Categories of Mental Illness

Psychological Disorders, Psychiatric Disorders or mental disorders are patterns of behavioral and psychological symptoms that impact multiple areas of life. These disorders create distress for the person. It is a disease of the brain that causes mild to severe disturbances in thought and/or behavior, resulting in an inability to cope with life's decision.

There are more than 200 classified forms of mental illness.

Some of the more common disorders are:

Clinical depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disordes, dementia, etc.

Symptoms may include changes in mood, personality, personal habits and/or social withdrawal.

"According to the latest World Health Organization report on depression released on 23rd Feb. 2017, Thursday, almost 7.5% of Indians suffer from major or minor mental disorders that require expert intervention."

While there are over 200 classified forms of mental illness, the five major categories of mental illness are:

ANXIETY DISORDER:

A mental health disorder characterized by feelings of worry, anxiety or fear that are strong enough to interface with one's daily activities. They are a group of mental illness, and the distress they cause can keep you from carrying on with your life normally.

Symptoms:

•  Fatigue, restlessness, sweating, lack of concentration, racing thoughts, or unwanted thoughts, hypervigilance or irritability, anxiety, excessive worry, fear, feeling of impending doom, insomnia, nausea, palpitations, or trembling.

EATING DISORDERS:

Irregular eating habits and severe distress or concern about body weight or shape causes eating disorders. Although these conditions are treatable, the symptoms and consequences can be detrimental and deadly if not addressed. Eating disorders commonly coexist with other conditions, such as anxiety disorders, substance abuse, or depression.

Symptoms:

• Constant weight fluctuations,
• Obsession with calories and fat contents of food
• Depression or lethargic stage
• Avoidance of social functions, family, and friends. May become isolated and withdrawn
• Switching between periods of overeating and fasting
• Stomach Cramps
• Sleep Problems, etc.

MOOD DISORDERS:

Mood disorders are a category of illnesses that describe a serious change in mood. Mood disorders encompass a wide array of mood issues, such as major depression, depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder.

Major depression is the most common mood disorder.  It often prevents normal daily function. While some people with depression may experience only one episode of major depression in a lifetime, most endure multiple episodes.

Dysthymic disorder, or dysthymia, is a milder form of depression. It may not hinder a person’s ability to function in daily life.

Bipolar Disorder, also called manic-depressive illness, is less common. Bipolar Disorder is a combination of extreme elation, which is known as mania, and depression.

Emotional Symptoms:

• Thoughts of and attempts at suicide
• Loss of interest in activities that were pleasurable in the past
• Unyielding anxiety, sadness or feelings of emptiness
• Feelings of worthlessness, helplessness or guilt
• Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism

Physical Symptoms:

• Decreased energy or fatigue
• Headaches, body aches, pains, cramps or digestive problems
• Difficulty remembering details, making decisions or concentrating
• Loss of appetite or overeating
• Excessive sleeping or insomnia

PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS:

It is also known as Psychoses. Psychotic disorders are severe mental disorders that cause abnormal thinking and perceptions. People with psychoses lose touch with reality.

People with psychotic disorders lose contact with reality and experience a range of extreme symptoms that usually includes:

Hallucinations—hearing or seeing things that are not real, such as voices

Delusions—believing things that are not true

Symptoms:

Anger, anxiety, apathy, excitement, feeling detached from self, general discontent, limited range of emotions, loneliness, or nervousness, fear, hearing voices, depression, manic episode, paranoia, persecutory delusion, religious delusion, or visual hallucinations, deficiency of speech, excessive wordiness, incoherent speech, or rapid and frenzied speaking, nightmares or tactile hallucination.

DEMENTIAS:

 It's an overall term that describes a group of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities. 

People with dementia may have problems with short-term memory, keeping track of a purse or wallet, paying bills, planning and preparing meals, remembering appointments or traveling out of the neighborhood.

Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells. This damage interferes with the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other.

Symptoms:

• Recent memory loss,
• Problems in communicating.
• Problems with abstract thinking,
• Disorientation,
• Mood Changes,
• Personality Changes,
• Loss of Initiative.