Types of Mental Illness #CauseAChatter

Mental Health disorders

Mental illness or Mental Health Disorders comprises abnormal thinking, perception, emotions, or behavior. There are many types of mental health disorders and they have their own presentations. Types of mental disorders:

• Depression
• Bipolar- disorders
• Schizophrenia & Psychosis
• Eating disorders
• Dementia
• Developmental disorders (Autism)
• Phobia

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The stigma around mental illness should be countered by spreading awareness in society. I’m explaining the types of mental illnesses which would further be explained in detail in the consecutive posts.

Depression:

It is one of the most common mental illnesses encountered in the world approximately 264 million people are suffering from depression.

It consists of

• Sadness
• Loss of interest
• Low self-esteem
• Reduced sleep/ insomnia
• Irritable and tired
• Poor concentration
• Suicidal thoughts
• Physical pain like headaches etc

Bipolar disorders:

People suffering from bipolar disorders swing between mania and depression with periods of normalcy in between.

• Hyperexcited
• Irritable
• Reduced need for sleep
• Anger bursts
• Overspending

Schizophrenia & Psychosis:

It’s an abnormality of thought and perception, leading to distorted reality for people suffering from it.

• Delusion of grandeur (delusion is a false belief)
• Thought broadcasting/ sharing
• Delusion of persecution
• Hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that are not present)

It’s an illness that needs treatment and in the absence of proper treatment, it might lead to self-harm or harm to others in severe cases.

Eating disorders:

Due to the projection of beauty in society, lots of the population have started following the norm. it leads to eating disorders that are constantly associated with body dysmorphic syndrome. Teenagers and young adults usually suffer from it. It’s a strong emotional and behavioral reaction towards weight and food.

• Anorexia Nervosa (Lack of eating)
• Bulimia Nervosa (self-induced vomiting after eating anything)
• Binge eating
• Body Dysmorphic syndrome (feeling of self-hate for the body and trying to correct it by any means necessary)

Dementia:

It’s a chronic progressive illness leading to deterioration in cognitive functions (ability to process thoughts) prematurely causing alteration in learning, calculations, thinking, orientation, memory, etc. It could be seen in diseases like Alzheimer’s Disease or stroke

There’s no definitive treatment available for controlling dementia or reducing its progression for now. But treatments are under trial so soon we’ll be able to provide a viable option.  

Support from family and peers is very helpful.

Developmental Disorders:

It’s an intellectual disability with high IQ and low IQ, which further helps in adapting to the daily demands of life. These are constant and progressive disorders that manifest during childhood.

• Impaired social behavior
• Poor communication
• Poor language development
• A narrow range of interest
• Activities that are unique to that person

Autism is best treated by peer and parental support.

Phobia:

Phobia is an overwhelming, persistent, excessive, unrealistic fear of an object/ person/ animal/ activity or situation. It’s a type of Anxiety Disorder. It’s more common in females than in males.

• Dizziness/ Unsteadiness/ Light-headedness
• Palpitations
• Nausea/ Vomiting
• Sweating
• Raised Heart Rate
• Breathlessness
• Trembling

It’s best treated by:

• Self-exposure therapy
• Self-help program organized with the help of health professionals
• Counseling
• Psychotherapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Medication: Antidepressant/ Tranquillizers.

With this post, I’m spreading mental awareness to the public to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. I hope my post has answered some of your queries for the rest feel free to reach out.

With this post, I’m joining the initiative by Blogchatter to #CauseAChatter. I’d love to spread knowledge on the dreaded topic of Mental illness through a series of posts throughout the year. if you also want to blog with a cause and want to make a difference then join Cause A chatter.

Disclaimer: This article is for reference purposes only, under no circumstances it should be used as a replacement for medical opinion by Professionals. Any decision regarding health and health care should be taken after professional advice only. Health care advice and information shared by the author are best to her knowledge. We disclaim all responsibilities for any inadvertent omission/ commission by the author or the website.

Reference:

• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968
• https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-types-illness
• https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/servicesandsupport/types-of-mental-health-issues-and-illnesses
• https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders