Did you know that 1 in 5 adults in the US has mental illness each year? There are many different types of mental illness.
Each person is unique and, as such, experiences mental illness differently. Mental health issues are often labeled to assist doctors with directing patients to the appropriate diagnosis and recovery.
Mental disorder is a broad term that refers to a category of conditions that may impair a person’s thoughts, feelings, mood, or behavior. Living with a mental illness can make it challenging to balance employment and relationships.
The connection between stress and mental illness is complicated. Stress can exacerbate an incident of mental illness. Medication, counseling or both can help certain people cope with their mental condition.
Are you attempting to get a better understanding of the many aspects of mental illness? This article contains a list of some of the most prominent mental health problems and illnesses.
Living With Anxiety
Anxiety disorder patients develop intense feelings of panic and concern. They are much more sensitive to this than a normal person.
They may be constantly worried about problems that others consider insignificant. They may have worries that prevent them from doing regular, daily things such as being outdoors or going traveling.
A phobia develops as people begin to resist situations that bother or frighten them.
Being Depressed
Depression is a mood condition marked by a downturn in mood, a lack of interest and pleasure, and a loss of energy. That change in mood can sometimes be to the extent that they do not want to eat or get out of bed. But, feeling down or overwhelmed is not the same as experiencing depression.
People living with a mental illness such as depression can even become anxious, irritable, or sob for no apparent reason. No matter how hard they try, they can’t just snap out of it or make themselves feel better.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a form of personality disorder. Bipolar disorder is feelings of euphoria and then depression.
Psychotic signs may or may not occur with the person. While the precise cause is unclear, a genetic tendency exists. Stressful situations in life can also set off episodes of this mental disorder.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
People who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may feel compelled to repeat actions over and over. An example is someone who washes their hands or touches certain things repetitively.
They may be ‘fixated’ with bacteria or getting things in order because they feel like they can’t help themselves.
They also believe that if they do not replicate certain behaviors, something bad will happen to them or others.
Living With Paranoia
Paranoia is the unfounded and enduring belief that others are trying to get at you. Paranoid personality disorder, psychotic disorder, and schizophrenia are also disorders that can cause paranoia.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is a mental illness. It will have an effect on someone who has experienced a stressful situation. Some causes of post-traumatic stress disorder are:
- This can be any serious accident
- physical or sexual assault
- war-related events or torture
- natural disasters like floods, tornados, or bushfires
People who have PTSD will show symptoms such as flashbacks, bad nightmares, and high anxiety. PTSD can last for months or even years and can interfere with everyday activities.
Living With Eating Disorders
Feelings about eating and their size often consume people who suffer from eating disorders. There are two types of eating disorders.
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia is a form of eating disorder marked by abnormally low body weight, a strong fear of weight gain, and a skewed understanding of weight. Anorexics put a high emphasis on maintaining their weight and form, and they will go to great lengths to do so.
Anorexics restrict their food consumption by vomiting after meals, using laxatives, diet pills, and enemas. No matter how what weight is lost, the individual is always afraid of gaining it back.
Anorexia is a dangerous and often fatal means of coping with mental issues.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is a disorder marked by binge eating or the intake of significant quantities of food in a short period of time. Thereafter, to compensate, it is followed by making themselves vomit, taking laxatives, dieting, fasting, or exercising vigorously.
Bulimia nervosa mostly affects teenagers and young adults. Bulimia nervosa affects about one out of every 100 young females in a given year. Males have a much lower prevalence of this mental disorder.
Psychosis or Psychotic Behaviour
Delusions, paranoia, and jumbled thinking are common symptoms of psychosis. Drug-induced paranoia, schizophrenia, and mood disturbances are also examples of mental illnesses that can trigger psychosis.
Psychotic effects may be reduced or even eliminated with the help of medication and psychological therapy.
Living With Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental condition marked by disturbances of thought and emotions and a warped view of reality. Schizophrenia symptoms may range from mild to severe, but they may include the following:
- hallucinations
- delusions
- thought disorder
- social withdrawal
- lack of motivation
- impaired thinking and memory
Suicide is a major problem for people suffering from schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is not the same as having two personalities.
Treatment For Different Types of Mental Illness
In the treatment of mental illness, incredible progress has been made. As a result, you can now treat many mental illnesses just as well as physical conditions.
The majority of mental rehabilitation options fall into one of two categories:
Somatic Treatments
Drugs, electroconvulsive therapy, and other brain-stimulating therapies are examples of somatic treatments—for example, vagus nerve stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Psychotherapeutic Treatments
Psychotherapy is a form of psychotherapeutic treatment. It may be done with an individual, in a group, or as a family. Techniques include relaxation therapy, exposure therapy, and hypnotherapy in behavior therapy.
Most findings show that a clinical plan that includes both medications and psychotherapy is more successful than one treatment option alone for serious mental health problems.
Back To Normality
At points in our lives, we have all felt sad. Most people with mental illness do not go about, as portrayed in the movies, committing a murderous crime spree!
Even if you or a family member have not personally experienced different types of mental illness, you are very likely to meet someone who has.
Nowadays, they can successfully treat mental illness by reducing symptoms. People can then live and function in normal life. However, a person must first see a licensed mental health provider to begin therapy.
If you have found this article interesting, browse our page for more informative articles!