Mental health disorders are common and can have a severe negative impact on a person’s life. If you or a loved one are suffering from mental health disorders, it is essential to seek a medical professional’s help. Treatment is available and can help relieve the issues brought on by these disorders. It is important to remember that you are not alone in this, with many people going through the same feelings and thoughts as you.
Mental health disorders are illnesses that affect the mood or thoughts of a person. Many different types of mental health disorders can have an array of symptoms. The primary common factor is how the disease changes the feel of the person suffering.
Mental health disorders are relatively common in the United States, with 1 in 5 adults experiencing some level of mental illness each year and 1 in 20 adults experiencing severe mental illness. Despite how widespread mental health disorders are in the country, many people remain uncomfortable discussing or seeking treatment for their problems.
Mental health disorders will usually present itself at an early age. Half of the people who have a mental illness will see symptoms by the age of 14, and 75% will be 24. Different types of mental health disorders can be caused by various factors, although scientists consider most mental illnesses to be caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors.
Mental health disorders can often cause significant problems in a person’s life. Some people may experience a negative impact on their work or school performance. Fatigue, stress, and exhaustion are common symptoms of many mental health disorders. It can also put a strain on relationships with family members or friends.
Many mental health disorders present themselves in different ways. The defining characteristic is based on how the disorder manipulates a person’s thoughts or feelings, although even that can have other effects based on the type of disorder. Some categories of mental health disorders include:
A mood disorder is an illness that continually affects a person’s emotional state. Also called affective disorders, the most commonly diagnosed examples of this type of disorder are depression and bipolar disorder.
Depression, or major depressive disorder, causes a person to feel a constant state of sadness for an extended period. Depressive episodes will last at least two weeks and cause fatigue, trouble concentrating, and a loss of interest in activities. A person suffering from
depression may also experience thoughts of self-harm or suicide. It is crucial for anyone showing symptoms of depression to seek medical help.
Bipolar disorder causes a person to go through “highs and lows,” often referred to as manic and depressive episodes. A person with bipolar disorder may suffer from depression for several weeks before suddenly feeling the opposite way, gaining high energy and a reckless state of mind. The drastic mood swings caused by bipolar disorder make it a difficult illness to manage without help.
Anxiety disorders cause increased stress or concern in a person’s mind, even if they actively understand the worry is not justified. Different anxiety disorders make a person feel anxious about various circumstances. Social anxiety disorder, for example, causes dread when a person is in front of a crowd or meeting new people.
Generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD, is a constant state of worry over seemingly small circumstances that many people would not consider worrisome. Anxiety disorders can have a massive impact on a person’s life as they go out of their way to avoid situations that may trigger their anxiety.
Personality disorders are diagnosed when a person has an extreme part of their personality that they feel is distressing. A person who has a personality disorder may understand the problems with their behavior and still be unable to change it without help.
Personality disorders often cause immense trouble in relationships as many others will find it difficult to interact with them. Examples of personality disorders include borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and paranoid personality disorder.
Eating disorders are mental illnesses that affect how a person feels about food or their weight. Often eating disorders distort a person’s body image. An eating disorder could cause a person to overeat or attempt to starve themselves to lose weight. Common eating disorders include anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.
It is a difficult question to answer if mental health disorders can be lethal. On the one hand, it is doubtful a mental illness would ever be considered the primary cause of death. However, mental health challenges can increase risk factors that can indeed be lethal. Even if the mental illness itself may not be considered deadly, a person with mental illness is more likely to die younger than someone who is not suffering from mental illness.
Disorders that cause stress, such as anxiety disorders, can negatively impact a person’s cardiac system, especially if they have pre-existing heart problems. Depression and bipolar disorder can lead to suicide left untreated as well.
It should also be noted that the rates of addiction and drug abuse are far higher among people who suffer from mental health disorders. These trends can also play large factors in the mortality rates of people who suffer from mental health challenges.
It is essential to seek help for mental health disorders if you or a loved one feel it is having a negative impact on your life. While most mental health disorders are not considered to have a cure, they are considered treatable. Often treatment for mental illness is done through a combination of medication and psychological treatment.
Support groups, talk therapy, and counseling can all be powerful tools in the treatment of mental health disorders. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT, is often implemented in the treatments of mental illness. CBT works by taking negative thoughts that have occurred around recent events and reframing them to promote positive feelings and healthier behaviors in the future. This method can help treat anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and mood disorders.
No matter what mental health disorder you may be diagnosed with, it is essential to find the personalized treatment plan that works best for you. At AM Health Care, we will help you find the perfect method to help you with your treatment. Please call us at 818-383-1297 to learn more about treatment options.
