Mental health is an individual’s emotional, social, and psychological well-being. It determines how we feel, behave, think, and socialize with others. Your mental state affects your decision-making in times of distress; hence, it’s a crucial aspect of human life.
Mental health disorders, on the flip side, are mental illnesses that affect your thinking, feelings, and behavior adversely. In extreme cases, these illnesses can affect your overall mood, affecting your performance at work, school, and home. Also, they can make you start withdrawing from your social life because you feel unsafe in most environments.
Mental health conditions can significantly impact a person’s behavior, but effective treatment is available from qualified mental health professionals. Most of them have online platforms where you can get their contact, reach out, and get help. An example of such a website is jacksonhousecares.com. By clicking the link, you’ll find out about the mental health issues, such as depression, they treat and a contact you can reach.
Before you think of seeking professional mental health services, it’s essential to know some mental health disorders that exist. They include the following:
1. Depression
Depression is an illness that affects how you feel, think, and even act. It’s among the most common mental health issues people face and causes of disability. You can either get minor depression, which is less severe, or major depression, whose symptoms are more outstanding and last longer.
Some of the characteristics of depression include constant feelings of uncontrolled sadness and getting easily irritable for weeks and months without getting any relief. Other symptoms include:
- Loss of weight
- Lack of appetite
- Losing interest in indulging in activities you once enjoyed doing
- Feeling unworthy
- Suicidal thoughts
- Inability to concentrate or focus
- Lack of sleep
- Low self-esteem
Despite all these symptoms, depression is treatable. If you get a certified professional to help you, you can get through the condition with much-needed support.
2. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is a mental health problem that often comes after experiencing a traumatic event. It’s how your emotions respond to a traumatic event. The symptoms of PTSD are similar to those of depression, like losing self-worth and insomnia.
Some significant causes of PTSD include the following:
- Childhood neglect
- Domestic violence
- Tragic accidents
- Sexual abuse
- Abandonment
- Terrorist attacks
The remedy to this mental health problem is getting a professional therapist to walk with you through it, and in the long run, you’ll be fine.
3. Anxiety
This mental health condition is characterized by extreme fear and worry. The minor form of anxiety is known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It’s less severe and can be treated within a short period. Some of its symptoms include the following:
- Getting easily offended or shocked
- Excessive worry about many things in life
- Difficulty in concentration
On the flip side, there’s significant anxiety, which has the following symptoms:
- Panic attacks
- Constant worry
- Headaches
- Fear
- Depression
- Tension
Most psychotherapists prefer using cognitive behavioral therapy to treat this mental health condition. Also, the professionals might expose the patient to the things they fear the most from time to time to help them overcome their phobias—a technique called exposure therapy.
4. Bipolar Disorder
This mood disorder makes the victim extremely happy or sad. Some of its symptoms include the following:
- Rapid cycling
- Depression
- Cyclothymia
- Manic episodes
Individuals between 18–25 are the most susceptible to getting this condition. As much as talk therapy can be a solution, experts administer antidepressants to help regulate the feelings and thoughts of sadness and fluctuating moods. Moreover, they may also recommend antipsychotic medications to help control the patient’s attitudes, thoughts, and emotions.
5. Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental health issue that makes an individual hear and see things that aren’t in existence. They’re unable to fathom reality and interpret it abnormally. Most times, this condition is hereditary; however, it can also be caused by excessive alcohol and substance use, which causes hallucinations.
This mental health condition makes the victim act and behave abnormally, from how they walk and talk to how they handle issues in life. Some of its symptoms include the following:
- Poor social skills
- Hallucinations
- Awkward or rude behavior
- Disorganized thinking and speech
Experts recommend that individuals get immediate help from professionals if they start experiencing this condition; otherwise, it may be too late to get treatment. One treatment method that psychotherapists use to handle this condition, plus its symptoms, is an antipsychotic medication. Other forms of treatment include:
- Joining peer support groups
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Social skills training
- Family therapy
The aim of using these treatment techniques is to tame the individual’s behavior and perception to help bring them back to normalcy.
6. Eating Disorders
Individuals with this mental health issue eat abnormally. There are three common sub-categories of eating disorders, which are the following:
- Bulimia nervosa
- Binge eating disorder
- Anorexia nervosa
Here’s an explanation to better understand these types of eating disorders. First, bulimia nervosa is when a person eats and then purges the food. They may either use laxative abuse methods (sucking nutrients, minerals, indigestible waste, and water from the body) or vomit the food out.
Anorexia nervosa is when an individual has an extreme fear of becoming fat or gaining weight. Individuals with this condition perceive themselves wrongly and mostly negatively; hence, they’ll go to extreme lengths to lose weight.
Often, they feel like they’re obese or overweight, which might not actually be the case. So, they’ll most likely exercise excessively or starve to shed as much weight as they can.
A binge eating disorder is when a person eats a lot of food but doesn’t get satisfied. Although eating disorders can present differently, common symptoms to look out for include:
- Fear of gaining weight
- Anxiety in the presence of food
- Pale skin
- Anemia
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
Before concluding that you have a mental health disorder, you should visit a mental health center first to get a proper diagnosis. If they ascertain that you have the condition, then they’ll administer proper treatment to help you.
Conclusion
Mental health disorders cause individuals to change their thinking, behavior, and even how they feel about themselves. Some common mental health disorders include the following: depression, anxiety, eating disorders, insomnia, PTSD, and schizophrenia. The good news is that these conditions are treatable, so if you experience any of the symptoms highlighted above, don’t hesitate to visit a doctor.