Disorders
Anxiety
Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental disorder. Anxiety disorders differ from normal feelings of nervousness. Anxiety makes it hard to get through the day. Symptoms include nervousness, excessive worrying, panic, and fear, as well as sweating and a rapid heartbeat.
Depression
Depression is a common and severe mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that impair a person's ability to sleep, eat, maintain energy, and work. Some symptoms include feelings of sadness, indifference, or hopelessness, as well as a low level of activity.
PTSD
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that can develop in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, sequence of events, or set of circumstances. An individual may perceive this as emotionally or physically harmful, or as life-threatening, and it may have an impact on their mental, physical, social, and/or spiritual well-being. Examples include natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist acts, war/combat, rape/sexual assault, historical trauma, intimate partner violence, and bullying (American Psychiatric Association, 2024).
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorders are characterized by intense mood swings. Bipolar disorder affects a person's mood, energy, activity level, concentration, and ability to function. People with bipolar disorder experience intense emotional states known as mood episodes, which occur over a period. These mood episodes are classified as abnormally happy, irritable, or sad.
Schizoaffective disorder
Schizoaffective disorder is a mental illness that causes both psychosis (loss of contact with reality) and mood problems (depression or mania). Schizoaffective disorder symptoms differ from person to person (MedlinePlus, 2022). People with schizoaffective disorder frequently seek treatment for mood issues, difficulties with daily functioning, or abnormal thoughts. Psychosis and mood problems can occur simultaneously or separately. Men and women develop schizoaffective disorder at the same rate, but men typically develop the illness at a younger age. Medication and therapy are effective treatments for schizoaffective disorder. The disorder's causes include genetics, brain chemistry, stress, and drug use.
ADHD
ADHD symptoms include inattention (inability to focus), hyperactivity (excessive movement that is inappropriate for the situation), and impulsivity. ADHD is considered a chronic and debilitating disorder and is known to impact the individual in many areas of their life, including academic and professional achievements, interpersonal relationships, and daily functioning.
Schizophrenia
Individuals with schizophrenia frequently experience false beliefs, hallucinations, unusual physical behavior, and disorganized thinking. This severe mental illness affects their thinking, feelings, and behavior, resulting in paranoia and impaired daily functioning. People with schizophrenia may appear to have lost touch with reality.