We either talk too much about mental health or ignore its existence. To be clear, this is not a statement but a fact derived from acquired wisdom. We live on extremes that eventually degrade our mental health and worsen the effects of natural degradation.
Think about it!
When was the last time you decided to optimise your mental condition? It always took the back seat. Didn't it? Exhausted by our overwhelming tasks and responsibilities, we hardly feel the most critical aspect of our lives. However, we know that you are trying to change, which inspires us 24x7.
Let us describe the most common mental health types so you can live a better life based on authentic information.
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Anxiety
For most people, anxiety is a momentary feeling that operates via specific triggers. However, this uneasy feeling rents inside some of us with every passing moment. A person might even feel anxious and out of control in challenging situations. Sadly, anxiety is the most common mental health illness in the world.
Some subdivisions of anxiety disorder are:
- Panic attacks
- PTSD - Post-traumatic stress disorder
- OCD - Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Social anxiety disorder
Even though anxiety can be a nightmare, professionals can treat it effectively. Psychotherapy can help patients become aware of situations stimulating their erratic responses. Medication can also help treatment, but it works best when included with psychotherapy. An expert will help them develop a coping mechanism to ease them out of this negative spiral.
Depression
It's time to address the elephant in the room. As per reports from WHO, 280 million people went through depression in 2019. This value is supposed to magnify, considering the pandemic's effect and global lockdowns. Not to ignore, around 23 million children face this nightmarish situation worldwide.
Depression should not be confused with momentary mood fluctuations we all face; it is not even the response to life's struggles and challenges. In a state of depression, a person faces long episodes of sadness and irritation. They lose their interest in everyday activities and are often seen alone, feeling empty.
Such a phase of obliviousness is terrible. An affected person might also feel hopelessness, poor concentration, low self-worth
and excessive regrets. They also suffer from loss of appetite and continual energy drops. In severe cases, a person might develop suicidal thoughts. However, depression can be fixed by a professional through psychology and medication.
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia can affect teens and young adults, with the average risk age between 14 to 30. As per WHO, people who have Schizophrenia have a lesser life expectancy ( 10-20 years) than the general population.
A person can be diagnosed with a closer look at their behaviour changes. The change is drastic, with a significant impact on their perception. Patients suffer from delusions, erratic behaviour, hallucinations and prolonged feeling of uneasiness. They also face grave changes in their cognitive abilities.
Not to mention, their interpretation of reality changes dramatically. A person with this severe mental disorder loses their potency for basic daily functioning. Nevertheless, a dynamic range of treatments can fix this issue to a certain extent. It includes medication, psychological assistance, psychoeducation and family counselling. Schizophrenia patients require lifelong treatment and constant support.
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder takes a patient to extreme emotional highs and lows. The low phase is as bad as depression, and the high phase involves manic activities. This intense emotional rollercoaster makes a patient feel confused about their own emotions. Episodes of depression involve loss of interest and prolonged sadness. The majority of other symptoms are the same as stated above.
On the other side, manic symptoms are entirely the opposite of depression. In this state, a person experiences bursts of extensive emotional energy while the urge to do something becomes uncontrollable. It also involves lack of sleep, reckless behaviour, inflated self - esteem and increased risk of suicide. A patient can be helped through psychoeducation, medication and any other activity that might induce emotional stability and responsible conduct.
Eating disorder
Eating disorders are not uncommon and are equally visible among adults and children. A person with an eating disorder is susceptible to extreme diets and weight concerns. In this condition, people tend to have unnecessary regulations on what they eat, eventually leading to binge eating and purging.
Thus, the fear of gaining weight or body deformation pushes a patient to over-exercise and extreme food control. Such an intense lifestyle gives room for medical complications and distress, as a person is never satisfied with how much they weigh and look.
It also pushes one to indulge in substance abuse which might cause more health complications. To make peace with such a condition, people are suggested to undergo cognitive therapy and prioritise family sessions.
Neurodevelopmental disorders
Neurodevelopmental disorders start to expel the beans during the growth and development periods. It can be classified as a situation where an individual faces mental and behavioural turmoil. The patient faces motor issues, ineptness towards language, difficulty in social interactions and inefficiency in specific intellectual tasks.
The more common neurodevelopmental disorders include ADHD ( attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), autism and frail intellectual abilities. Thus, a person faces lifelong issues with academics, occupation possibilities and social relations. Moreover, they can also develop behavioural and lifestyle changes that might not fit other people.
That being the case, there are practical solutions to the problem. Speech therapy is applied to behavioural interventions and psychosocial interventions. Some cases may even require medication, but it depends on the professional in charge of the case.
Dissocial disorder
Also known as conduct disorder and defiant disorder, this disorder affects children and adults equally. Disruptive behaviour is a profound example of a patient who acts opposite to order. Simply speaking, they indulge in spiteful and provocative activities to purposefully violate the rights of others.
Patients are known to be antisocial and might use physical aggression in one way or the other. Such resistance to authority also results in excessive argumentativeness and stealing. In children, we can observe temper tantrums and unnecessary fighting.
The solution to this problem is subjective and depends significantly on the patient's age. Social skills training and psychological priming are typically used with parents' and teachers' assistance. In such a case, a person requires consistent efforts to experience the slightest change in their behaviour.
Additional information
Apart from the above-stated mental health issues, people also suffer from extreme phobias, sensitivity towards mood fluctuations and personality disorders. As per medical science, genetics and life experiences play a significant role in mental health deterioration. Also, drug abuse, brain injury and exposure to toxic chemicals can hamper our mind's stability.
Conclusion
More than often, our mental health depends a lot on our decisions. More and more people are becoming susceptible to mental issues due to our stressful lives, and no wonder we do not actively do something to keep our mental state in check.
Give yourself some room, and let your mental health be a priority. Download the KoolStories app to consult with our mental health experts, as there is no harm in asking for help. For the most part, try to do things that give you genuine happiness.
One life!
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