Kinds Of Mental Disorders

Learn and discuss the kinds of mental disorders. There are those among us that suffer from mental disabilities and disorders, and we don’t know they have it. Close friends and family members of the sufferers have the responsibility to help by seeking intervention. Intervention for mental disorders involves regular visits to a psychiatrist or psychologist and constant monitoring of activities. Here are some of the common kinds of mental disorders that are well-documented by experts.

Disorders Related to Mood – Among the kinds of mental disorders, this type may be the most difficult to diagnose and treat. The other name for these is affective disorders and the main distinguishing characteristics of a person with any type of this disorder include extremes in emotion like happiness or sadness. Anxiety disorders fall under this category and are characterized by uncontrollable fear of the unknown or fear of specific objects. A combination of drugs and therapy may be recommended to sufferers of these mood disorders.

Clinical depression falls under this category, as well as bipolar disorder and mania. If left untreated, disorders under this category may lead to more serious psychological disorders and may become permanent. Damage to self is the most serious effect of these kinds of mental disorders, which could lead to death or grave injury. People with affective mental disorders may also harm others.

Some sources also include eating disorders under this category. Examples of eating or diet disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating, which involve eating very little or eating too much without control. These kinds of mental disorders are common among young adults, especially those that received little or no emotional support during their formative years.

Psychosis – The main distinguishing trait of a person with psychotic disorder is delusion and distortion in thinking. Hallucinations and delusional beliefs are also a part of this disorder. The sense of awareness is altered. Being out of touch with reality can also be a common symptom. One of the more common kinds of mental disorders is schizophrenia and this belongs in this category.

Addictive Problems – Examples of addiction disorders include incessant gambling, sex addiction, and substance and alcohol abuse. Addictive problems can also be called compulsion disorder because the motivation behind the sufferer’s actions is associated with uncontrollable impulses. Some people with these problems are addicted to the thrill of lighting something on fire (pyromania), stealing (kleptomania).

Addictive disorders are among the undiagnosed kinds of mental disorders because people who have them are considered normal. But when the addiction takes over a person’s life, it becomes uncontrollable.

Personality disorders – While often considered normal, these kinds of mental disorders may have the most substantial impact on a person’s life. People exhibiting signs of these disorders show difficulty adjusting to new environments and are ineffective in dealing with different types of people. Some examples include obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), paranoia and antisocial personality.

According to a chapter in standard diagnostic classification, behavioural problems and kinds of mental disorders can be sorted into primary groups: symptomatic, substance-related mental disorders, schizotypal and delusional disorders, affective disorders, neurotic and somatoform, psychological disturbance, personality disorders, mental retardation, psychological development disorders, and disorders that start during childhood.