Types of Mental Disorders You Need to Know

There are many types of mental disorders that can happen to anyone. Recognize and be aware, so that you do not experience and be disturbed by it!

Mental health disorders are still a major problem in the world. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016, there were about 35 million people affected by depression, 60 million people affected by bipolar, 21 million affected by schizophrenia, and 47.5 million affected by dementia.

A mental health disorder is defined as a disease or condition that affects the way you think, feel, act, or relate to other people and the environment.

There are several types of mental disorders that can happen to anyone. Here are some of them:

1. Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety disorders are related to the fear of objects or situations. They also generally have an increased heart rate and sweat frequently.

This mental illness is detected if a person’s response does not match the situation or cannot control the response that is issued.

2. Mood Disorder

This type of mental disorder is associated with frequent feelings of sadness, over-happiness, or fluctuations from happiness to excessive sadness.

Examples of mood disorders are depression and bipolar.

Depression is generally characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-esteem, disturbed sleep or appetite, fatigue, and poor concentration.

Bipolar usually consists of episodes of mania and depression, separated by periods of normal mood. Episodes of mania involve an elevated or irritable mood, excessive activity, rapid speech, increased self-esteem, and a low need for sleep.

People who have bouts of mania but no depressive episodes are also classified as having bipolar disorder.

3. Psychotic Disorder

Psychotic psychiatric illness involves distorted consciousness or thought patterns. The two most common symptoms are hallucinations and delusions.

Schizophrenia is an example of a psychotic disorder, which is characterized by distortions in thinking, perception, emotion, language, and behavior.

4. Eating Disorders

Eating disorders involve extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors that involve weight and food.

Eating disorders can be in the form of insufficient or excessive food intake, which can ultimately damage the well-being of the individual.

The most common forms of eating disorders are Binge Eating DisorderAnorexia Nervosa, and Bulimia Nervosa.

5. Control Impulse 

Impulse control disorders make the sufferer unable to resist the urge or urge to take actions that are harmful to themselves or others.

Oftentimes, people with this disorder become so involved with the object of addiction that they tend to neglect responsibility.

Pyromania (starting a fire) and kleptomania (stealing) are examples of impulse control disorders.

6. Personality Disorder

This is a type of mental disorder that makes sufferers have a pattern of thought or behavior that tends to be rigid and unhealthy.

A person with a personality disorder has difficulty understanding and relating to situations with other individuals. This causes significant problems and limitations in relationships, social activities, work, and school.

7. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

A person who has OCD is clouded with constant thoughts or fears, which make them perform certain actions.

An example of OCD is someone with an excessive fear of germs, so they constantly wash their hands.

8. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of mental disorder that follows a traumatic or frightening event in the past. For example, sexual or physical assault.

A person who experiences PTSD generally has thoughts and memories that are lasting and tend to be “numb” emotionally.

It occurs when a person develops emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to stressful events or situations.

Stress response syndrome usually begins within three months of the event, and ends within six months after the stressor has stopped or disappeared.

9. Dissociative Disorder

People with dissociative disorders tend to experience changes in memory, awareness, identity, and general awareness of themselves and their environment.

This type of mental disorder is often associated with extreme stress, which may be the result of a traumatic event or accident, including disasters that may be experienced or witnessed.

I’ve mental illness is a condition when a person consciously and intentionally creates or complains about physical or emotional symptoms so that he can play the role of a patient.

11. Sexual and Gender Disorder

Conceptualizations of sex and gender disorders continue to evolve in response to diverse cultural, scientific, political, and commercial influences.

Sexual and gender disorders are classified into three main categories, namely:

  • Sexual dysfunction, which is a problem that inhibits a person’s motivation or ability to perform sexual activity
  • Paraphilias, which are repeated patterns of sexual arousal and/or behavior involving inappropriate targets for sexual expression.
  • Gender identity disorder, which is the experience of intense discomfort with assigned gender roles, accompanied by a desire to live as the opposite sex.

12. Somatic Symptom Disorder

Somatic symptom disorder was previously known as a psychosomatic disorder. This type of mental disorder involves a person who has an excessive focus on physical symptoms, such as pain, weakness, or shortness of breath.

The individual will have excessive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to certain physical symptoms.

13. Tic Disorder

People with this disorder make noises or make body movements that are irregular and repetitive, fast, sudden, and uncontrollable. This occurs due to a change in the part of the brain that controls movement.

This disorder can run in families and there may be a genetic cause. This condition also often occurs in conjunction with other conditions, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD ).

Those are the kinds of mental disorders that you should know and be aware of. In many cases, the activities of people with this condition can be disrupted. It is not impossible, they will also experience a decrease in the quality of life.

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