There are many mental illnesses, and sometimes it is hard to remember what each one means. In honor of World Mental Health Day on October 10, I am going to give a very brief rundown of 11 mental illnesses and ways you can recognize them.
It is important to remember that the following mental illnesses and symptoms are uncontrollable. They are results of brain chemistry, family genetics and more. These symptoms are not “normal” emotions—they are extreme, involuntary and can be life-threatening.
What are the symptoms?
- Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies/activities you used to enjoy
- Changes to your appetite (more or less hungry)
- Increased or extreme difficulty remembering or concentrating
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Are there any treatments?
- Medication: This may not work right away. It may take anywhere from two weeks to six months to feel the full effects. It rebalances the chemicals in your brain to help manage the depression. Sometimes long-term medication is recommended.
- Psychotherapy: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be effective in as little as 10 sessions with mild cases of clinical depression.
- Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is only used in cases of severe depression or bipolar disorder (see below). You are put under anesthesia and given a small introduction of an electrical stimulation. It isn’t as intense as it sounds! After having ECT two to three times a week for six to 12 weeks, major improvement has been seen. This research has been ongoing since the 1940s.
2. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
What are the symptoms?
- Constant feeling of nervousness or being “on-edge”
- Increased heart rate
- Increased troubles sleeping
- Sweating or trembling
- Panic attacks, which can include an increased heart rate, fainting, irritability, etc.
Are there any treatments?
- Daily meditation or yoga
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) similar to therapy for clinical depression
- Medication: There are a number of different medications that can be tried, including anti-anxiety medication and multiple options of antidepressants such as Zoloft, Lexapro or Prozac.
Panic Disorder is a subcategory of GAD. While GAD can sometimes be accompanied by panic attacks—which can sometimes be prevented—panic attacks of a Panic Disorder are usually random.
What are the symptoms?
- Sudden panic attacks of fear or anxiety
- Constant or frequent feeling of being out of control
- Experiencing a fear of death during a panic attack
- Avoidance of places where panic attacks have previously occurred
Are there any treatments?
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Medication
What are the symptoms?
- Periods of unusually intense emotions during both depressive and manic periods
- Changes in sleep patterns
- During manic (high) periods:
- Jumpy
- Extremely energetic
- Lack of sleep
- During depressive (low) periods:
- Depressed
- Talking slowly
- Sleeping a lot but still feeling restless
Are there any treatments?
- Psychotherapy or CBT
- Medication (sometimes a few at a time)
- Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) which uses magnetic waves to stimulate the brain of an awake patient. It is a fairly new approach.
5. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
What are the symptoms?
- Increase of involuntary daydreaming or zoning out, which negatively affects daily life
- Forgetting/losing things often
- Compulsive and uncontrollable talking
- Troubles focusing on one thing at a time
Are there any treatments?
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
- Medication
6. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
***There are a lot of different symptoms in OCD patients because it depends on the obsessions and compulsions.
What are the symptoms?
- Excessive fear of germs or contamination
- Aggressive thoughts
- Uncontrollable need to excessively count or have things in a specific order, otherwise an irrational fear may arise
Are there any treatments?
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Medication (usually Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, aka SSRIs)
What are the symptoms?
- Hallucinations
- Delusional thoughts or obsessions
- Reduced emotions or vocal variation
- Severe lack of motivation
Are there any treatments?
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Antipsychotic medication
- Family educational programs
- Different community care programs and treatment programs
8. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
What are the symptoms?
- Flashbacks
- Recurring bad dreams/nightmares
- Avoidance of specific places due to an uncomfortable feeling or emotion
- Easily startled
- Constant feeling of being “on-edge”
Are there any treatments?
- Psychotherapy
- Medication
9. Dissociative Identity Disorder
What are the symptoms?
- Memory loss of specific personality details or time periods
- Distorted perception of people and things
- Loss of touch with reality
- May hear voices vividly talking in your head
Are there any treatments?
- Various array of psychotherapy
10. Anorexia Nervosa
What are the symptoms?
- Drastic weight loss
- Frequently feeling cold
- Thin appearance
- Unnatural increase in hair loss
- Severe restriction of food intake
- Frequently skipping meals
Are there any treatments?
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
11. Bulimia Nervosa
What are the symptoms?
- Disappearing after eating
- Skipping meals or only eating small portions
- Using an excessive amount of gum or breath mints
- Discolored teeth
- Brittle or weak nails
Are there any treatments?
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
This is a miniscule list of all the symptoms, treatments and mental illnesses out there. There are many other illnesses, and my list only covers ten of them, as well as only a few symptoms and treatments for each of the ones listed above.
If you or someone you know experiences any of the above symptoms, contact a doctor or medical provider. They are there to help you. Nobody is truly alone in the fight against mental illness.