How Common are Mental Health Disorders?

According to the World Health Organization, one in four people around the world will experience a form of mental or neurological illness in life. Up to 450 million people are currently diagnosed with such conditions, making mental health disorders the leading culprit of ill health and disability worldwide.

Mental health disorders can be treated, but almost two-thirds of patients with mental illness refuse to get treatment from a medical expert. Neglect, discrimination and stigma are the significant reasons many patients refuse to get treatment. Below are common mental health disorders.

Depression

Depression is used to describe different forms of mental health issues signified by the nonexistence of positive vibes (lack of motivation and excitement for regular things and experiences), abased mood and a series of emotional, physical, cognitive and behavioral signs. Behavioral and physical signs usually include irritability, tearfulness, social withdrawal, escalation of preexisting discomfort and elevated muscle tension.

Patients may also exhibit signs of fatigue, low libido and redundancy. In some cases, the symptoms may include a feeling of guilt, lack of interest, worthlessness, loss of confidence, suicidal thoughts, self-inflicted injuries or even suicide.

General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

The major sign of GAD is excessive apprehension and worry, happening regularly for about six months, regarding certain events or tasks. People with GAD will find it difficult to curtail the feeling of anxiety and worry, and the issue is often joined by uneasiness, easy fatigue, trouble with concentration, muscle tension, insomnia and irritability.

Panic Disorder

People with panic disorder usually deal with regular apprehension and panic attacks (attacks of immediate temporary fear) regarding certain situations or unexpected panic attacks with no identifiable cause. To curb the feeling, they usually take specific decisions that could cause agoraphobia.

The regularity and intensity of the panic attack varies. The triggers can be external (caused by a situation or phobic) or internal (caused by physiological prompt). The primary characteristic of agoraphobia is the fear of being in locations or conditions where escaping may be hard, embarrassing or where aid may not be readily accessible during the attack. This may cause the patient to avoid staying alone inside or outside the home, waiting in a crowd, traveling by road or being in a specific place, such as in a lift or on a bridge.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

This is signaled by obsessions or compulsions, but usually both. An obsession may be described as undesired invasive thoughts, pictures or urges that never stops forming in the person’s mind. Obsessions are worrisome, and form in the person’s mind and are not caused by external factors.

Popular obsessions in OCD include contamination from germs, dirt, body fluids or viruses; exceeding worry about symmetry or order; excessive interest with the body or physical signs; sexual, sacrilegious, religious or blasphemous thoughts; thoughts of violence or aggression; or the urge to keep worthless or damaged possessions.

In conclusion

Statistics have shown that in any given community, one in six people are dealing with a common mental health disorder, and many of them show noteworthy signs that demand attention from a medical expert. Some of the most common mental health disorders are depression, anxiety, panic disorder and OCD. 

Having a mental health disorder is nothing to be ashamed of. Contact us today if you are ready to take charge of your mental health.

Request an appointment here: https://drsergesorokin.com or call Center for Emotional Peace at (847) 722-6118 for an appointment in our Highland Park office.