Mental health disorders are estimated that one in five Americans will experience a mental illness in their lifetime, and about half of these people will not get any help.
The mental health community has recognized specific types of disorders that affect how we think, feel, behave, and interact with others. This article provides an overview of the types of mental illnesses and offers some tips on what you can do if you or someone you know has symptoms.
What are the different types of mental health disorders?
These descriptions allow people to understand the symptoms they might be experiencing if they have a mental illness.
There are many different types of mental illnesses, but they can generally be classified into four categories: mood disorders, psychotic disorders, anxiety disorders, and developmental disabilities (mental retardation).
How are mental health disorders diagnosed?
The first step in diagnosing a mental illness is to diagnose the person’s symptoms. Symptoms of mental illnesses differ from person to person, so it is important to understand what they are for each individual.
In addition, it is important to know that some symptoms may not be related to a mental illness. For example, if someone experiences unexplained fatigue, this could be a symptom of anemia and depression.
A medical professional will usually start by asking questions about the individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This conversation will determine if a mental illness might be present or if there are any other possible causes for the symptoms.
If the medical professional determines that a mental illness might be present, he or she will next make an assessment of the severity of the disorder. In some cases, blood tests or imaging studies may need to be performed (such as CT scans) in order to rule out other potential physical causes for symptoms like delusions or hallucinations.
What are some common types of mental health disorders?
The most common types of mental health diseases are major depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and panic attacks.
Major depression is characterized by feeling sad or hopeless for most of the day and having difficulty sleeping or concentrating.
Generalized anxiety disorder is the constant fear about things that aren’t real, like crime rates. This worry can be overwhelming and cause people to change their routines to avoid certain situations or thoughts.
Social phobia symptoms include; feeling nervous about what you might say, feeling scared before meeting people, and avoiding social gatherings altogether.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by recurring thoughts that are difficult to control, like fears that something bad will happen or just a general uneasy feeling. People often feel it compelled to perform repetitive behaviors in order to relieve these thoughts, like washing their hands repeatedly.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition that develops after experiencing a traumatic event such as military combat, natural disasters, car accidents, child abuse/molestation, rape/sexual assault, etc.
How to prevent or treat mental illnesses
Given the high prevalence of mental illness, it is important to know what you can do to help prevent or treat these conditions. The mental health community has identified specific types of disorders that affect how we think, feel, behave, and interact with others. This article provides an overview of the major types of mental illnesses and offers some tips on what you can do if you or someone close to you has symptoms.
Mental disorders are a broad category that can include any type of psychiatric disorder that affects behavior, thinking, or mood.
Some common types of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorder, eating disorders (such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa), bipolar disorder (sometimes known as manic depression), schizophrenia (including paranoid schizophrenia and catatonic schizophrenia), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
