Can somebody prove that it does?

I don't understand why someone has to 'prove' that it does. In fact mental illness takes many forms, as this website will explain. Why do you ask?

Understanding Mental Illness | Canadian Mental Health Association (http://www.cmha.ca/mental-health/understanding-mental-illness)

Why don't you prove that it doesn't?

If there can be illness of the kidneys, heart, lungs, etc. why can't there be illness of the mind?

From your threads I am guessing you have been diagnosed with a mental illness but are in denial.

Mental illness is merely a convenient term, good for insurance coverage and government benefits.

You really believe that joy?

You really believe that joy?

I do for the purposes of this person's question, to emphasize that it is a broad and vague term, and not a particularly useful one. Is someone who had trauma and is anxious mentally ill or responding naturally to a dangerous world? Is a sexually abused child with multiple personalities mentally ill or forming a useful protection around herself that allows her to function? There are countless philosophical (and medical) arguments that we could talk about all day, so I chose to say what I said, just as I usually say that a psychiatric diagnosis is basically for coding and insurance claims.

We don't know how old OP is. An alarmingly high number of rebellious kids are being slapped with a mental diagnosis - for the insurance coverage.

I would have to say, joy, that from personal experience, psychiatric diagnosis is not basically for coding or insurance claims. Did you read the website I presented? Mental illness takes many forms, some of them not found in a text book though. Depression is a form of mental illness, would you say that is for coding and insurance claims?

Responding naturally (for an individual) to a dangerous world would to all intents mean that that person does have a mentality towards unusual trains of thought, therefore the assumptiion would be a form of mental illness.

Joy, have you ever experienced mental illness? Had a friend or family member who lived with it?

Yes, I can. If there was no such thing as mental illness then people would not do things to hurt themselves or others. I had a sister in law, who suffered from mental illness to the point she committed suicide.

Mental illness can take many different forms and manifestations.

Mental illness implies it is possible to recover, but there are many affliction where recovery simply isn't an option, although who is to say what is normal anyway..

Mental illness is a blanket term that encompasses many diagnoses. A simple few ade depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder.

Danzz, which one have you been diagnosed with?

I put it out here as a vague term to cover all the situations where it either doesn't matter or is arguable, not where people do harm or can't function in daily routine. I'm not talking about those who have circumstantial depression/anxiety or who are disaffected and rebellious. It's one of those 'spectrum' terms.

What I or people near to me have gone through is not really relevant. I can discuss the Marinaras Trench and have never been there, and an oncologist doesn't have to have cancer to discuss cancer.

We are arguing all around the OP, who hasn't said how old he is, why he is so belligerent, and where in the world he is. Maybe he is being railroaded by a lousy doctor! He says psychiatrists are out to scamp people, a word I haven't heard before in that context.