Mental disorders (or mental health disorders) are mental states that interfere with your thoughts, feelings, behavior, and feeling. They can be short-lived or chronic (chronic). They frequently affect your capacity to relate to others on a personal level and function every day in society.
Researchers have conducted many studies to determine the causes of mental disorders. These studies have shown that both inherited genetic factors and environmental circumstances can lead to an onset of an illness. In addition, researchers have found that genetics and biological factors both contribute to the development of various types of mental disorders in individuals. Researchers believe that these biological factors include but are not limited to:
When it comes to diagnosing mental disorders, the symptoms experienced by the individual usually serve as a diagnosis. If a patient reports feeling strange or anxious, depressed, confused, or agitated they may need to receive additional evaluations. People who suffer from seasonal affective disorder, obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and specific phobias may also need to be evaluated for their symptoms. If any of these symptoms are present, a mental health professional should be consulted.
A mental disorder often affects the function, creativity, and well-being of an individual. When individuals with this illness are able to perform daily tasks related to work as well as academic function, they tend to have greater success in their daily lives. Individuals with mental illness who can maintain consistent, reliable, constructive relationships are also more likely to be successful in coping with daily challenges. Individuals with mental disorder are less likely to feel lonely, sad, or guilty, and more likely to feel capable and happy about their lives.
Treating mental disorders includes the identification, evaluation, and treatment of the illness. In addition to treatment, most people with mental disorders learn to cope with their symptoms. This means that they learn how to modify their thinking and behavior to reduce or eliminate negative thoughts. In addition, cognitive-behavioral therapy is often helpful in treating mental disorders.
According to The World Health Organization, depression ranks number one among all psychological conditions. The National Institute of Mental Health states that depression affects 15 million Americans, as well as millions more who experience mild to moderate depression symptoms on a monthly basis. Most studies show that well-being improves after the first year, while some people may continue to have issues with depression well into their adulthood.
While the symptoms of some mental disorders are the same as those of other illnesses, the treatments for each disorder are somewhat different. When you participate in a clinical interview with a qualified, licensed psychologist, the psychologist will ask you questions about your history, symptoms, daily routines, work and family responsibilities, as well as your sense of well-being. The psychologist will use this information to diagnose you with a specific type of mental disorder, as well as to identify which type of mental disorder you most likely have.
As you can see, diagnosing adults with a mental disorder can be different from one person to the next. Sometimes, the reasons why adults do not report to a doctor are because they are ashamed or embarrassed to admit that they have a problem. Other times, adults will be diagnosed with a clinical disorder when they are perfectly healthy. However, no matter what, the most important thing for anyone to know is that there is help out there for them. Many people go undiagnosed for years. However, with the help that is available today, many people can lead normal lives.
Some mental health conditions are easier to cope with than others are. One example of a condition that is easier to deal with is seasonal affective disorder. Those who are affected by this type of mental disorder deal with feeling depressed during certain seasons of the year. Rather than isolating the individual, professionals such as psychologists take an active role in helping them cope with their feelings of depression. The problem can also be made more difficult if the individual feels too embarrassed to talk about their feelings or feels like they will not be able to overcome their depression.
Another type of mental disorder that is on the rise in the United States is bipolar disorder. This is also increasing in prevalence. When a person experiences episodes of mania and depression at the same time, they are diagnosed as having bipolar disorder. Those who suffer from bipolar disorder must seek treatment in order to overcome the disorder. A national comorbidity survey, which collects information about various mental disorders, shows that those who are diagnosed with either bipolar disorder or clinical depression are more likely to have been prescribed antidepressants within the past year.
In addition, the rate of those who are diagnosed with psychosis is increasing. Those with psychosis experience hallucinations, delusions, and believe that everyone around them is dangerous. In some cases, those with psychotic disorder are even homicidal. While these mental disorders may experience symptoms different from one another, they do share some common symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and believe that others are dangerous.