Mental Health Disorder

There are many different types of mental health disorders,
any of which could affect any one of us at any time of our
lives regardless of our age, gender, background or status.
The most common type of mental health disorders are anxiety
and depression related disorders.

Certainly, all of us can experience anxiety at times,
especially when we have a particularly difficult situation
to deal with, like taking a driving test for example, or
going for a job interview, but when the anxiety is so
severe that it disrupts our daily lives, then it could be
that we are suffering from an anxiety- related mental
health disorder.

Similarly, each of us know what it's like to feel a bit
down in the dumps, we may even say we are depressed, but
true depression is where the symptoms don't subside after a
short period of time, they persist and are severe enough to
impair our ability to carry out our normal routines.

The following list represents some of the more commonly
known mental health disorders with a brief description of
their typical symptoms.

Phobias

A phobia is an anxiety related disorder characterised by
extreme fear, perhaps fear of a situation, an object, a
place or a creature and this fear is completely out of
proportion to the norm. There are literally hundreds of
known phobias but common ones include fear of public
places, confined spaces, flying, spiders, and fear of
heights. A sufferer will try to avoid their fear at all
costs, and when faced with it, will experience severe
anxiety which can include palpitations, nausea and panic
attacks.

Panic attacks

A panic attack can be a terrifying experience. Someone
experiencing a panic attack is engulfed by overwhelming
fear and panic often without warning. Various physical
symptoms can accompany a panic attack, which include
difficulty breathing, trembling, palpitations, dizziness,
sweating, and nausea and a feeling of impending death.

Post traumatic stress

Post traumatic stress can follow an intensely disturbing
experience such as a car crash, violence or rape, being in
extreme danger or basically any event that causes severe
psychological distress. The symptoms include constantly
reliving the event in the mind through flashbacks and
nightmares, disturbed sleep, anxiety and depression.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety related
disorder manifesting itself in irrational and obsessive
thoughts that spark illogical rituals and behaviours or
compulsions, for example, constantly thinking (obsessing)
that your hands are not clean causing you to repeatedly
wash your hands (a compulsion). Other examples include
excessive cleaning, checking and rechecking that doors are
locked and windows closed etc. Someone with OCD can feel
intensely anxious if they don't carry out their rituals so
performing them is a way to relieve their feelings of
anxiety and distress.

Depression

Depression is more than a period of the blues. Clinical
depression can be said to exist when the symptoms of
depression persist for longer than a couple of weeks and
are severe enough to interfere with normal daily routines.
There is also a loss of pleasure in activities that were
once enjoyed. There are many symptoms associated with
depression including feelings of sadness and despair,
lethargy, sleep disturbances, changes in eating patterns,
sudden changes in behaviour and mood, anxiety, guilt, and
thoughts of death and suicide. We can all experience some
of these symptoms at times but when truly depressed these
symptoms don't just subside, they persist.

Bipolar disorder (manic depression)

Bipolar disorder is characterised by extreme fluctuations
in mood with episodes of euphoria and mania alternating
with episodes of depression and despair. During a manic
phase the bipolar sufferer may need very little sleep, may
think and talk very quickly, can be highly creative, appear
completely confident and without inhibition, they could
leave their job, go on a spending spree or behave in other
potentially destructive ways. During a depressive episode
they may experience strong feelings of hopelessness and
despair and find themselves unable to muster the energy to
do even the simplest of tasks. They may also withdraw from
social situations and even contemplate suicide. Bipolar is
a lifelong disorder affecting around 1% of the population.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a particularly severe kind of mental
health disorder, which is characterised by hallucinations,
delusions, and strange behaviour and beliefs.

Conclusion

Mental health disorders are complex so making an accurate
diagnosis yourself can be difficult, many people will
present with symptoms of more than one type of disorder and
many of the symptoms of each disorder overlap with each
other. Consequently, it is important to seek the right
help. In the first instance you should speak to your
doctor who will be able to make full medical assessment and
guide you towards an appropriate course of treatment.

Sadly, many people are afraid of seeking help and as such,
will suffer in silence which can be an isolating and lonely
experience with potentially devastating effects.
Fortunately, mental health disorders are treatable and
those who do seek help can go on to lead normal lives once
again.

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Depression and anxiety are serious mental health conditions
that can strike anyone at anytime. For more information
about depression and selp help come and visit
http://www.fightingdepression.co.uk