A mental disorder is defined as a spectrum of disorders impacting cognitive, affective, and behavioural functioning, in most cases causing considerable distress as well as impairment in functioning of daily living. These disorders can range from mood disorders, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, to impulse control disorders, and so on. Sadly, people with mental health disorders often have to deal with their symptoms, but also with stigma, and in many regions access to the right treatment is grossly inadequate. These pathologies can have long-term implications across the spectrum of life, including social relationships, working life and physical health as well.
Let us look at a few disorders in brief
Living with Anxiety: When Worry Takes Over
Anxiety disorders can be overwhelming. Persons with the following conditions (Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, social anxiety disorder) have chronically, imbalancedly fear or worry that interfere with day to day life. While these disorders can be debilitating, with the right therapy and medication, many individuals are able to regain control, manage their symptoms, and lead fulfilling lives.
Battling the Blues: Understanding Depression
Depression is something easy to downplay as "being down", however, in reality, it is a rather serious disease with duration of weeks or months at least. Depression can be accompanied by performing basic tasks, such as sleep, eating, as well as by lack of energy to complete the day. Although it can be a difficult condition to get over, psychotherapy and medications have been shown to affect symptom management and restoration of daily living.
Bipolar Disorder: Life on a Mood Rollercoaster
For people with bipolar disorder, life is often a never ending emotional roller coaster. Manic episodes may produce surges of energy, impulsive action, and poor reasoning, whereas depressive episodes may produce intense bouts of hopelessness and fatigue. Fortunately, through the use of medication and psychotherapy, bipolar disorder is no longer out of women's reach to regain their mood control and emotional equilibrium.
PTSD: Re-experiencing Trauma
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) usually develops following a traumatic experience - including violence, natural crisis, and war. It may lead to flashbacks, nightmares, and a general feeling of risk and thus it makes it difficult for people to feel safe. One of the most effective treatments for PTSD is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which helps individuals confront and process their trauma, ultimately reclaiming their lives.
Schizophrenia: Battling Reality
Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric condition, which can seriously impair a person's ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy. Schizophrenia patients may have hallucinations (e.g., hearing voices, seeing objects that do not exist), or delusions (irrespective of the extent to which these false beliefs are linked to reality), among other symptoms. Treatment typically involves antipsychotic medication and therapy, which can help those affected manage their symptoms and improve their ability to lead independent lives.
Eating Disorders: When Food Becomes the Enemy
Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are eating disorders are linked with fundamental psychological disturbances. These conditions result in major physical and mental sequelae such as malnutrition, anxiety, and depression. Treatments are generally based on therapy, nutritional education, and support from family to enable people to adopt a healthier attitude toward food and the body.
Disruptive Behaviour: Breaking the Rules
Disruptive behaviours disorders are most prevalent in children and adolescents and may manifest as aggression, as a pattern of defiance and/or as rule breaking behaviour. Conduct disorder, eg, is defined as a repeated breaking of a social norm rule. These behaviours can be difficult to manage in parents/caregivers, however, early intervention with mental health professionals is able to help the child understand how to manage his/her impulses and develop healthier habits.
Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Learning and Growing Differently
Neurodevelopmental disorders including ADHD, autism and intellectual disabilities alter the way in which the brain develops and works. These disorders may affect learning, communication, and social interaction. Therapy is commonly indicated to include speech, behaviour, and occupational therapy as a means of improving current abilities and fostering new abilities thereby, enabling individuals to live as independently as possible.
Who Is Susceptible to Mental Health Disorders?
Although mental disorders can occur in anyone, there are aspects that increase the susceptibility to a certain individual. Enviromental factors such as poverty, violence, discrimination, and biological vulnerability as well as brain functioning are considerable risk factors. Substance use and environmental stress, especially in childhood, also increases the probability of the onset of mental illness.
The Mental Health Care Gap: The Need for More Support
Despite the widespread prevalence of mental health disorders, millions of individuals remain underserved when it comes to adequate care. This difference is especially profound in low- and middle-income countries, where mental health services are minimal or absent. Closing this gap requires increased investment in both clinical and social support, ensuring that everyone has access to the care they need and reducing the global burden of mental illness.
Source:
Mental Disorders by WHO dated 8 June 2022 (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders)
