Mental Health Disorders Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment

Mental Health Disorders Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention

Understanding

Mental health is a condition that includes a person’s emotional, psychological, and social.

Mental health will affect how a person thinks, feels, and acts in everyday life.

It also helps a person deal with stress and problems, manage conflicts with others, and when making choices.

A healthy mentality is when you are in a state of well-being, namely feeling good, peaceful, and able to function optimally in life, while being able to understand the purpose and meaning of life.

In contrast, a mental disorder or mental illness is a serious condition that can affect a person’s thinking, mood, and behavior.

There are many types of mental disorders with varying symptoms, such as anorexia, depression, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, addictive disorders, and schizophrenia.

WHO itself describes the characteristics of healthy mental, among others:

Able to cope with the normal pressures of life
Able to work productively
Able to contribute to society
Be aware of your abilities and potential

A person’s mental health can change which is influenced by various factors, such as genetics, sexual abuse, past trauma, unhealthy lifestyles, and brain injury.

Mental health is very important to pay attention to at every stage of life, from childhood to adulthood.

If not, complications can occur that reduce the quality of life to the point of being life-threatening.

Mental Health Disorders

Medical specialist	Psychiatrist, psychologist
Symptoms	Withdrawal from others, low energy, irregular eating and drinking patterns, hopelessness, forgetfulness, anger, anxiety, fear, thoughts of hurting others
risk factor	Genetics, family history, brain disorders, drug addiction, alcoholism
diagnosis	The complete interview, physical examination, complete blood count, urine examination
Treatment	Psychotherapy, medication
Drug	Antidepressant, antianxiety, antipsychotic, mood stabilizer
Complications	Decreased quality of life
When to see a doctor?	When one of the symptoms appears and interferes with daily activities

Symptoms

Meanwhile, some of the symptoms of mental disorders can include:

Eating or sleeping too little or too much
Withdrawing from other people and general activities
No energy or little energy
Feeling numb or nothing matters
Experiencing unexplained pain
Feeling helpless or hopeless
Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and using drugs
Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, angry, anxious, and afraid
Yelling or fighting with family and friends
Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships with other people
Have persistent thoughts and memories that cannot be taken out of your head
Hearing voices or believing something that is not true
Thinking of hurting yourself or others
Unable to carry out daily activities such as caring for children or going to school or work

Reason

Mental health disorders, in general, can be caused by various genetic and environmental factors, including:

Inherited from the family
Pressure from the environment
Exposure to certain toxic substances while still in the womb has sometimes been linked to mental illness
Alcohol dependence and drug addiction
Experiencing acts of domestic violence
Violence or abuse in childhood
Neurotransmitter disorders
Loneliness, or the condition of being socially isolated
Deep trauma, such as being involved in a serious accident, war, abuse, and natural disasters

Risk Factors

Factors that influence mental health and cause mental disorders are divided into three, namely:

Biological factors: genetics, brain chemistry, brain disorders
Life factors: trauma, abuse, poison, alcohol, drugs
Family factors: family history, family problems

Diagnosis

A mental health doctor will determine a diagnosis of mental health disorders based on The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

The DSM guidelines cover the symptoms and signs of hundreds of mental illnesses. The doctor will find out about the patient’s and other people’s perceptions of the patient’s condition.

In addition, the doctor will also carry out a physical examination to rule out the possibility of physical illness.

Supporting tests such as thyroid function lab tests or alcohol and drugs will also be carried out.

Treatment

Treatment for people with mental health disorders depends on the type of disorder itself.

However, basically mental health treatment includes drugs and psychotherapy.

Treatment of cases of severe mental disorders can also involve several parties, such as psychiatrists, general practitioners, family members, and others.

Psychiatric drugs that can be used include antidepressants, antianxiety, or antianxiety; mood stabilizers and antipsychotics.

Psychotherapy is also called talk therapy which covers the patient’s condition and related issues to a psychiatrist.

There are many types of psychotherapy. Treatment usually lasts several months or longer. Psychotherapy can only be with sufferers or family members.

Other treatments include:

Brain stimulation includes electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, an experimental treatment called deep brain stimulation, and vagus nerve stimulation.
Hospital care and housing
Substance abuse treatment

Prevention

Preventing mental disorders can be done by maintaining positive mental health, such as:

Keep in touch with others
Keep thinking positive
Stay physically active
Help others
Enough sleep or rest
Have the ability to solve problems
Seek professional help if needed

Complications

Mental health disorders that are not handled properly can cause severe emotional, behavioral and physical health problems in sufferers.

Complications sometimes associated with mental illness include:

Unhappiness and decreased enjoyment of life
Family conflict
Difficulty in relating and dealing with other people
There was social isolation
Problems with alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs
Loss of work or school learning disorders, or other problems related to both
Legal and financial issues
A tendency to harm oneself and/or others, including suicide or homicide
The immune system is weakened, so the patient’s body will have difficulty fighting infection
Heart disease and other medical conditions