MENTAL DISORDERS EXPLAINED

MENTAL DISORDERS EXPLAINED 

Mental disorders are conditions that affect a person's thinking, feeling, or behavior. They can range from mild to severe, and can significantly impact an individual's life, relationships, and overall well-being. Understanding mental disorders is crucial for promoting mental health and providing appropriate support to those affected. 

Some mental disorders include: 

PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

For example, it's been 6 months since you came out of a coma after surviving the car accident that took the life of your wife and two kids. And after what feels like an eternity of hospital beds and workouts that would make even the Hulk break a sweat, you're finally free to go home. You think you're fine now but the mere thought of entering into a car sends cold shivers down your spine. It's like your brain is staging a horror movie marathon complete with screeching tires and broken glass. Even hearing the sound of cars driving on the road feels like someone is holding a grenade over your head. That is what's called PTSD.

This is a mental disorder that develops after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Symptoms Include recurrent memories, nightmares, flashbacks, avoidance of reminders, difficulty sleeping, hypervigilance. PTSD is a disorder characterized by failure to recover after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event.

This condition may last months or years, with triggers that can bring back memories of the trauma accompanied by intense emotional and physical reactions. 

 PARANOIA

This is an excessive or unfounded fear or suspicion of others.

It is very normal to get scared or suspicious of people sometimes especially when there's a valid reason to be. But for a person with paranoia that fear and suspicion is multiied by 10,000. 

For example, you're at work and you see two of your colleagues talking in a corner. You'd probably think they have personal matters to discuss but a person with paranoia would probably think that they are plotting to get her fired or even killed. It's like your brain has literally turned into a suspicious detective that sees threats everywhere and in everyone even though there no real reason to be scared. You suspect that every living thing around you is out to hurt and get you. 

Coupled by your rational fear and mistrust of everyone you'd also get easily offended and defensive and be very hostile, argumentative and aggressive. It will basically be a game of “ How many bad habits can I have?” 

This mental disorder can be caused by genes, traumatic life events and extremely stressful life events. 

SCHIZOPHRENIA 

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and impaired social functioning. Symptome if this disorder include hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren't there), delusions (fixed, false beliefs), disorganized thinking and speech, impaired social skills.

As a child, you probably had that imaginary friend who always seems to be there and nobody else could here, see and even talk to them except you. As you got older you realize that the imaginary friend was just a trick in your mind and they were never actually real. 

Now, to a schizophrenic person, that imaginary friend is as accurate as a living, breathing person. This means that they can see, hear and talk to that person even when nobody else can. A person with this disorder also has very vivid delusions and would sometimes make up another reality. For example they would believe that they are a secret agent in a mission to save the world. It's like a game of two truths and a lie but you're not sure which one is the lie anymore. One minute you're tuned into reality, the next you pick up signals from another planet. 

This mental disorder is the fate of about 1 in every 300 people and there is no cure for it yet. But still, early diagnosis, therapy and antipsychotic medications and self management techniques can help manage this disorder.

OCD ( OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER) 

This is an anxiety disorder characterized by persistent thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

Having this disorder is like having a strict overbearing mother living in your head constantly nagging you to clean, check, and organize everything. But instead of just rolling your eyes and ignore her, you feel compelled to do everything she says. Living with OCD would often make you have unwanted fears that just won't go away. Like a mental itch that you just can't scratch no matter how hard you try. Overtime it just developes into these compulsions which are repetitive behaviours and mental acts that make you want to fix everything as a way of reducing your anxiety or preventing something bad from happening. 

For example, you often worry about germs or getting sick so to ease your fears, you wash your hands over and over again. You clean your ho6at least 12 times a day. 

This disorder is quite common affecting over 79 million worldwide. People who are diagnosed with OCD are often treated with cognitive behavioral therapy. 

EATING DISORDER 

This is a mental disorder characterized by severe disturbances in eating behaviors.  

An eating disorder is like a mean bully that convinces you that there is something seriously wrong with your body but this time the bully is inside your head. It's like your brain just developes an unhealthy relationship with food similar to what you had with your ex. 

People with this disorder might become convinced that they need to be stick thin no matter how skinny they already are. So their brain tells them to stop eating and go on extreme diets like eating just one egg a day. 

On the other hand others might go through cycles of binge eating where they'll inhale massive amounts of food in one sitting and then feel so guilty that they try to get rid of the food by forcing themselves to throw it all up. 

This toxic relationship with food is often rooted in deep emotional issues like anxiety, trauma, depression, or low self esteem. It may either lead to anorexia ( going on a hunger strike against yourself) or bulimia ( the eating cycle). 

Over 14 million people in the US alone suffers from eating disorder. 

ANXIETY DISORDER 

This is the stomach churning, sweat inducing cocktail of fear and worry that is as unpredictable as the weather on a spring day. With anxiety disorder you would constantly feel like you're being chased by a giant bear with an axe. You would feel like your heart is literally trying to jump out through your mouth. In addition to this you would also have sweaty palms and it wo6feel like your stomach is auditioning to become an Olympic gymnist. 

A little anxiety in small doses of helpful because it's your body's natural response to danger which helps keep you alert, but when anxiety starts to interfere with your day to day living, it may have just crossed the line into disorder territory. This means that you'll be getting tons of anxiety that makes your brain spin faster like a hamster on a wheel. You could just start worrying about stuff that hasn't happened yet, replaying past mistakes like a broken record and second guessing yourself so much. 

Anxiety disorder affects about 301 million people worldwide. The good news is that anxiety doesn't have to be your best friend forever. With proper cognitive therapy, deep relaxation techniques and medications can help you live a vibrant life. 

BIPOLAR DISORDER 

If you've ever gone to an amusement park and gotten on a fast roller coaster ride then you might understand what it feels like to have bipolar disorder. But in this case, it isn't the fun kind of ride with happy screams and cotton candy, instead it would feel like you have two different people living inside your brain, LITERALLY!!!

The first person would be the manic phase which is the crazy and extremely hyperactive phase. During this phase you would feel like you just hit the jackpot and drank a triple shot of espresso. You'd be happy energized and ready to take on Oleksandr Usyk in a boxing match. Just when you think you've got it all figured out the depressive phase hits you like a bag of bricks to your head. Like someone just threw ice water on you. Suddenly you're grumpy, pessimistic and convinced that everything is pointless. These extreme mood swings can happen quickly and without warning. For some people, aggression and violence are thrown into the mix. 

 From that bipolar disorder is mood disorder characterized by alternating periods of mania and depression.

Symptoms Include extreme mood swings, mania (elated mood, inflated self-esteem, racing thoughts), depression (sadness, loss of interest, fatigue). 

Scientific research has shown that bipolar disorder can be linked to genetics, brain chemistry and life experiences and it affects around 40 million people worldwide. 

ADHD (ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER) 

 ADHD is a developmental disorder that affects attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

Imagine you're at a circus where something new and exciting is happening everywhere you look, acrobats are flipping through the air, clowns are juggling colourful balls, and tigers are jumping through flaming hoops. You're eyes are darting fr8one thing to the next trying to take it all in but focusing on just one thing is almost impossible. That's what is like to have ADHD. It's like a wild circus happening in your head 24/7. It's like your brain is constantly going from one whirlwind thought to the next without allowing you catch your breath. 

If you have ADHD, you would often struggle with paying attention, staying organized and controlling your impulses. It's like you're mental switch is always in and switching it off is impossible no matter how hard you try. 

This disorder affects between 129 million and 366 million children, teenagers, amd adults worldwide. 

There are types of ADHD. We have the Inattentive ADHD where you struggle to complete tasks even if you want to. You would also loose concentration and have a short attention span. 

Then there's Hyperactive ADHD, which makes it difficult for you to stay still and control your urges. You'd be unable to stay still and stay quiet, talking a mile a minute like an auctioneer on speed. 

And then there's Combined ADHD, which is what you would get if the two mentioned abo8had a baby. A very energetic and easily distracted baby with no volume control. 

DEPRESSIVE DISORDER 

This is a mood disorder characterized by a persistent low mood and loss of interest and pleasure in activities.

Symptoms include the feeling of sadness, loss of energy, changes in appetite and sleep, feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness.

If you have depression, it would feel like you're stuck in a world that is entirely black and white. Everyday seems like a terrible case of bad Mondays. However depression isn't just about feeling said for a while. During a depressive episode, there's a constant feeling of emptiness and sadness that you'd feel like someone uses a vacuum cleaner to suck out all the joy from your life. You loose interest in things you used to love. This loss in interest in life leads you to spending your day sleeping or not sleeping at all, eating everything you can find or not eating at all for days and your energy level would be at rock bottom. 

This disorder affects roughly 280 million people worldwide. Most people who have depression may not even realize it but if you're constantly feeling sad or tired, you may want to see a therapist who can help you work through your feelings and learn different coping strategies.

Conclusion

Mental disorders are complex conditions that require professional diagnosis and treatment. It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental disorders and seek help from mental health professionals if necessary. Early intervention and appropriate treatment can significantly improve the prognosis and quality of life for individuals with mental disorders.

 Remember, mental health is just as important as physical health, and everyone deserves access to the support and resources they need to thrive.