Mental disorders are a commonly occurring problem all over the world. It is an accepted fact that as many as one in six people will suffer from a mental disorder at some point in their lives. This is because of the variety of causes of mental disorders, as well as an increasingly stressful way of life causing difficulties for many people. The following are four very common mental disorders which will probably affect either you or someone you know over the course of their life.
Stress
Stress is rapidly becoming one of society’s biggest killers. Stress is a mental disorder, but manifests itself in a large number of physical symptoms. Stress is caused by the ‘fight or flight’ response being triggered. This is an evolutionary response to danger which has a variety of effects on the body. It floods the body with adrenaline, raises blood pressure and represses the immune system, pushing all energy toward the ability to fight danger or run from it. Stress occurs when the ‘fight or flight’ response is triggered and not allowed to subside by removal of the danger. High pressured jobs often have this effect. This can result in a variety of conditions such as hypertension, stomach ulcers, insomnia and alopecia.
Depression
Depression is a very common mental disorder; it has many varieties and its victims have no barriers of age, culture, race or gender. Just some of the varieties of depression are:
- Bipolar Disorder or Manic Depression, where the sufferers go through periods of intense highs and lows, where the highs are euphoric and the lows result in utter despair.
- SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a condition caused by lack of sunlight. Many people find that in the winter lack of exposure to sunlight causes them to feel depressed. There are many treatments for this such as light boxes which create artificial daylight to mimic the effect of the sun.
- Post Natal depression – this is a result of pregnancy and birth. It can be characterised by a lack of interest in the baby, and usual depression symptoms such as low mood.
There is a lot of stigma surrounding depression, but it is in fact an incredibly common condition, and contrary to popular belief it can be managed and cured as many other disorders can.
Phobias
Phobias are the subject of much hilarity in some quarters; a vaguely irrational fear of spiders can be amusing and entertaining. Some phobias such as phobias of jelly and birds are downright bizarre, but there are more serious phobias which can impair day to day functioning. Some people have a fear of open spaces called Agoraphobia; this can leave them trapped in the house unable to function normally. Phobias can be dealt with through conditioning and a variety of other psychological techniques, often involving a patient being slowly introduced to the object of their fear.
Dementia
Dementia affects elderly members of the population; it tends to develop as people age, and their brains are unable to function to the same level. This can lead to confusion, and some highly unpleasant symptoms such as aggression. It also has an effect on personality and behaviour, often changing someone drastically. Unfortunately there is no cure for dementia, and sufferers will usually become progressively worse until they are no longer able to function without full time care.
Author Bio: Christine Crotts knows it is wasteful, but she really enjoys a long hot shower to wind down after a long day. Christine has written a site containing reviews on large bath towels, as well as striped bath towels.
Four Common Mental Disorders
Mental disorders are a commonly occurring problem all over the world. It is an accepted fact that as many as one in six people will suffer from a mental disorder at some point in their lives. This is because of the variety of causes of mental disorders, as well as an increasingly stressful way of life causing difficulties for many people. The following are four very common mental disorders which will probably affect either you or someone you know over the course of their life.
Stress
Stress is rapidly becoming one of society’s biggest killers. Stress is a mental disorder, but manifests itself in a large number of physical symptoms. Stress is caused by the ‘fight or flight’ response being triggered. This is an evolutionary response to danger which has a variety of effects on the body. It floods the body with adrenaline, raises blood pressure and represses the immune system, pushing all energy toward the ability to fight danger or run from it. Stress occurs when the ‘fight or flight’ response is triggered and not allowed to subside by removal of the danger. High pressured jobs often have this effect. This can result in a variety of conditions such as hypertension, stomach ulcers, insomnia and alopecia.
Depression
Depression is a very common mental disorder; it has many varieties and its victims have no barriers of age, culture, race or gender. Just some of the varieties of depression are:
- Bipolar Disorder or Manic Depression, where the sufferers go through periods of intense highs and lows, where the highs are euphoric and the lows result in utter despair.
- SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a condition caused by lack of sunlight. Many people find that in the winter lack of exposure to sunlight causes them to feel depressed. There are many treatments for this such as light boxes which create artificial daylight to mimic the effect of the sun.
- Post Natal depression – this is a result of pregnancy and birth. It can be characterised by a lack of interest in the baby, and usual depression symptoms such as low mood.
There is a lot of stigma surrounding depression, but it is in fact an incredibly common condition, and contrary to popular belief it can be managed and cured as many other disorders can.
Phobias
Phobias are the subject of much hilarity in some quarters; a vaguely irrational fear of spiders can be amusing and entertaining. Some phobias such as phobias of jelly and birds are downright bizarre, but there are more serious phobias which can impair day to day functioning. Some people have a fear of open spaces called Agoraphobia; this can leave them trapped in the house unable to function normally. Phobias can be dealt with through conditioning and a variety of other psychological techniques, often involving a patient being slowly introduced to the object of their fear.
Dementia
Dementia affects elderly members of the population; it tends to develop as people age, and their brains are unable to function to the same level. This can lead to confusion, and some highly unpleasant symptoms such as aggression. It also has an effect on personality and behaviour, often changing someone drastically. Unfortunately there is no cure for dementia, and sufferers will usually become progressively worse until they are no longer able to function without full time care.
Author Bio: Christine Crotts knows it is wasteful, but she really enjoys a long hot shower to wind down after a long day. Christine has written a site containing reviews on large bath towels, as well as striped bath towels.
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