Man with mental disorder symptoms. Mental illnesses: a complete list and description of diseases

Psychiatry has traditionally dealt with the recognition and treatment of mental illnesses and disorders. Those violations of a person's mental activity that are manifested in thoughts, feelings, emotions, actions, and behavior in general are studied. These violations may be obvious, strongly pronounced, and may not be so obvious as to speak of "abnormality". Not always unbalanced people are mentally unhealthy.

The line where pathology begins beyond the norm is rather blurred and has not yet been clearly defined either in psychiatry or psychology. Therefore, mental illness is difficult to unambiguously interpret and evaluate. If there are signs of a mental disorder in women, then they can be the same in men. Explicit gender differences in the nature of the manifestation of mental illness are sometimes difficult to notice. In any case, with clearly expressed mental disorders. But the level of prevalence by gender can be different. Signs of mental disorders in men are manifested with no less force, although they are not without originality.

If a person believes, for example, that he is Napoleon or has superpowers, or he has sudden mood swings for no reason, or longing begins, or he falls into despair because of the most trivial everyday problems, then we can assume that he has signs of mental diseases. There may also be perverted desires or his actions will be clearly different from normal. Manifestations of painful states of the psyche are very different. But what will be common is that, first of all, the personality of a person, his perception of the world will undergo a change.

Personality is a combination of mental and spiritual properties of a person, his way of thinking, responding to changes in the environment, his character. Personality properties of different people have the same differences as bodily, physical - the shape of the nose, lips, eye color, height, etc. That is, the individuality of a person has the same meaning as physical individuality.

By the manifestations of personality traits, we can recognize a person. Personality properties do not exist separately from each other. They are closely interconnected, both in their functions and in the nature of manifestation. That is, they are organized into a kind of integral system, just like all our organs, tissues, muscles, bones form a bodily shell, a body.

Just as the body undergoes changes with age or under the influence of external factors, the personality does not remain unchanged, it develops, changes. Personality changes can be physiological, normal (especially with age) and pathological. Personality changes (normal) with age, under the influence of external and internal factors occur gradually. The mental image of a person is also gradually changing. At the same time, the properties of the personality change so that the harmony and integrity of the personality are not violated.

What happens when there is a sudden change in personality traits?

But sometimes, a person can change dramatically (or at least, it will seem so to others). Familiar people suddenly become boastful from modest, too harsh in judgments, were calm, balanced, and became aggressive and quick-tempered. From detailed turn into frivolous, superficial. Such changes are hard to miss. The harmony of personality is already broken. Such changes are clearly pathological, are mental disorders. That it is mental illness that can cause such changes is obvious. Doctors and psychologists talk about this. After all, mentally ill people often behave inappropriately to the situation. Yes, and it becomes obvious to others over time.

Factors provoking the occurrence and development of mental illness:

• Traumatic head and brain injuries. At the same time, mental activity changes dramatically, obviously not for the better. Sometimes it stops altogether when a person falls into an unconscious state.
• Organic diseases, congenital pathologies of the brain. In this case, both individual mental properties and the entire activity of the human psyche as a whole can be violated or "fall out".
• General infectious diseases (typhus, septicemia or blood poisoning, meningitis, encephalitis, etc.). They can cause irreversible changes in the psyche.
• Intoxication of the body under the influence of alcohol, drugs, gases, medicines, household chemicals (such as glue), poisonous plants. These substances can cause profound changes in the psyche and disruption of the central nervous system (central nervous system).
• Stress, psychological trauma. In this case, signs of mental abnormalities may be temporary.
• Burdened heredity. If a person has a history of close relatives with chronic mental illness, then the likelihood of such a disease among subsequent generations increases (although this point is sometimes disputed).

There may be other causes among the above factors. There may be many of them, but not all of them are known to medicine and science. Usually, a clearly mentally unbalanced person is immediately noticeable, even to the townsfolk. And yet, the human psyche is perhaps the most poorly understood system of the human body. Therefore, its changes are so poorly amenable to a clear and unambiguous analysis.

Each case of pathological changes in the psyche must be studied individually. Mental disorder or illness can be acquired or congenital. If they are acquired, it means that a certain moment has come in a person’s life when the pathological properties of the personality come to the fore. Unfortunately, it is impossible to trace the moment of transition from the norm to the pathology, and it is difficult to know when the first signs appeared. Also, how to prevent this transition.

Where and when does the "abnormality" begin?

Where is the line beyond which mental illness immediately begins? If there was no obvious interference from the outside in the psyche (head injury, intoxication, illness, etc.), in any case, there was no, in the opinion of both the sick person himself and his environment, then why did he get sick or mental disorders occurred, Even if not psychogenic? What went wrong, at what point? Physicians do not give answers to these questions yet. One can only speculate, carefully study the history, try to find at least something that could provoke changes.

Speaking of congenital, it is assumed that the mental properties of a person have never been in harmony. The person was born already with the broken integrity of the personality. Mental disorders in children and their symptoms represent a separate area for study. Children have their own mental characteristics, which differ from adults. And it should be borne in mind that the signs of a mental disorder can be obvious and obvious, or they can appear as if gradually and by chance, occasionally. Moreover, anatomical changes (in this case, most often they mean changes in the brain, in the first place) in diseases and mental disorders can be visible and obvious, but it happens that they cannot be traced. Or their changes are so subtle that they cannot be traced at a given level of development of medicine. That is, from a purely physiological point of view, there are no violations, but the person is mentally ill and needs treatment.

The pathophysiological basis of mental illness should be considered primarily disorders of the central nervous system - a violation of the basic processes of higher nervous activity (according to I.P. Pavlov).

If we talk directly about the signs of mental disorders, then we should take into account the peculiarities of the classification of mental illness. In each historical period in the development of psychiatry, classifications have undergone various changes. Over time, it became obvious that there is a need for consistent diagnosis of the same patients by different psychiatrists, regardless of their theoretical orientation and practical experience. Although even now this can be difficult to achieve, due to the conceptual disagreement in understanding the essence of mental disorders and diseases.

Another difficulty is that there are different national taxonomy of diseases. They may differ from each other according to various criteria. At the moment, from the point of view of the significance of reproducibility, the International Classification of Diseases of the 10th revision (ICD 10) and the American DSM-IV are used.

Types of pathology of the psyche (according to the domestic classification), depending on the main causes that cause them:

• Endogenous (under the influence of external factors) mental illness, but with the participation of exogenous factors. These include schizophrenia, epilepsy, affective disorders, etc.
• Exogenous (under the influence of internal factors) mental illness, but with the participation of endogenous factors. These include somatogenic, infectious, traumatic diseases, etc.
• Diseases caused by developmental disorders, as well as due to dysfunctions or disruptions in the functioning of the formed body systems. These types of diseases include various personality disorders, and so on.
• Psychogeny. These are diseases with signs of psychoses, neuroses.

It should be noted that all classifications not perfect and are open to criticism and improvement.

What is a mental disorder and how can it be diagnosed?

Patients with mental disorders may visit physicians frequently. Many times they can be in the hospital and undergo numerous examinations. Although, first of all, mentally unhealthy people often complain about their somatic condition.

The World Health Organization has identified the main signs of a mental disorder or illness:

1. Clearly expressed psychological discomfort.
2. Impaired ability to perform normal work or school duties.
3. Increased risk of death. Suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts. General disturbance of mental activity.

It is worth alerting if even a thorough examination does not reveal somatic disorders (and complaints do not stop), the patient has been “treated” for a long time and unsuccessfully by different doctors, and his condition does not improve. Diseases of the psyche or mental illness can be expressed not only by signs of a violation of mental activity, but in the clinic of the disease there may also be somatic disorders.

Somatized symptoms caused by anxiety

Anxiety disorders are twice as common in women as in men. Patients with anxiety disorders are more likely to present somatic complaints than complaints about changes in their general mental state. Often, somatic disorders are observed with various types of depression. It is also a very common mental disorder among women.

Somatized symptoms caused by depression

Anxiety and depressive disorders often occur together. ICD 10 even has a separate anxiety-depressive disorder.

Currently, in the practice of a psychiatrist, a complex psychological examination is actively used, which includes a whole group of tests (but their results are not a sufficient basis for making a diagnosis, but only play a clarifying role).

When diagnosing a mental disorder, a comprehensive personality examination is carried out and various factors are taken into account:

• The level of development of higher mental functions (or their changes) - perception, memory, thinking, speech, imagination. What is the level of his thinking, how adequate are his judgments and conclusions. Are there any memory impairments, is attention exhausted? How do thoughts correspond to mood, behavior. For example, some people can tell sad stories and laugh at the same time. Assess the pace of speech - whether it is slow or vice versa, the person speaks quickly, incoherently.
• Evaluate the general background of mood (oppressed or unreasonably high, for example). How adequate are his emotions to the environment, to changes in the world around him.
• They monitor the level of his contact, readiness to discuss his condition.
• Assess the level of social, professional productivity.
• The nature of sleep is assessed, its duration,
• Eating behavior. Whether a person suffers from overeating, or vice versa, takes food too little, rarely, haphazardly.
• The ability to experience pleasure, joy is assessed.
• Can the patient plan his activities, control his actions, behavior, are there any violations of volitional activity.
• The degree of adequacy of orientation in themselves, other people, in time, place - do patients know their name, are they aware of who they are (or consider themselves a superhuman, for example), do they recognize relatives, friends, can build a chronology of events in their lives and the lives of loved ones.
• Presence or absence of interests, desires, inclinations.
• The level of sexual activity.
• The most important thing is how critical a person is to his condition.

These are only the most general criteria, the list is far from complete. In each specific case, age, social status, state of health, and individual personality traits will also be taken into account. In fact, the usual behavioral reactions can serve as signs of mental disorders, but in an exaggerated or distorted form. Of particular interest to many researchers is the creativity of the mentally ill, its influence on the course of the disease. Mental illness is not such a rare companion even for great people.

It is believed that "Mental illnesses have the ability to sometimes suddenly open the springs of the creative process, the results of which are ahead of ordinary life, sometimes for a very long time." Creativity can serve as a means of calming and beneficially influence the patient. (P.I. Karpov, “Creativity of the mentally ill and its influence on the development of art, science and technology”, 1926). They also help the doctor to penetrate deeper into the soul of the patient, to better understand him. It is also believed that creators in the field of science, technology and art often suffer from nervous imbalance. According to these views, the creativity of the mentally ill often has no less value than the creativity of healthy people. Then what should be mentally healthy people? This is also an ambiguous wording and approximate signs.

Signs of mental health:

• Adequate to external and internal changes behavior, actions.
• Healthy self-esteem, not only of yourself, but also of your capabilities.
• Normal orientation in one's personality, time, space.
• Ability to work normally (physically, mentally).
• Ability to think critically.

A mentally healthy person is a person who wants to live, develop, knows how to be happy or sad (shows a large number of emotions), does not threaten himself and others with his behavior, is generally balanced, in any case, this is how he should be assessed by people around him. These characteristics are not exhaustive.

Mental disorders most common in women:

• Anxiety disorders
• Depressive disorders
• Anxiety and depressive disorders
• Panic Disorders
• Eating Disorders
• Phobias
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Adjustment disorder
• Histrionic Personality Disorder
• dependent personality disorder
• Pain disorder, etc.

Often, signs of a mental disorder are observed in women after the birth of a child. Especially, signs of neuroses and depressions of various nature and severity can be observed.

In any case, doctors should deal with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. The success of the cure is highly dependent on the timeliness of therapy. The support of family and friends is very important. In the treatment of mental disorders, combined methods of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy are usually used.

This is a collective concept denoting a group of pathological conditions that affect the nervous system and the whole complex of human behavioral reactions. Such disorders can develop as a result of failures in the metabolic processes occurring in the brain. In a broad sense, this expression is commonly understood as a state of the human psyche that differs from the generally accepted norm.

Mental disorders

The resistance of an individual to mental disorders depends on the general development of his psyche and a complex of his specific physical characteristics.

Many of the mental disorders (especially in the early stages of development) may be invisible to the eyes of others, but, at the same time, significantly complicate the patient's life.

Causes of mental disorders

The factors provoking the occurrence of mental disorders are very diverse, but all of them can be divided into two large categories: exogenous (this includes external influences, for example, trauma, infectious diseases, intoxication) and endogenous (this group includes hereditary, genetic diseases, chromosomal mutations, developmental disorders of the psyche).

The main causes of mental dysfunction:

Signs of a mental disorder

Such symptoms can cause a prolonged depressive state, interspersed with episodes of short-term bursts of affect.

Classification of mental illness

According to the etiology (origin), all mental illnesses can be divided into two groups:

1. Endogenous- the causes of the disease in these cases are internal factors; this includes genetic diseases, diseases with a hereditary predisposition.
2. exogenous- the causative factors of these diseases are poisons, alcohol, traumatic brain injury, radiation, infections, stressful situations, psychological trauma. A variety of exogenous diseases are psychogenic diseases that occur as a result of emotional stress, or may be associated with social or family problems.

There are the following types of mental disorders:

Flow

Most often, mental illness occurs and debuts in childhood or adolescence. The main features of mental disorders in these cases:

Diagnostics

When diagnosing, it is imperative to examine the patient for the presence (absence) of somatic diseases. The presence of complaints characteristic of internal diseases in the absence of pathology from the internal organs will be one of the indirect signs of the presence of a mental illness.

A significant difficulty in treatment is the fact that a person suffering from a mental disorder is either not aware of it, or tends to deny his condition due to fear of treatment or due to stereotypes. Meanwhile, in the early stages of many mental disorders, treatment can provide significant improvement and cause a stable, long-term remission.

It is desirable to carry out therapy in conditions conducive to the psychological comfort of the patient.

1. Psychotherapy aims to stop or at least alleviate the discomfort of the patient, felt by him in the form of unpleasant obsessive thoughts, fears, anxiety; helps in getting rid of unpleasant character traits. Psychotherapy can be carried out both individually with the patient and in a group (with relatives, or with other patients who have similar problems).
2. Somatic therapy, features, pharmacotherapy, aims to influence the patient's well-being and behavioral characteristics, as well as eliminate unpleasant symptoms that cause him concern. Somatic therapy is now widely used in psychiatry, although the pathogenesis of some types of disorders is still not completely clear.

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- pathological conditions, accompanied by a violation of the perception of reality, behavioral disorders, deviations in the volitional, emotional and mental sphere. They can be exogenous (caused by somatic diseases, traumas and stressful situations) or endogenous (genetically determined). Psychiatrists, psychotherapists and medical psychologists are engaged in the diagnosis, treatment and study of mental disorders, in some cases in collaboration with narcologists, neurologists, therapists, traumatologists and doctors of other specialties.

Mental disorders are a condition characterized by mental and behavioral changes in a destructive direction.

The term has several interpretations, both in the field of jurisprudence and in psychiatry or psychology, which introduces ambiguity into its meaning.

ICD (International Classification of Diseases) does not distinguish this disorder as a mental or mental illness.

The term rather bears a general assessment of various disorders of the human psyche.

Psychiatry notes that it is not always possible to identify biological, social or medical signs of mental disorders. Only a few mental problems have arisen due to a physical disorder of the body.

Risk factors

Each mental disorder of an individual can arise both due to a change in the structure, and due to a violation of the normal functioning of the brain.

The reasons that influence this are divided into the following groups:

1. Exogenous. It is customary to refer to this category any external factor that affects a person: be it various industrial toxins, narcotic drugs, microorganisms or brain injuries, which, among other things, could be caused by a disease.
2. Endogenous. This category includes immanent factors, which included in their composition violations of the set of chromosomes, gene diseases, hereditary diseases.

It is impossible to scientifically explain many more mental disorders. Every 4th has a tendency to mental disorders and behavioral variability.

The main factors provoking the considered pathologies are usually attributed to the biological and psychological influence of the environment.

The disorder can be genetically transmitted regardless of gender. Psychological factors combined heredity, as well as the impact of the environment, which can lead to personality disorders.

Instilling a false sense of family values ​​among children increases the chances of developing mental disorders.

Psychiatric disorders are the most common among patients with diabetes mellitus, vascular diseases of the brain, infectious diseases, as well as those who have experienced a stroke.

Alcohol dependence can deprive a person of a sane state, violating the mental and physical functions of the body.

Symptoms of the disease can also appear in the case of regular use of psychoactive drugs that affect the nervous system.

Autumn exacerbations or personal troubles can lead any person to mild depression. It is for this reason that vitamins are recommended in the fall.

Classification

To make it easier to diagnose, the World Health Organization classified mental pathologies, which are usually grouped as follows:

1. A condition caused by various kinds of organic damage to the brain. This category includes disorders caused by brain injuries, strokes, or systemic diseases. Cognitive functions are impaired, symptoms such as hallucinations, emotional variability, and delusions occur.
2. A permanent mental change caused by excessive use of alcohol or drugs. This group includes pathologies that were caused by the influence of psychoactive drugs, as well as sedatives, hypnotics, hallucinogenic substances.
3. Schizophrenia and schizotypal disorders. Symptoms are manifested in the form of a sharp change in character, the commission of illogical and ridiculous acts, changes in interests and the emergence of uncharacteristic hobbies, a drop in efficiency. An individual can completely lose the state of sanity and perception of the events around him. If the symptoms are mild or borderline, then the patient is diagnosed with schizotypal disorder.
4. Affective disorders are a group of disorders that manifest as mood swings. The brightest representative of the category is bipolar disorder. This group also includes manias with a variety of psychotic disorders and stable forms of these disorders are considered to be
5. Phobias and neuroses. It is customary to include various neurotic disorders in this group, including a panic attack, a paranoid state, neurosis, a chronic stress state, various phobias and somatic deviations. The classification includes specific and situational types of phobias.
6. Behavioral syndromes, including physiological problems. This group includes a variety of disorders related to nutrition, sleep and sexual dysfunctions..
7. Disorders of personality and behavior. This group included many states, including problems of identification by gender, sexual preferences, habits and attraction.

   Specific personality disorders include a persistent change in behavior as a reaction to a social or personal situation. Such conditions include paranoid, schizoid, dissocial personality disorder symptoms.

8. Mental retardation. This category includes congenital conditions characterized by mental retardation. These manifestations reduce intellectual functions such as speech, thinking, attention, memory and social adaptation functions.

   The disorder can be mild, moderate, moderate and severe, which is characterized by overt clinical manifestations. These conditions are based on possible fetal injuries during childbirth, developmental delays inside the womb, genetic predispositions, and attention deficit at an early age.

9. Developmental disorders of the psyche. This category included speech pathologies, delays in skills acquisition, learning, motor function, and psychological developmental problems. The condition appears in childhood and is often caused by brain damage. It proceeds evenly, without deterioration and remission.
10. Disorders related to activity and attention. This group also includes hyperkinetic pathologies. Symptoms appear in adolescents or children as attention problems. Children show hyperactivity, disobedience, sometimes aggression.

Symptoms

Mental pathologies have the following symptoms, divided into groups of signs.

1. Group 1 - hallucinations

   Hallucinations include an imaginary perception that is not caused by an external object. Such perceptions can be verbal, visual, tactile, gustatory and olfactory.

   • Verbal (auditory) hallucinations are manifested by separate words, songs, music, phrases that the patient hears. Often words can be in the nature of a threat or an order that is difficult to resist.
   • visual can be manifested by the appearance of silhouettes, objects, pictures and full-fledged films.
   • Tactile hallucination is perceived as a sensation on the body of foreign beings or objects, as well as their movement through the body and limbs.
   • Taste hallucination characterized by a sense of taste, as if the patient had bitten something.
   • Olfactory hallucination manifested by the flair of aromas, usually disgusting.

They can manifest themselves in a wide variety of cases and are a symptom of psychosis. They can occur both in schizophrenia and in case of poisoning with alcohol or other toxic substances. It is also possible manifestation in case of brain damage or in senile psychosis.

2. Group 2 - symptoms of impaired thinking

   This group of symptoms includes pathologies of thought processes, it includes: obsessive, delusional and overvalued ideas.

   • Obsessions include conditions that occur against the will of the patient. The patient evaluates standing critically and tries to cope with it. Obsessive thoughts are characterized by inconsistency with the patient's worldview. An obsession occurs in the case of a neurotic state or schizophrenia.
     • obsessive doubt is manifested by regular uncertainty in the actions and actions performed, exists contrary to reasonable logic;
     • the patient can repeatedly check whether electrical appliances are turned on, whether the doors are locked;
     • obsessive memory is manifested by a regular reminder to oneself of an unpleasant fact or event;
     • an obsessive abstract idea is manifested by scrolling in thoughts of incoherent concepts, numbers and operations with them.
   • Overvalued ideas. They manifest as logically supported beliefs based on realistic situations that are associated with personal characteristics and emotionally charged. Such ideas push the patient to narrowly focused actions, which often contributes to his maladjustment. At the same time, critical thinking is preserved, so it is possible to correct ideas.
   • Crazy ideas. By them is meant a false idea that arises against the background of mental disorders and does not correspond to reality. Such judgments are not criticized, therefore they are fully immersed in the patient's consciousness, changing the activity and reducing the patient's social adaptation.
3. Group 3 - signs of emotional disturbance
   

   Here various types of emotional disturbances are grouped, reflecting the human attitude to reality and to oneself personally.

   The human body has a close relationship with the external environment, which leads to constant exposure to stimuli from the outside.

   Such an impact can be both emotionally positive and negative or cause uncertainty. Emotions are newly arisen (hypothymic, hyperthymic and parathymic) or lost.

   1. hypothymia manifested by a decrease in mood in the form of a test of anxiety, fears, feelings of longing or confusion.
      • Yearning is a state that depresses any mental processes of a person. The whole environment is painted in gloomy tones.

        Activity decreases, there is a strong expression of doom. There is a feeling that life is meaningless.
        There is a high risk of suicide. Longing manifests itself in cases of neurosis and manic-depressive psychosis.

      • Anxiety- internal restlessness, tightness and excessive tension in the chest. Usually accompanied by a sense of impending disaster.
      • Fear This is a condition that causes fear for one's own life and well-being. The patient may, at the same time, not realize what he is really afraid of and be in a state of expectation that something bad will happen to him.

        Some will seek to escape, some become overwhelmed, freezing in place. Fear can be certain. In this case, the person is aware of the cause of fear (cars, animals, other people).

      • Confusion. In this state, there is a variability of the emotional background along with the manifestation of bewilderment.
   2. Hypothymic states do not have specificity and can occur in various conditions.
   3. Hyperthymia - excessively good mood. Such conditions appear euphoria, complacency, ecstasy, anger.
      • - causeless joy, happiness. In this state, there is often a desire to do something. It manifests itself with the use of alcohol or drugs, as well as with manic-depressive psychosis.
      • Ecstasy is characterized by the highest degree of mood enhancement. It occurs in patients with schizophrenia or epilepsy.
      • Complacency - a state of carelessness with a lack of desire for action. Most often occurs in senile dementia or atrophic processes of the brain.
      • Anger. The state is irritability of the highest level, anger with the manifestation of aggressive, destructive activity. When combined with longing, it is called dysphoria. The condition is typical for patients with epilepsy.

   All the types of emotional states described above can occur in a perfectly healthy person in everyday life: the main factor here is the number of manifestations, intensity and influence on further activity.

4. Group 4 - symptoms of memory impairment
   

The fourth group contains symptoms of memory problems. These include a decrease in memory function or their complete loss, the inability to remember, retain and reproduce individual events or information.

They are divided into paramnesia (memory deception) and amnesia (memory loss)

5. Group 5 - signs of violation of volitional activity

   Volitional disorders include such types of violations as hypobulia (expressed by a weakening of volitional activity), (lack of activity), as well as parabulia (perversion of volitional acts).

   1. Hypobulia is characterized by a decrease in the intensity and number of actions that encourage activity. It can be manifested by the suppression of individual instincts, for example, food, sexual or defensive, which leads to anorexia, decreased libido and the absence of protective actions against the threat, respectively. Usually observed in neurosis, depressive states. More persistent conditions occur in some cases of brain damage, as well as schizophrenia and dementia.
   2. The opposite symptom is hyperbulia, which is expressed by a painful increase in volitional activity. A similar unhealthy desire for activity occurs in the case of manic-depressive psychosis, dementia and some types of psychopathy.
6. Group 6 - signs of attention disorder

The sixth group of symptoms includes signs of absent-mindedness, distractibility, exhaustion and stiffness.

1. distraction. In this state, a person is not able to focus on one type of activity.
2. Exhaustibility. Such a violation of attention leads to a weakening of focus on a particular process. As a result, it becomes impossible to perform work productively.
3. Distractibility. Such a manifestation leads to a frequent and unreasonable change of activity, and as a result, to a loss of productivity.
4. stiffness. It becomes difficult for a person to switch attention from one object to another.

The described pathologies almost always occur in cases of mental illness.

Public reaction

Most people tend to avoid contact with people suffering from mental disorders, most often the reason for this is stereotypes.

At the same time, there are many options for deviations that create problems for the patient, but not for the people around him. Only some pathologies lead to antisocial behavior and violation of laws. In this case, the person is recognized as insane and sent to compulsory therapy.

Old stereotypes nurture complexes in people that do not allow visiting psychotherapists, as is customary in Western culture. No one can be immune from mental disorders, so do not ignore specialists who can help overcome a psychological problem.

With the timely provision of proper medical care, the severe and sometimes irreversible impact of mental illness on a person can be avoided.

Documentary film on the topic: “Psyche and mental disorders. Genius or disease.

Although many people believe that mental illness is rare, it really isn't. Every year, about 54 million Americans experience a mental health problem or illness. Mental disorders affect 1 in 4 people worldwide at some point in their lives. Many of these diseases can be treated with drugs, psychotherapy, but if left unattended, they can easily spiral out of control. If you think you may be experiencing signs of a mental disorder, seek help from a qualified professional as soon as possible.

Steps

Part 1

Realize that mental illness is not your fault. Society often condemns mental illness and those who suffer from it, and it is easy to believe that the reason for your problem is that you are worthless or do not put in enough effort. It is not true. If you have a mental illness, it is the result of a medical condition, not personal failure or anything else. An experienced primary care physician or mental health professional should never make you feel like you are to blame for your illness. It is not the fault of others, nor you yourself.

Consider possible biological risk factors. There is no single cause of mental illness, but there are many biological factors known to interfere with brain chemistry and contribute to hormonal imbalances.

• genetic predisposition. Some mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, are deeply linked to genetics. If someone in your family has been diagnosed with mental illness, then you may be more likely to develop one, simply due to your genetic make-up.
• Physiological disorder. Injuries, such as severe head trauma, or exposure to viruses, bacteria, or toxins during fetal development, lead to mental illness. Also, illicit drug and/or alcohol abuse can cause or exacerbate mental illness.
• Chronic diseases. Chronic illnesses such as cancer or other long-term illnesses increase the risk of developing mental disorders such as anxiety and depression.

1. Understanding possible environmental risk factors. Some mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression, are directly related to your personal environment and sense of well-being. Shock and lack of stability can cause or exacerbate mental illness.

   • Difficult life experiences. Extremely emotional and exciting life situations can cause mental illness in a person. They may focus on the moment, such as the loss of a loved one, or linger on, such as a history of sexual or physical abuse. Participation in combat operations or as part of an emergency brigade can also contribute to the development of mental illness.
   • Stress. Stress can exacerbate an existing mental disorder and lead to mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety. Family quarrels, financial difficulties, and problems at work can all be a source of stress.
   • Loneliness. Lack of reliable connections for support, a sufficient number of friends, and a lack of healthy communication contribute to the onset or exacerbation of a mental disorder.

2. How to identify warning signs and symptoms. Some mental illnesses start at birth, but others show up over time or come on quite suddenly. The following are symptoms that may be warning signs of mental illness:

   • Feeling sad or irritable
   • Confusion or disorientation
   • Feeling apathy or lack of interest
   • Increased anxiety and anger/hostility/violence
   • Feelings of fear/paranoia
   • Inability to control emotions
   • Difficulties with concentration
   • Difficulties in taking responsibility
   • Reclusion or social exclusion
   • Sleep problems
   • Illusions and/or hallucinations
   • Strange, grandiloquent or far from reality ideas
   • Alcohol or drug abuse
   • Significant changes in eating habits or sex drive
   • Thoughts or plans of suicide

3. Identify physical warning signs and symptoms. Sometimes physical signs can serve as warning signs of a mental illness. If you have symptoms that do not go away, seek medical attention. Warning symptoms include:

   • Fatigue
   • Back and/or chest pain
   • Cardiopalmus
   • Dry mouth
   • Digestive problems
   • Headache
   • excessive sweating
   • Significant changes in body weight
   • Dizziness
   • Serious sleep disorders

4. Determine how severe your symptoms are. Many of these symptoms appear in response to everyday events and therefore do not necessarily indicate that you are mentally ill. You should have reason to be concerned if they persist and, more importantly, if they negatively impact your day-to-day functioning. Never be afraid to seek medical help.

   Make friends for support. It is important for everyone, especially those who deal with mental illness, to have acquaintances who accept and support them. For starters, it could be friends and family. In addition, there are many support groups. Find a support group in your area or online.

   Consider meditation or cultivating self-awareness. While meditation is not a substitute for professional help and/or medication, it can help manage symptoms of certain mental illnesses, especially those associated with addiction, drug use, or anxiety. Mindfulness and meditation emphasize the importance of acceptance and presence, which helps relieve stress.

   Keep a diary. Keeping a diary of your thoughts and experiences can help you in many ways. By writing down negative thoughts or worries, you can stop focusing on them. Keeping track of the causes of certain feelings or symptoms will help your primary psychiatrist provide you with optimal treatment. It also allows you to explore your emotions in a safe way.

5. Maintain a healthy diet and exercise regimen. While diet and exercise cannot prevent mental illness, it can help control your symptoms. In the case of severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, it is especially important to maintain a consistent regimen and get enough sleep.

   • If you suffer from an eating disorder such as anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating, then you may need to be extra careful with your diet and exercise regimen. Consult with a specialist to make sure you are following a healthy diet.