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Writer's pictureNoelle Gauna

5 Different Mental Disorders and what you can learn about them.



This post is educational about the following disorders: Depression/Major depressive disorder, Anxiety disorder, Bipolar disorder, Dissociative disorder, and Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Read and learn about how you can further your education on mental disorders.


1. Depression/Major depressive disorder



Depression is a mood disorder that is a persistent feeling of sadness, and loss of interest. It affects the way you think, behave, and can lead to emotional and physical problems. Symptoms include emptiness, hopelessness, angry outbursts, irritability, loss of interest, loss of pleasure, insomnia, sleeping too much, lack of energy, increase cravings, weight gain, Anxiety, agitation slowed thinking, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, remembering things, suicide thoughts, suicide attempts, suicides, physical problems, back pain, and headaches. Depression affects younger children and their symptoms are slightly different than teens, and adults. Younger children experience clinginess, agitation, aches, pains, being underweight, worry, and refusing to go to school. Teens experience feeling worthless, sadness, being negative, poor attendance at school, poor effort, feeling misunderstood, extremely sensitive, using drugs or alcohol, eating too much, sleeping too much, self-harm, loss of interest, and being unsocial. In older adults it’s completely different, their symptoms include Muscle difficulties, personality changes, physical aches or pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, sleep problems, and suicidal thinking. This can be inherited and can be cured.



2. Anxiety Disorder


Anxiety disorders also include Agoraphobia, Generalized anxiety disorder, Panic disorder, Selective mutism, Separation anxiety disorder, Social anxiety disorder, and Substance-induced anxiety disorder. Anxiety is when you feel scared, nervous, and even panicking is involved. The following symptoms include feeling nervous, tense, increased heart rate, hyperventilation, sweating, having trouble sleeping, being overly tired, trembling, and overthinking. Some of those symptoms interfere with daily activities and are sometimes difficult to control. Your symptoms may have started when you were a child or a teenager and even into adulthood. At times people avoid going into places or situations to prevent some of those feelings or symptoms. The causes of anxiety disorders are not yet to be determined. Frankly, some of these disorders are triggered by events that happened that were traumatic and can be inherited traits. A lot of people struggle with these disorders, Some have to go to therapy, take medication, and are even hospitalized due to this. Prevention is hard to solve but to reduce these triggers you can stay active, avoid alcohol or drug use, and you can get help early by seeking medical attention. Individuals think that anxiety is ranked number 1 of mental disorders but I truly think that it should be ranked number 3. It's ranked at this position because depression is one of the worst mental disorders and is ranked number one.


3. Bipolar Disorder


Bipolar disorder is formally called manic depression and is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that includes emotional highs and lows. When you become depressed you feel sad or hopeless and lose interest in most activities. you may feel euphoric, usually irritable, or full of energy. Most people will experience some emotional symptoms between episodes, some may not experience anything at all. There are different types of bipolar disorders such as bipolar one disorder, bipolar 2 disorder, and cyclothymic disorder. A major depressive episode can have the following symptoms depressed mood, loss of Interest, weight loss, weight gain, insomnia or sleeping too much, excessive or inappropriate guilt, decreased ability to think, planning, or attempting suicide. symptoms in children and teens are kind of the same children and teens have distinct major depressive or manic or hypomanic episodes but the pattern can be different for adults with bipolar disorder. You can also have other disorders including anxiety, eating, attention deficits, alcohol or drug problems, and physical health problems. Bipolar disorder is ranked number three on the list because one and 100 people can get this.


4. Dissociative Disorders



Dissociative disorders are mental disorders that can involve a lack of thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions, disconnection, and identity. This disorder usually develops as a reaction to trauma and helps keep difficult memories to an extent. The symptoms include memory loss, detachment, inability to cope well, identity crisis, not being able to see things clearly, and mental health problems. There are three major dissociative disorders: dissociative amnesia, dissociative identity disorder, and depersonalization derealization disorder. Some causes include any form of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Some complications include self-harm, suicidal thoughts, sexual dysfunction, PTSD, personality disorders, eating disorders, sleeping disorders, depression, and anxiety disorders, alcohol, and drug use disorders, and non-epileptic seizures. To help with prevention you can talk with a trusted friend, locate resources around your community, or join a parenting class that offers healthier parenting styles. Dissociative disorders are ranked number four on the list because 1.5% of people around the world get this.


5. Obsessive-compulsion Disorder (OCD)


OCD is a chronic and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable or reoccurring thoughts and behaviors that are repeated over and over again. This can interfere with work or school, and personal relationships. Obsessions are repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images that cause anxiety which then causes the following symptoms: fear of germs, contamination, unwanted or forbidden thoughts, aggressive thoughts, and having things symmetrical or in perfect order. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that a person with OCD feels the urge to do in a certain thought. Common compulsions include excessive cleaning or hand-washing, rearranging things in a particular way, and repeatedly checking on things examples would be checking to see if the door is locked or if the stove is off, and continuously counting. A person struggling with this disorder can't control their thoughts, spends at least an hour on these behaviors, is not satisfied when performing these behaviors, and experiences significant problems in their daily life. Risk factors include genetics, brain functioning, and environment. This is usually treated with psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of both. individuals also struggle with other disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder, depression, and anxiety. OCD also affects 2 to 3% of people around the world, that's why this is ranked 5th on the list.



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