There are more than 200 classified forms of mental illness. Some of the most commonly occurring mental health disorders fall under one of the following categories, i.e., anxiety, behavioral, mood, personality, and psychotic disorders. It is very important to understand these mental health disorders so that individuals dealing with them can proactively seek mental health treatment for anxiety or other issues rather than keep tightlipped about them.
Personality Disorders
Personality disorders are characterized by thoughts, behavior, and functioning that are away from being normal. Disorders like borderline personality disorder, dependent personality disorder, and others can be associated with significant dismay or disability and are highly inflexible in nature. People suffering from such disorders experience difficulties in keeping both personal and professional relationships. People affected by this condition might not be aware that something is wrong, as their condition seems normal to them. They usually tend to blame certain circumstances or people for their behavior. Their behavior and thought-process are markedly different from the regular norm of the public code of conduct. Such disorders tend to surface during teens or early adulthood and may become less apparent throughout middle age.
Anxiety Disorders
They are far from the normal anxieties that an individual faces in life. These are, in fact, extremely persistent, repetitive, uncontrollable, and seemingly devastating mental conditions. A constant and unsubstantiated worry, coupled with an irrational fear of a situation, hampers the normal functioning of life.
Anxiety disorders vary from mild to severe and can host a range of disorders like GAD, PTSD, OCD, social phobia, and panic disorder. Their symptoms may include unremitting worry, restlessness, trouble concentrating, an inability to make decisions, and more. The physical signs of an anxiety disorder include fatigue, irritability, muscle tension or aches, trembling, a high startle reflex, difficulty sleeping, sweating, nausea, diarrhea, and headaches.
Behavioral Disorders
They involve a pattern of disruptive behaviors that is a result of negative or unhealthy thoughts and emotions. Oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder are the two major behavioral disorders. These may include visible symptoms like inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and defiant behavior. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is another example of a behavioral disorder that is characterized by difficulties in remaining focused and paying attention and the inability to control impulsive behavior. Mainly visible in children, such disorders can result in disruptions in personal relationships, mismanagement of code of conduct, learning problems, and inapt behavior.
Mood Disorders
They are characterized by emotional upheaval in response to a normal situation. Various mood disorders, including minor and major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and more, show visible symptoms such as hopelessness, extensive feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and trouble engaging in daily tasks and relationships. Sometimes, they also cause elevated moods like feelings of grandiosity and extreme energy.
Psychotic Disorders
They create a distortion of reality and cause abnormal thinking and perceptions. Delusions and hallucinations are the two main symptoms of psychotic disorder. Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder in which a person’s perception of reality is abnormally altered. Symptoms typically appear in the early to mid-20s for men and closer to the late 20s for women. Other symptoms include chaotic thinking, pointless speech, lack of sentiments and emotions, eye contact avoidance, and unchanging facial expressions. It is a disruption of the usual balance of emotions and thought and requires lifelong treatment.
