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Mental Disorder Summary

What are mental disorders?

Generally speaking, we are referring to any disorder that results in abnormalities in the brain (chemical, physical, or psychological), having symptoms that negatively affect the person's ability to function properly in their daily life. These disruptions stem from behavioral, emotional, social, or cognitive disability. This could be anything from depression to schizophrenia to autism, yet it also covers learning disabilities and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Something has gone wrong in the brain. Thoughts, actions, or behaviors are abnormal enough to affect daily functioning.

Why do people get mental disorders?

In almost every case, no one is entirely sure.

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Depression seems to run in families, but you can still get it without a family history of it. They have narrowed it down to the chemicals they think are responsible, but they don't know the exact mechanism behind it. Some drugs work for it, some accidentally work for it, some they think should work don't at all, and you also have to take into consideration that medications can work differently, or don't work at all, for certain individuals. Non depressed people can fall into depression from the death of a loved one, some people for seemingly no reason at all.

 

That is just one disorder, and depression is the disorder we have the best handle on.

A word on the DSM-5-TR

What is the DSM-5-TR?  It is put out by the American Psychiatric Association and is essentially the psychiatric bible. Stands for "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The 5 is the edition (they update it; the last update was in 2022), and the TR stands for "Text Revision" (updated).

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It lists all the psychiatric conditions and their diagnostic criteria (a list of what a person has to do/have to be classified under a diagnosis).

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If someone says, "The term Asperger's Syndrome is no longer used; it is now called 'Autism Spectrum Disorder'", it means there was a name change, which comes from DSM-5. 

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I mostly bring it up here to say that I will not force anyone to read the DSM-5. It is not necessary to understand it, and I will try to specify both new/old terminology where appropriate to be user-friendly. Just know that it is a thing that exists if you see me reference it.

Summary of Mental Disorders

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What it is

Depression is probably the most well-known variety of mental disorders. It is characterized by feelings of hopelessness, guilt, sadness, and a pile of other symptoms. It is sad to the nth degree. The exact presentation of symptoms of depression can differ between individuals and even genders, but the internal turmoil runs along that theme. Some depression is temporary, such as in response to a loved one's passing, or it could be a chronic condition with a series of triggers and sometimes recurring for seemingly no reason at all.

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Statistics​

  • If anyone in your family has depression, you are 2-3 times more likely to have ot develop it.

  • If you have one episode of depression, you are around 50% more likely to experience a second.

  • Once you get that second, you are 80% more likely to get more.​

  • An estimated 8.3% of all U.S. adults 18 and over had a major depressive episode in 2021​

  • Affects more women than men

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Common Treatments

  • Health and lifestyle changes

  • CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

  • other therapies  such as Group Therapy

  • medication

Depression Symptoms

  • Feeling hopeless, worthless

  • Uncharacteristic moodiness

  • Problems concentrating

  • Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities

  • Difficulty concentrating

  • Feelings of anger, irritability, or restlessness

  • Sudden weight gain or loss

  • Suicidal thoughts

  • ​Sleep disruption​​

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What it is

Anxiety is right up there with depression for infamy. Everyone has anxiety sometimes, such as when you are anxious before getting up in front of a group of people to speak, as many people are, but for it to be psychologically significant, it has to interfere with your ability to function in everyday life. You can be anxious about something like being in a crowded room (social anxiety) or more generally, GAD (General Anxiety Disorder). You can even have anxiety so bad that you cannot leave your house. A panic attack is an acute version of anxiety where you are severely affected, mentally and often also physically. Your fight or flight response has been triggered. It's not uncommon for people to find out they have anxiety after a trip to the Emergency Room, thinking they are having a heart attack.

Symptoms

  • Rapid heartbeat

  • A feeling of breathlessness

  • Nausea or other stomach issues

  • Sweating

  • Feeling of impending doom, danger, or doom

  • Difficulty concentrating

  • Feeling of weakness

  • Excessive worry

  • Problems sleeping

  • Racing thoughts

  • Shaking or trembling

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Statistics​

  • An estimated 19.1% of the U.S. population has GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder)​​

  • Affects women at a higher rate than men

  • Approximately 1 in 4 people with anxiety disorders receive treatment for this condition

  • An estimated 31.1% of U.S. adults experience any anxiety disorder at some time in their lives.

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Common Types of Anxiety

  • Social anxiety

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

  • Phobias

  • OCD and PTSD are classified here

  • Panic disorder

Common Treatments

  • Health and lifestyle changes

  • CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

  • Group Therapy

  • Exposure Therapy

  • Medication

What it is

This illness was previously referred to as manic depressive disorder, and is now known as bipolar disorder. As one might expect, bipolar disorder consists of violent mood swings. They range from severe depression to full-blown mania. Depression is the same as the section above. Mania is the opposite, characterized by a highly elevated mood instead of a low mood. These moods can last days, weeks, or months. Those are the poles of bipolar disorder, but it can become complicated quickly when you consider it is a spectrum, and that spectrum has wormholes. Hypomania is a less severe form of mania. Not widely known is the mood classification called mixed states (may be referred to as dysphoric mania), consisting of mania and depression at the same time. Rapid cycling is more than four mood changes in a year. Yeah. Complicated.

Symptoms

  • Depression

    • ​See the section above​​​​​

  • Maia​

    • Racing thoughts​

    • Elevated mood

    • Feeling on top of the world

    • Risky behavior

    • Sleeping less than usual

    • Fast speech

  • Mixed states​

    • Aggitation​​ or aggression

    • Highly unstable moods

    • Symptoms of mania and depression at the same time. Racing (eg, Suicidal thoughts with racing thoughts)

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Statistics​

  • An estimated 4.4% of adults in the US will have bipolar disorder in their lives

  • Median age of onset of bipolar is 25

  • Affects men and women differently

  • Sixth leading cause of disability in the world according to WHO

  • Bipolar results in a 9.2 years readuction in life span expefctancy

  • Up to 1 in 5 patints with bipolar disorder commit suicide

Bipolar Classifications

  • Bipolar Disorder I

    • Has at least one full manic episode lasting at least one week

  • Bipolar Disorder II

    • One hypomanic episode lasting four days in a row

  • Cyclothymic Disorder

    • "mood swings" that are less severe with hypomania symptoms, having lasted for at least half the time and never stopped for more than 2 months. (I have thoughts on this one, but I don't want to be rude, so I will include it for educational value.)

Common Treatments

  • Health and lifestyle changes

  • CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

  • Group Therapy

  • Talk therapy

  • ETC (Electroconvulsive Therapy, aka shock therapy)

  • Medication

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  • SSSP
  • YouTube
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