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Mental illness can be treated. This means that many people who have a mental illness, and are treated, recover well or even completely. However, because there are many different factors contributing to the development of each illness, it can sometimes be difficult to predict how, when, or to what degree someone is going to get better. Treatment means all the different ways in which someone with a mental illness can get help to minimise the effects of the illness. It can involve medication, individual therapy and various supports in the community, as well as people with the mental illness helping themselves. There are lots of things that people with a mental illness can do for themselves, to help recover a balanced life. Healthy eating, getting plenty of sleep and regular physical activity are all important to good mental health. Learning skills which help deal with stress, feeling down, relationships or the symptoms of the illness, are also ways in which someone with a mental illness can look after themselves.

The correct treatment can help a person's condition to improve or, in some cases, recover completely. Treatment in the community, rather than in a hospital, is considered better for a person's mental health. Psychological treatments are often the most helpful for people affected by anxiety disorders or depression, while medications are mainly helpful for people more seriously affected by mental illness. Sometimes the symptoms can be so confusing for the person that they do not realise they are ill. In this case, family or friends can visit the doctor to discuss what can be done. Medications are mainly helpful for people who are more seriously affected by mental illness. Different types of medication treat different types of mental illness. Antidepressant medications are used to treat phobias, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and eating disorders. Antipsychotic medications are used to treat psychotic illnesses, for example schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Newer antipsychotic medications may have some side effects, but tend to have fewer of the effects that were associated with the older medications, for example stiffening and weakening of the muscles and muscle spasms. Mood stabilisers are helpful for people who have bipolar disorder. These medications, such as lithium carbonate, can help reduce the recurrence of major depression and can help reduce the manic or ‘high' episodes.