What is mental health?

Mental health is all about how people think, feel, and behave. Mental health specialists can help people with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, addiction, and other conditions that affect their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO)

“Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.”?

Types of mental health disorders

Specific mental disorders are grouped together due to features they have in common. Some types of mental illness are as follows:

• anxiety disorders
• mood disorders
• schizophrenia disorders

Anxiety disorders

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness.

People with these conditions have severe fear or anxiety related to certain objects or situations. Most people with an anxiety disorder try to avoid exposure to whatever triggers their anxiety.

Below are some examples of anxiety disorders.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) involves excessive worry or fear that disrupts everyday living.

People may also experience physical symptoms, including:

• restlessness
• fatigue
• poor concentration
• tense muscles
• interrupted sleep

A bout of anxiety symptoms does not necessarily need a specific trigger in people with GAD.?

They may experience excessive anxiety when encountering everyday situations that do not pose a direct danger, such as chores or appointments. A person with GAD may sometimes feel anxiety with no trigger at all.

Panic disorder

People with a panic disorder experience regular panic attacks involving sudden, overwhelming terror or a sense of imminent disaster and death.?

Phobias

There are different types of phobia:?

• Simple phobias: These may involve a disproportionate fear of specific objects, scenarios, or animals. A fear of spiders is a typical example.
• Social phobia: Sometimes known as social anxiety, this is a fear of being subject to the judgment of others. People with social phobia often restrict their exposure to social environments.?
• Agoraphobia: This term refers to a fear of situations where getting away may be difficult, such as being in an elevator or a moving train. Many people misunderstand this phobia as the fear of being outside.?

Phobias are deeply personal, and doctors do not know every type. There could be thousands of phobias, and what may seem unusual to one person can be a severe problem that dominates daily life for another.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have obsessions and compulsions. In other words, they experience constant, stressful thoughts and a powerful urge to perform repetitive acts, such as handwashing.

PTSD

PTSD can occur after a person experiences or witnesses an intensely stressful or traumatic event. During this type of event, the person thinks that their life or other people’s lives are in danger. They may feel afraid or that they have no control over what is happening. These sensations of trauma and fear may then contribute to PTSD.

Mood disorders

People may also refer to mood disorders as affective disorders or depressive disorders.?

People with these conditions have significant mood changes, generally involving either mania, a period of high energy and joy, or depression. Examples of mood disorders include:

• Major depression: An individual with major depression experiences a constant low mood and loses interest in activities and events that they previously enjoyed (anhedonia). They can feel prolonged periods of sadness or extreme sadness.
• Bipolar disorder: A person with bipolar disorder experiences unusual changes. In their mood, energy levels, levels of activity, and ability to continue with daily life. Periods of high mood are known as manic phases, while depressive phases bring on low mood.?
• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD): Reduced daylight during the fall, winter, and early spring months triggers this type of major depression

schizophrenia

The symptoms of schizophrenia usually appear in late adolescence or early adulthood. They affect a person’s speech, thinking, emotions as well as social interactions and other everyday activities.

The classifications and types of schizophrenia have changed over the years. Previously, health professionals may have classified schizophrenia as one of the following five types:

• paranoid type
• disorganized type
• catatonic type
• undifferentiated type
• residual type

However, doctors no longer classify types of schizophrenia. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5) is the manual mental health professionals use to diagnose mental health conditions.?

Use these categories. This is because health experts noted that the previous types had many overlapping features and symptoms.

Early signs

No physical test or scan reliably indicates whether a person has developed a mental illness. However, people should look out for the following as possible signs of a mental health disorder:

• withdrawing from friends, family, and colleagues
• avoiding activities they would normally enjoy
• sleeping too much or too little
• eating too much or too little
• feeling hopeless
• having consistently low energy
• using mood-altering substances, including alcohol and nicotine, more frequently
• displaying negative emotions
• being confused
• being unable to complete daily tasks, such as getting to work or cooking a meal
• having persistent thoughts or memories that reappear regularly
• thinking of causing physical harm to themselves or others
• hearing voices
• experiencing delusions

Diagnosis

Diagnosing a mental health disorder requires a multi-step process. A doctor may begin by looking at a person’s medical history and performing a thorough physical exam to rule out physical conditions or issues that may be causing the symptoms.?

No medical tests can diagnose mental disorders. However, doctors may order a series of laboratory tests such as imaging exams and bloodwork to screen for other possible underlying causes.

They will also do a psychological evaluation. This includes asking about a person’s symptoms, experiences, and how these have impacted their lives. Sometimes, the doctor may ask a person to fill out mental health questionnaires to get an idea about a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior patterns.