There are a lot of conditions which fall into the category of mental illness, including depression, Dyshtymic disorder, Bipolar disorder, Cyclothymic disorder, Panic disorder, Social phobia, Specific phobias, Agoraphobia, Obsessive Compulsive disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Dementia, Eating disorders, developmental disorders, Behavior disorders, Personality disorders, Psychotic disorders, Paraphilias, Dissociative disorders, Impulse Control disorders, Somatoform disorders, Sleep disorders, Amnesia and some others.
There are a lot of theories about this kind of illness and a lot of psychiatrists continue working on the research to find cures for them. There have been years of investigation throughout history and finding causes and cures has become important to society. Years ago mental illness was not considered important and most people preferred not to talk about them. However, psychology and psychiatry are really important in our lives now.
There are many common types of mental illness, and many of these are illnesses that have been around for centuries but in the past have resulted in persecution and stigma. However, we now have a better understanding than ever of this type of illness, and as such are able to provide better care and treatment for sufferers, thus going some way towards eliminating the stigma. Some of the mental illnesses often seen today include:
Schizophrenia: Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic and disabling disease of the brain. It is estimated that close to 1% of the US population will develop some form of schizophrenia during their lifetime. It is possible for both men and women to develop the disease, but it is seen more often in men in their 20's to early 30's.
The symptoms of this illness can often be terrifying to the individual as they often suffer from such things as hearing voices in their head which nobody else can hear, believing that others are reading their minds and knowing their inner thoughts, controlling their thoughts and plotting against them. This often causes them to be misunderstood, fearful, withdrawn from society, and even frightening to other people.
Depression: Depression is one form of mental illness that is often very misunderstood. Often people will say that they feel depressed, and this is at times when they feel a little low or things are not going their way. However, true depression is not just an emotion but an illness caused by a chemical imbalance. Many people do suffer from clinical depression – some suffer from mild depression and others suffer from severe depression, and the latter is obviously the most dangerous and difficult to cope with.
Bipolar disorder: Bipolar disorder is a condition that is also known as manic depression. Sufferers of this disorder tend to experience mood swings, which can vary in severity and duration from person to person. The moods can swing from feeling elated and high during the manic episodes to feeling low and depressed during the depressed episodes. Bipolar disorder symptoms can vary depending on the mood of the sufferer (whether he or she is experiencing a manic episode or a depressed one). The thinking and behaviour of the sufferer changes depending on the type of episode being experienced at the time, hence the signs and symptoms also change.
Psychosis: The term psychosis is a medical or psychiatric term used to describe an illness with which a person loses touch with reality. Although many people use the term psychotic to describe someone that may act in what they perceive to be a mad way, psychosis is a serious condition in which a person can suffer from a range of problems and this can lead to serious consequences if the condition is not controlled through proper treatment. Psychosis comes in different variations, and someone suffering from psychosis could experience symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions. Someone with psychosis may also believe that there is nothing wrong with them, and may be unable to think clearly.
