COMMON PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS

People commonly know psychological disorders as “Mental disorders” or “Psychiatric disorders,” which means conditions that affect how humans think and feel.

Psychological disorders are one of the factors that contribute largely to how humans live their daily lives. It can be influenced by environment, lifestyle, and genetics.

Most Common Psychological Disorders

As opposed to what many think, psychological disorder is no respecter of any age, gender, ethnic, and just like medical conditions, it can range from mild to severe. Its early stages might not be evident as the individual suffering from it might see it as normal mood swings. However, as it nears the severe stage, the individual might go into depression.

According to the Centers for disease control and prevention, over 50% of the world population suffers from one psychological disorder or the other.

• BIPOLAR DISORDER

One of the prevalent conditions around the World. Bipolar disorder is most common in the United States as over 2.6% of Americans suffer from it. The condition is associated with mood swings ranging from manic highs to depressive lows.

During manic highs, individuals suffering from this condition will be active and might not find it necessary to sleep. In the episodes of depressive lows, the individual will lose motivation to do anything and will most definitely experience a loss of energy.

Although the sole cause of the bipolar disorder is unknown, environment, genetics, and altered brain structure contribute largely to it. This condition can be lifelong, and treatments such as medication and psychotherapy can be of great help.

• ANXIETY DISORDER

We all have our everyday fears; when stuck in traffic and it’s past resumption time at work, we fear getting a query from the boss. But, the anxiety disorder is far from the usual fear we experience.

This condition will make anyone suffering from it get extremely worried about every little thing they think about. It affects about 3% of Americans and causes them to have an unproductive day.  Individuals suffering from anxiety disorder will most likely use antidepressants to reduce the level, but counseling tends to help as well.

• MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

Commonly referred to as Clinical depression, it is another type of disorder that brings suicidal thoughts to individuals suffering from it. It lasts for months, and it reduces productiveness.

Clinical depression may cause an individual to become upset and violent to themselves. It is one of the prevalent conditions alongside Bipolar disorder, and it has been estimated to affect about 7% of Americans.

While the condition lasts a few months, it is necessary to seek the help of a medical professional as it might lead to suicide. Medication such as antidepressants might go a long way in curbing the condition.

• EATING DISORDER

This condition might seem normal at the mild stage, particularly for people who eat a lot and those that have very little appetite for food, but as it enters the severe stage, it becomes obvious. Eating disorders are of different types; they start with an obsession for food, body shape, and body weight.

Eating disorders include Anorexia nervosa, Bulimia nervosa, Binge eating disorder, rumination disorder, Restrictive food intake disorder, and Pica – pica is a rare condition that involves individuals craving substances that are not food items.

This condition might require the help of a medical professional as it could lead to death when left untreated.

• POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)

PTSD is a type of psychological disorder that is prompted by traumatic occurrences. Failure to recover after experiencing natural disasters, war, and sexual molestation can trigger the condition.

Symptoms of this condition include frequent nightmares, flashbacks, startle response, lack of concentration, and avoiding the scenes where the event played out. PTSD might last for a few months or a few years and can be managed with medication and psychotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Psychological disorders can cause an individual to derail from his normal way of life and go into depression, affecting his lifestyle in general, but with medication, under the strict supervision of a medical professional and psychotherapy, such an individual can bounce back within a short time.