A man sitting alone on a sofa

Top 10 Mental Health Issues Everyone Should Be Aware Of

About 1 in 4 Americans are suffering from mental illnesses that are easily diagnosable. These illnesses or disorders might emerge due to substance addiction, and they usually co-exist with other mental disorders. Generally, those who attempt suicide suffer from a diagnosable mental disease. There are a lot of people that have mental health problems.

The phrase “mental health issues” encompasses a wide range of disorders that might impact an individual’s mental health. They can influence how you act, feel, and see the world. Mental diseases make it tough to function in society, get a stable job, perform well at school, and do simple chores. The most prevalent mental diseases are listed here.

Depression

It is a persistent mood illness classified as either clinical depression or major depressive disorder. It can appear as a gloomy mood, a sense of hopelessness, guilt, irritability, or restlessness. If you suffer from this, you may find it difficult to make judgments, sleep, or be as active as normal.

This affects your mental health so that people find it difficult to eat. They get suicidal or self-harming ideas. Discomfort, pains, migraines, and stomach problems are also possible. Depression can manifest itself as episodes for some individuals, while it can also manifest itself in a more continuous, low-level form for others.

Paranoia

Even though there is no indication of danger, those with paranoia always believe or sense they are endangered. You may have false notions that individuals or things are posing a threat to you. Furthermore, your fears may have been inflated beyond reason. Although it doesn’t count as a mental health issue on its own, it can be a sign of various diseases like schizophrenia and paranoid personality illness.

A paranoid woman sitting on the floor

Schizophrenia

This is a really serious condition. People with schizophrenia have a unique perspective on reality. False memories, hallucinations, and behavioral abnormalities are typical traits that make leading a normal life quite difficult. People usually get strong and abrupt mood swings.

A person with schizophrenia could laugh like an innocent child one second and get triggered and furious the next minute. They may not keep up with their cleanliness or grow bored in their everyday activities or social lives.

Anxiety Disorder

This includes a list of illnesses. Specific phobias, severe anxiety, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorders are all included in this category. People who suffer from these diseases are usually concerned about everyday occurrences. You could experience abrupt anxiety or fear, leading to panic episodes.

Anxious woman covering her head with her hands

Dissociative Disorders

These illnesses can cause you to separate from the world around you, leaving you detached from reality. You may not feel as many emotions or have many strong feelings as the people around you. You may not be able to recall memories or have a skewed view of your identity. Dissociation manifests itself in various ways, with varying degrees of severity. There are two types of dissociative feelings: transitory and long-term.

Bipolar Affective Disorder

This mental illness, formerly regarded as manic depression, can induce depressive thoughts and mania. You could be experiencing psychotic symptoms. Its cause is unknown, but some experts believe it has some genetic dispositions. When a person with bipolar disorder gets stressed, their symptoms become more prominent.

Woman eating tons of sugar cubes

Eating Disorders

These disorders make you have an unhealthy relationship with food. It alters your thinking regarding food and how you eat it. These mental health issues make you fixated on your eating habits so much so that you get obsessed with your weight.

A few common eating disorders include binge-eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, and anorexia nervosa. In bulimia, you have times where you restrict yourself from eating, and then you have periods where you purge food. In binge-eating, you cannot regulate how much you consume and have frequent periods of eating significantly more than you expected. In anorexia, you put restrictions on your eating habits and diet.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

This condition usually develops after a person has been through a traumatic event such as a car accident, a plane crash, or being a war veteran. This could also occur due to combat, torture, or natural calamity. All of these events can trigger a response. Long after the occurrence, you may experience powerful memories, sensations, or nightmares relating to the trigger.

Symptoms

Learning symptoms of mental health issues can assist you in recognizing your or a loved one’s mental disorders. Some of the signs and traits are as follows:

  • Sadness, exhaustion, or a sense of being worthless. People with mental health issues experience low moods frequently. However, if that feeling lasts more than two weeks and is accompanied by emotions of sorrow and hopelessness, you may be depressed. It can be distinguished from regular feelings of lowness by its symptoms, such as lack of enjoyment of things, low appetite, and sleeping issues.
  • Worries and anxieties persist. Anxiety disorder can affect people who experience excessive or severe anxiety and are concerned about their lives.
  • Panic disorders cause breathing problems, heart palpitations, shaking, chest pain, and dizziness.
  • Some physical symptoms go unexplained. If these persist, it can indicate emotional distress or excess stress. Migraines, stomachaches, and back pain are common examples.
  • Chronic exhaustion and energy deficiency. When your body cannot cope with mental stress, it may shut down. Feeling too weary of accomplishing the things you used to like can indicate sadness or mental pain.
  • Isolating and staying away from people. It’s pretty normal if you prefer solitude in some social situations. But if you stay inside and isolate yourself from your loved ones, then you probably are experiencing anxiety, depression, or social phobia.

Mental health should always be taken seriously. A lot of us suffer in silence and don’t take action. To understand mental illnesses in greater detail, check out A Notebook of Love by Luis Trivino. His book highlights his battles with PTSD, separation from his wife, fight against alcoholism, and mental health issues. You can purchase it on amazon. Reach out to them if you have any feedback.

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