What are mental illnesses?
Mental illnesses or disorders are conditions that impact your thinking, feelings, mood, and behavior. They can be occasional or long-lasting (chronic). They can affect your ability to relate to others and function each day.
What are some types of mental illness?
There are many different types of mental disorders. Some common ones include:
Anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and phobias
Depression, bipolar disorder, and other mood disorders
Eating disorders
Personality disorders
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia
What Causes Mental Disorders?
There is no single cause of mental illness. Several factors can contribute to the risk of suffering it, for example:
Your genes and your family history
Your life experience, such as stress or abuse, especially during childhood
Biological factors such as chemical imbalances in the brain
A traumatic brain injury
Exposure of a mother to any viruses or chemicals during pregnancy
Consumption of alcohol or drugs
Have a serious illness like cancer
Having few friends and feeling lonely or isolated
Mental disorders are not caused by lack of character. They have nothing to do with being lazy or weak.
Who is at risk for mental illness?
Mental disorders are common. More than half of all Americans will be diagnosed with a mental disorder at some point in their life.
How are mental disorders diagnosed?
Steps to obtain a diagnosis include:
Your medical history
A physical exam and possibly lab tests, if your healthcare provider thinks other medical conditions could be causing your symptoms
A psychological evaluation, in which you will answer questions about your thoughts, feelings, and behavior
What are the treatments for mental illness?
Treatment depends on what mental disorder you have and how severe it is. Together with your provider, they will work out a treatment plan just for you. It usually involves some type of therapy. You can also take medicine. Some people also need social support and education to manage their condition.
In some cases, you may need more intensive treatment. If your mental illness is serious or you are at risk of harming yourself or someone else, you may need to go to a psychiatric hospital. At the hospital, you will receive counseling, group discussions, and activities with mental health professionals and other patients.
Summary
Who can have mental disorders?
The determinants of mental health and mental disorders include not only individual characteristics such as the ability to manage our thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and interactions with others, but also social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental factors, such as politics. national standards, social protection, standard of living, working conditions or community social support.
Other factors that can cause mental disorders are stress, genetic inheritance, diet, perinatal infections, and exposure to environmental risks.