.

Follow these steps:. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Mental illness, also called mental health disorders, refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior.

Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Arlington, Va. Accessed April 8, Dual diagnosis. National Alliance on Mental Illness. Practice Guidelines for the Psychiatric Evaluation of Adults. Accessed April 1, Understanding psychotherapy and how it works. American Psychological Association. Asher GN, et al. Complementary therapies for mental health disorders.

Medical Clinics of North America. Complementary health approaches. Accessed April 4, Warning signs of mental illness. American Psychiatric Association. Helping a loved one cope with mental illness. What is mental illness? For friends and family members. For people with mental health problems. Brain stimulation therapies. National Institute of Mental Health.