What are Mental Disorders?
Mental Health Test references used

Mental Disorders: What Are They?

Mental disorders are typically defined as set of conditions that affect a person's mood, thinking and behavior. Although most mental illnesses are invisible to the general eye unlike physical injuries, these disorders can be just as damaging if not more. Many factors can contribute to a person's mental health, including but not limited to:

There are many different types of mental disorders. Here are 8 of the more common ones, but these are very general descriptions that you should not rely completely on, since everyone is different. If you think that you or someone you know may exhibit symptoms for or have a mental disorder, it is recommended to find a trained medical professional or therapist instead of self-diagnosing.

1. Depression

Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn't worth living. Depression may require long-term treatment. But don't get discouraged. Most people with depression feel better with medication, psychotherapy or both.

Symptoms:

2. Anxiety

Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness. Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. The first day of school, going to a job interview, or giving a speech may cause most people to feel fearful and nervous. But if your feelings of anxiety are extreme, last for longer than six months, and are interfering with your life, you may have an anxiety disorder. Long term effects of anxiety disorder include insomnia, headaches and stomach issues.

Symptoms:

3. Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression) is a mood disorder that is very similar to depression that is associated with mood swings from depressive lows and manic highs. These phases can last from days to weeks, but a person must have experienced both phases to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder. People with bipolar disorder, especially when they are experiencing mania, almost always require medication to get better. Prolonged mania can lead to an irreversible decline in cognitive ability, so if you think you or a person you know has bipolar disorder, seek help as soon as possible.

Symptoms:

4. ADHD

ADHD, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a chronic condition that is characterized by attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. ADHD is most common in young children. Symptoms sometimes lessen with age, but some people never completely outgrow their ADHD symptoms. Most healthy children are inattentive, hyperactive or impulsive at one time or another, so it is hard to tell whether someone has ADHD or not. But if you or someone you know has ADHD, don’t worry! You can still learn strategies to be successful in life.

Symptoms:

5. Borderline personality disorder

Borderline personality disorder is a personality disorder. It is often confused with bipolar disorder, however they are not the same. Borderline personality disorder changes the way a person feels about themselves and others, and severely impacts someone’s ability to regulate their emotions. Borderline personality disorder usually begins by early adulthood. The condition seems to be worse in young adulthood and may gradually get better with age. Many people with this disorder get better over time with treatment and can learn to live normal lives.

Symptoms:

6. PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event either experiencing it or witnessing it. Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD. Getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop can be critical to reduce symptoms and improve function.

Symptoms:

7. Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a medical disorder that changes the way people think, act, or look at reality. This is an incurable disease, and though it is uncommon, it is extremely dangerous. The most common occurrences whenever someone has schizophrenia are delusion, hallucinations, and disorganized speech. In men, schizophrenia symptoms typically start in the early to mid-20s. In women, symptoms typically begin in the late 20s.

Symptoms:

8. Anorexia

Anorexia is an eating disorder characterized by an unusually low weight, severe fear of obesity and a distorted view of weight. People with anorexia place great importance on controlling their weight and mood, using extreme measures that often disrupt their life. People with this disorder prevent themselves from intaking food with the fear of gain of weight. They often go to extreme measures to do this like by vomiting after eating or by misusing laxatives, diet aids, diuretics or enemas. The person tries to lose weight by even hazardous measures no matter how much weight is gained.

Symptoms:

9. OCD

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) presents a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you to repetitive behaviors (compulsions). These obsessions and compulsions interfere with daily activities and cause considerable discomfort. People with this disorder may even try to ignore these obsessions, but that eventually leads them to experiencing more distress and anxiety. To avoid the bothersome thoughts and urges, they come back, leading to it becoming a cycle from which the person cannot escape.

Symptoms:

What Should I Do If I Have Symptoms?

The human brain is complicated. It is extremely hard to self-diagnose a mental disorder based on symptoms that you alone have noticed, as some disorders have more mild symptoms than others and receiving the wrong medication can do you more harm than good. If you experience any of these symptoms, it is recommended to see a medical or mental health professional like a therapist, who can help you properly diagnose your condition. This page is for informational purposes only.

Remember:

If you have severe symptoms or are contemplating self-harm or suicide, get help right away:

If someone you know is experiencing severe symptoms or is contemplating suicide, talk to them about getting help. You cannot force someone to seek help, but if they refuse, the best you can do is to be there for them.