My mental health is important! Your mental health is important. Our mental health is important. Mental health plays a major role in the body. It can affect your feelings, mood, and even your physical body.
When you hear of a mental disorder, do you just automatically assume the patient is depressed? There are different types of mental health illnesses.
The most common types are clinical depression, anxiety disorder and bipolar disorder, however, there are other types that are equally important. These illnesses disrupt daily lives.
Here are the types of mental health disorders:
Clinical depression
This is the most common mental health disorder you hear from people. A clinical depression is a medical condition that, according to Wikipedia, is a feeling that is characterized by depressed moods and loss of interest.
This mental disorder can be as a result of a psychological distress or a biological torture leading to a change in the brain function. Sources claim that a number of 1.5 million are affected in Nigeria every year. Depression slowly leads to suicide thoughts in most cases and could be dangerous with time especially as one delves more into losing interest in everything you do. It is, however, treatable with medical aids.
Anxiety disorder
This type of mental health disorder usually associates with worry, fear and anxiety that are strong enough to mess with your daily life. Anxiety is a way of life, it happens. Humans encounter anxiety, fear, or worry in their daily activities. There is always something to be scared of, there are so many phobias.
However, when these anxiety or worries become a part of you. Something is terribly wrong. These types of disorders could have emerged from a terrible experience, loss of a loved one, a traumatic experience or a physical accident.
They can be self diagnosed and by a medical professional. They are also treatable.
An anxiety disorder has examples like post traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder, separation anxiety, specific phobias etc.
Symptoms includes both the physical, (sweaty palms, heart palpitations, muscle tension, numbness and tinglings, nausea), mental symptoms (Uncontrollable obsessive thoughts, nightmares, feeling panic, fear or worry), trouble sleeping, inability to sleep and so on.
Bipolar disorder
Also known as manic disorder is a type of disorder that ranges from high lows to manic and dangerous highs. They can make one do the unthinkable in a split second. It’s mostly genetics or as a result of an altered brain structure. Environment and chemistry equally play a role. This can be managed with medications and therapy but it has no cure.
Symptoms include depressed moods with episodes requiring one to stay away from human touch. One can be of the lowest mood only to be replaced with a high and sometimes destructive mood that comes with actions.
Schizophrenia
This mental disorder affects the person’s ability to think and behave well. The exact cause is unknown and it can not be cured but management with medications can help.
According to Mayo Clinic, this disorder, “Schizophrenia is characterised by thoughts or experiences that seem out of touch with reality, disorganised speech or behaviour and decreased participation in daily activities. Difficulty with concentration and memory may also be present.”
Autism
This disorder impairs one’s ability to communicate or interact well with others. It is a serious disorder. They usually come with repetitive actions, obsessive interest, difficulty with communication, social interactions or even responding to their names.
This disorder can be managed with therapy, medication and a lot of love.
Other mental health disorder includes; Dementia, hyperactive/attention-deficit disorder etc.
