Mental illneses

Mental illneses are also called mental disorders, there are a lot of different mental illneses such as:

• Anxiety disorders. People with anxiety disorders respond to certain objects or situations with fear and dread, as well as with physical signs of anxiety or panic, such as a rapid heartbeat and sweating. An anxiety disorder is diagnosed if the person's response is not appropriate for the situation, if the person cannot control the response, or if the anxiety interferes with normal functioning.

• Mood disorders. These disorders, also called affective disorders, involve persistent feelings of sadness or periods of feeling overly happy, or fluctuations from extreme happiness to extreme sadness.

• Bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder, with its extreme mood swings from depression to mania, used to be called manic depressive disorder. Bipolar disorder is very serious and can cause risky behavior, even suicidal tendencies, and can be treated with therapy and medication.

• Depression.  Depression is an episode of sadness or apathy along with other symptoms that lasts at least two consecutive weeks and is severe enough to interrupt daily activities.

• Personality disorders. People with personality disorders have extreme and inflexible personality traits that are distressing to the person and/or cause problems in work, school, or social relationships. In addition, the person's patterns of thinking and behavior significantly differ from the expectations of society and are so rigid that they interfere with the person's normal functioning.

• Psychotic disorders. Psychotic disorders involve distorted awareness and thinking. 

Can have been caused by Biological factors, a traumatic brain injury, a mother's exposure to viruses or toxic chemicals while pregnant.

 Other factors may increase your risk, such as use of ilegal drugs. 

Some treatments for some mental illneses are:

• Antidepressants.
• Anti-anxiety medications.
• Mood-stabilizing medications.
• Antipsychotic medications.
• Pyscotherapy.

This short video can explain in a very simply way what are mental illnesses.

Post published by

Miguel Cambronero
and Diego Gill