Mental disorder is a disorder that significantly alters a person’s way of thinking, emotional control and behavior. This causes the subject to experience a strong subjective personal suffering and that his socio-working life is problematic. A mental disorder can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, educational level, or social background.
What are mental disorders?
Mental disorders are different and of different types:
Schizophrenic disorders;
Mood disorders, such as depression, hypomania, mania, bipolar disorder and cyclothymia;
Personality disorders, such as borderline disorder, paranoid disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, antisocial disorder, schizoid disorder, depressive disorder, passive-aggressive disorder, etc. They often begin in adolescence and early age adult;
Anxiety disorders, including acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, phobias, etc .;
Somatoform disorders, which present symptoms that suggest a general medical condition to which, however, cannot be attributed.
Eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia nervosa;
Disorders of sexuality, including sexual dysfunctions, paraphilias and gender identity disorders;
Dissociative disorders, disconnection of functions, consciousness, memory, identity or perception of the environment;
What are the symptoms of a mental disorder?
Factitious disorders, in which physical and psychological symptoms are intentionally simulated to assume the role of the patient;
The delirium;
Mental disorders caused by a general medical condition;
Disorders related to the use of substances such as alcohol, drugs and medications;
Adaptation disorders, caused by stressful psychosocial factors, such as the end of a relationship, business difficulties, a natural disaster, etc .;
Disorders in controlling impulses, for example kleptomania, pyromania, gambling, aggressive impulses, etc.
Sleep disturbances, due to anxiety, illness, substance intake, etc.
How is a mental disorder recognized?
Symptoms can vary depending on the ailment the person is suffering from and the surrounding environment. The most common symptoms, however, are social withdrawal, decline in performance (sports, school, work), concentration problems, increased sensitivity, apathy, illogical thinking, nervousness, unusual behavior, sudden and exaggerated mood swings, changes in eating and sleeping habits.
What does the treatment consist of?
Most mental disorders can affect even very young people, such as teenagers. Often they are diseases that do not appear suddenly: parents, friends and teachers notice small changes in the subject that set off an alarm bell.
Summary
First, you have to convince the person to ask for a professional’s evaluation. Each situation will be carefully evaluated by the mental health expert, who will indicate the most suitable personalized treatment. Treatment may include individual or family therapy, psychotherapy, participation in a support group and, if necessary, drug therapy.