Andre
Mental illness is a psychological condition that can affect the way you feel, think, and behave.
Do you know that the mainstream medical science community recognizes over 200 classified types of mental health issues?
Mental health issues can alter your perception and ability to do work, relate to people, and, most importantly, prevent you from leading a normal life. Different mental health issues display different symptoms offering different experiences. These experiences and symptoms vary from person-to-person, even if they all share a similar diagnosis.
Stigma and Absence of Diagnosis
Although mental health issues are common, it is uncommon for most individuals to admit they have a mental illness.
Why?
Many people suffering from psychological disorders battle with their illness in silence for several reasons. They are hesitant to come forward because none of us would want to admit we are not “normal.”
Moreover, there is a social stigma attached to mental illnesses that frightens the sufferer of the judgmental views not just by society but, at times, also by the loved ones.
Result? They do not get adequate help needed for their mental health wellbeing. These individuals often resort to self-medication with alcohol, drugs, and substance abuse to keep unwelcomed feelings and thoughts at bay.
5 Common Mental Health Issues
Like I mentioned earlier, there are more than 200 recognized types of mental illnesses. Here are five of the most common mental health issues that most people suffer from:
- Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety itself is a normal emotion. It is your brain’s way to respond to stressful situations and warn you to get prepared for a potential or imminent danger ahead. It is ok to feel anxious now and then.
For example, feeling anxious about a job interview, an upcoming exam, or your first date – all of these situations can make you worry a little. Still, this anxiety can motivate you to prepare better for the upcoming situation.
However, having an anxiety disorder is different. Various types of anxiety disorders can expose you to overwhelming and constant fears and worries.
The excessive bouts of anxiety can leave you psychologically paralyzed (not literally), and you may not be able to work, go to school, and enjoy social gatherings. In fact, all these situations can worsen your existing symptoms.
Some of the most common types of anxiety disorders are:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – feeling excessive and unrealistic worries and stresses.
- Pain Disorder – experience chest pains, sweats, heart palpitations, etc.
- Social Anxiety Disorder or (Social Phobia) – fear of social situations and worrying about being judged, ridiculed, or embarrassed
- Phobias – Intense fear of certain situations or objects such as flying or heights.
- Agoraphobia – an intense fear of getting trapped in a place.
- Separation Anxiety – feeling fearful or anxious every time a person you are close to leaves your sight. It is not only in the kids, but adults suffer from this type of anxiety too.
- Selective Mutism – social anxiety where a person normally talks with their loved ones but do not speak in public or front of strangers.
2. Mood Disorders
All of us have felt irritability, sadness, and general cases of “I do not care anymore” at some point in our lives. Bad moods do take over, but they are usually temporary. However, individuals with mood disorders suffer from more severe and sustained disruptions and symptoms.
If you are someone struggling with this type of mental health issue, you must know your mood impacts both your psychological and physical wellbeing on a daily basis. In fact, it governs most how you will feel and spend most of your day.
According to an estimate, 1 in 10 adults suffer from some variation of mood disorder, and the most common conditions are bipolar disorder and depression. However, if properly diagnosed and treated on time, people suffering from mood disorders can lead normal, productive, and healthy lives.
On the other hand, it can affect the most basic role functions and quality of life if neglected or left untreated. Moreover, it can also lead to other chronic physical health problems, such as cardiac diseases and diabetes.
3. Psychotic Disorders
People suffering from psychotic disorders may find it difficult or completely lose the ability to differentiate reality from delusions or truth from false.
In other words, psychotic disorders alter your perception of reality. Research has concluded that certain viruses, extreme trauma or stress, problems with certain brain circuits, and some types of drug abuse can trigger a psychotic disorder.
Most of the time, psychotic disorders require professional and medical mental health treatment. In severe cases, a person with psychotic disorder needs to be hospitalized due to a complete disconnect from reality.
Some of the most common types of psychotic disorders are:
- Brief psychotic disorder
- Delusional disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Schizoaffective disorder
- Substance-induced psychotic disorder
4. Dementia
Dementia is well-known for the disruption of your consciousness. It also changes your cognitive health affecting your motor skills and mainly resulting in memory loss.
Three of the most common types of dementia include:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Mental health conditions such as Head Trauma, Parkinson’s
- Substance-induced dementia (using alcohol, drugs, exposure to toxin and inhalants)
5. Eating Disorders
An eating disorder is a chronic and serious mental health issue. If left unchecked, it can pose a serious life-threat to the person suffering from it. The eating disorder usually establishes its foundations during your adolescent years and is primarily associated with affecting females.
Although there are various expression and symptoms of eating disorders, the most common ones involve obsessive and distressing thoughts that trigger this mental health issue and related behaviors such as
- Overeating
- Feeling depressed or distressed
- Reduction of food intake
- The concern of body shape, weight, and poor self-image
An eating disorder typically begins with individuals consuming larger or smaller portions. However, these urges may increase or decrease over time as the illness escalates. There are three common types of eating disorders.
- Anorexia Nervosa – where a person starves voluntarily
- Bulimia Nervosa – where a person binge eats followed by voluntary vomiting, fasting, purging, or excessive exercising.
- Binge Eating Disorder – where a person indulges in uncontrolled eating without vomiting it out or abusing laxatives.
