Originally Posted by chris_quilts
I do not completely agree with people with a mental illness not knowing that they are ill. Sometimes we are aware that our behavior is odd or bizarre but asking for and getting help is difficult. Especially if you don't have insurance or are underinsured, help is nigh unto impossible to come by unless you commit yourself (good luck with finding or getting an open bed) and even then help is not guaranteed b/c stabilization is the operative phrase. Well enough to leave the facility but perhaps not well enough to function in society or even with medications and a followup services. Sorry about the soapbox but I do have a mental illness and a good dr/therapist can be difficult to find.
It would depend on which mental illness is manifesting, whether it is an Axis I or Axis II diagnosis, is it one illness or a cluster. Then there are the different personality disorders which are not mental illness at all. Someone experiencing a psychotic break is not aware they are psychotic.
There are so many factors involved and blurred boundaries when it comes to mental illness. That's why sometimes it takes months if not years for a psychiatrist to get an accurate diagnosis. Then the daunting task of finding the right medications starts.