: someone who is or acts mentally unsound. especially : such a person associated with a radical or extremist political cause.
a person who is mentally deranged or insane. Informal. an unpredictable, nonconforming person; oddball: Next door is a house full of crazies who wear weird clothes and come in at all hours.
People use the word “crazy” to mean silly, strange, or outlandish; they use the word as a modifier like “extremely” or “intensely”; they use it to mean irrational or unexplainable; and sometimes they use it to describe mental illness.
Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to other people.
There are only four types of madness, and no one is exempt. According to this light-hearted (but not totally crazy) scheme, we are all mad all of the time. There are only four types of madness: bad, mad (angry), sad and glad; and we may at different times exhibit all four.
Warning signs of mental illness in adults
Chronic sadness or irritability. Obsession with certain thoughts, people, or things. Confused thinking or problems with concentrating. Detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia.
insanity. n. mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior.
Mental illness is an illness, even though some choose not to accept it. “Crazy” has been a word to portray those who suffer with mental illness as dangerous, weak, unpredictable, unproductive and incapable of rational behavior or relationships. It is a word used without any serious thought or consideration.
Mental illness is usually a broader and more inclusive term than Insanity. Insanity is usually reserved for describing severe conditions involving psychotic-like breaks with reality, while Mental Illness can include both severe and milder forms of mental problems (such as anxiety disorders and mild depressions).
“Snap out of it!”
This is one of the most commonly used and most dismissive comments of all. Telling someone to “cheer up” or “let it go” sends a damaging message: that mental illness is something to be ignored, endured, or both.
When we talk about anosognosia in mental illness, we mean that someone is unaware of their own mental health condition or that they can't perceive their condition accurately. Anosognosia is a common symptom of certain mental illnesses, perhaps the most difficult to understand for those who have never experienced it.
There's no cure for mental illness, but there are lots of effective treatments. People with mental illnesses can recover and live long and healthy lives.
Insanity in Contemporary Times
For example: “A person with depression” instead of “a depressed person.” “A person who has anorexia nervosa” or “a person diagnosed with an eating disorder” instead of “an anorexic” or “a bulimic.”
A sane mind is nowadays considered healthy both from its analytical - once called rational - and emotional aspects. According to the writer G. K. Chesterton, sanity involves wholeness, whereas insanity implies narrowness and brokenness.
Severe and chronic anxiety can make a person feel like they are “going crazy” or losing control. Those with anxiety typically have not lost touch with reality, but may be struggling with reality. Different types of anxiety cause different types of “crazy” feelings, so knowing your anxiety type matters.
As much as you might love or care for the individual, if they are emotionally, mentally, or physically abusive, it is okay to step away from the situation. Some examples of emotional, mental, and physical abuse include: Emotional & Mental Abuse: Being dissatisfied, no matter how hard you try or how much you give.
The Ryff Scale is based on six factors: autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life, and self-acceptance. Higher total scores indicate higher psychological well-being.
People with psychosis typically experience delusions (false beliefs, for example, that people on television are sending them special messages or that others are trying to hurt them) and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that others do not, such as hearing voices telling them to do something or criticizing them).
Psychosis can also be triggered by traumatic experiences, stress, or physical conditions, such as Parkinson's disease, a brain tumour, or as a result of drug misuse or alcohol misuse. How often a psychotic episode occurs and how long it lasts can depend on the underlying cause.