9.1 Marriage of mentally ill people

Posted on August 6, 2011 by admin
Mental illness afflicts nearly 20% of the population, and this does not include those that are victim of addiction. Whereas minor illnesses like anxiety and depression do not constitute a bar to marriage, however this is not so in the case of the severely mentally ill. In the case of psychosis one should wait for it to be treated and brought under control before any plans for marriage are undertaken, and even those should be under the strict guidance of the treating psychiatrist.
However in both the minor as well as the severe mentally ill it is in the interest of all concerned to let the prospective mate know of the affliction. If the disease is discovered after marriage it can become a cause of discord and recriminations between the spouses and their families. However if the matter is frankly discussed before marriage and the situation is acceptable to both parties then these problems can be avoided.
9.2 Epilepsy or seizure disorder
Epilepsy consists of many kind of symptoms. The classical and the well known pattern is that epileptic who looses consciousness, has a convulsion of a part or whole of the body, falls down, hurts himself and on occasion urinates during the fit. However any collection of symptoms occurring cyclically, whereas in between the person is quite well, should be suspected for the diagnosis of epilepsy. In these so called fits they may or may not be unconsciousness. The symptoms may be motor, sensory, psychosomatic, psychomotor or behavioral. Some times the fits occur only during or soon after sleep.
Now a days there is a whole array of medicines, which control this condition and make the person capable of living and working normally. Thus such a person can also marry and have children. However there is a tendency for this illness to run in the genes of the off spring therefore it is advisable that both of the spouses should not be suffering from this illness. If this precaution is taken the chances of transmitting the illness to the offsprings are very minimal.