Closedness

Slow thinking

Hysterical laughter

Impaired concentration

Sexual dysfunction

Uncontrollable overeating

Refusal to eat

Alcohol addiction

Problems with adaptation in society

Conversations with yourself

Decreased performance

Learning difficulties

Feeling of fear

Mental disorder is a wide range of illnesses that are characterized by changes in the psyche that affect habits, performance, behavior and position in society. In the international classification of diseases, such pathologies have several meanings. ICD 10 code – F00 - F99.

A wide range of predisposing factors can cause the appearance of one or another psychological pathology, ranging from traumatic brain injuries and family history to addiction to bad habits and toxin poisoning.

There are a lot of clinical manifestations of diseases associated with personality disorder, and they are extremely diverse, which is why we can conclude that they are individual in nature.

Establishing a correct diagnosis is a rather lengthy process, which, in addition to laboratory and instrumental diagnostic measures, includes the study of life history, as well as analysis of handwriting and other individual characteristics.

Treatment of a particular mental disorder can be carried out in several ways - from the work of appropriate clinicians with the patient to the use of traditional medicine recipes.

Etiology

Personality disorder means a disease of the soul and a state of mental activity that differs from a healthy one. The opposite of this condition is mental health, which is characteristic of those individuals who can quickly adapt to daily life changes, solve various daily issues or problems, and achieve their goals and objectives. When such abilities are limited or completely lost, one can suspect that a person has some kind of mental pathology.

Diseases of this group are caused by a wide variety and multiple etiological factors. However, it is worth noting that absolutely all of them are predetermined by impaired functioning of the brain.

Pathological reasons against which mental disorders can develop include:

• the course of various infectious diseases, which can either themselves negatively affect the brain or appear in the background;
• damage to other systems, for example, leaking or previously suffered, can cause the development of psychoses and other mental pathologies. Often they lead to the appearance of one or another disease in older people;
• traumatic brain injuries;
• brain oncology;
• congenital defects and anomalies.

Among the external etiological factors it is worth highlighting:

• effects on the body of chemical compounds. This includes poisoning with toxic substances or poisons, indiscriminate use of medications or harmful food components, as well as abuse of addictions;
• prolonged exposure to stressful situations or nervous strain that can haunt a person both at work and at home;
• improper upbringing of a child or frequent conflicts between peers lead to the appearance of a mental disorder in adolescents or children.

Separately, it is worth highlighting burdened heredity - mental disorders, like no other pathologies, are closely related to the presence of similar deviations in relatives. Knowing this, you can prevent the development of a particular disease.

In addition, mental disorders in women can be caused by labor.

Classification

There is a division of personality disorders that groups all diseases of a similar nature according to the predisposing factor and clinical manifestation. This enables clinicians to quickly make a diagnosis and prescribe the most effective therapy.

Thus, the classification of mental disorders includes:

• mental changes caused by drinking alcohol or using drugs;
• organic mental disorders - caused by disruption of normal brain function;
• affective pathologies – the main clinical manifestation is frequent mood swings;
• and schizotypal diseases - such conditions have specific symptoms, which include a sharp change in personality and lack of adequate actions;
• phobias and Signs of such disorders may arise in relation to an object, phenomenon or person;
• behavioral syndromes associated with disturbances in eating, sleeping or sexual relations;
• . This disorder refers to borderline mental disorders, since they often arise against the background of intrauterine pathologies, heredity and childbirth;
• disorders of psychological development;
• Disorders of activity and concentration are the most common mental disorders in children and adolescents. It is expressed in disobedience and hyperactivity of the child.

Varieties of such pathologies in representatives of the teenage age category:

• prolonged depression;
• and nervous character;
• drankorexia.

Types of mental disorders in children are presented:

• mental retardation;

Varieties of such deviations in elderly people:

• marasmus;
• Pick's disease.

The most common mental disorders associated with epilepsy are:

• epileptic mood disorder;
• transient mental disorders;
• mental seizures.

Long-term drinking of alcohol-containing drinks leads to the development of the following psychological personality disorders:

• delirium;
• hallucinations.

Brain injury can be a factor in the development of:

• twilight state;
• delirium;
• oneiroid.

The classification of mental disorders that arise against the background of somatic illnesses includes:

• asthenic neurosis-like state;
• Korsakov's syndrome;
• dementia.

Malignant neoplasms can cause:

• various hallucinations;
• affective disorders;
• memory impairment.

Types of personality disorder formed due to vascular pathologies of the brain:

• vascular dementia;
• cerebrovascular psychosis.

Some clinicians believe that selfie is a mental disorder, which is expressed in the tendency to very often take photographs of oneself on the phone and post them on social networks. Several degrees of severity of such a violation were compiled:

• episodic - a person takes photographs more than three times a day, but does not post the resulting images to the public;
• medium-heavy – differs from the previous one in that the person posts photos on social networks;
• chronic – photographs are taken throughout the day, and the number of photographs posted on the Internet exceeds six.

Symptoms

The appearance of clinical signs of a mental disorder is of a purely individual nature, however, all of them can be divided into disturbances of mood, thinking abilities and behavioral reactions.

The most obvious manifestations of such violations are:

• causeless changes in mood or the appearance of hysterical laughter;
• difficulty concentrating, even when performing simple tasks;
• conversations when no one is around;
• hallucinations, auditory, visual or combined;
• decreased or, conversely, increased sensitivity to stimuli;
• lapses or lack of memory;
• learning disabilities;
• misunderstanding of events happening around;
• decreased performance and adaptation in society;
• depression and apathy;
• feeling of pain and discomfort in various areas of the body, which in reality may not exist;
• the emergence of unjustified beliefs;
• sudden feeling of fear, etc.;
• alternation of euphoria and dysphoria;
• acceleration or inhibition of the thought process.

Such manifestations are characteristic of psychological disorders in children and adults. However, several of the most specific symptoms are identified, depending on the patient’s gender.

Representatives of the fairer sex may experience:

• sleep disorders such as insomnia;
• frequent overeating or, conversely, refusal to eat;
• addiction to alcohol abuse;
• sexual dysfunction;
• irritability;
• severe headaches;
• unreasonable fears and phobias.

In men, unlike women, mental disorders are diagnosed several times more often. The most common symptoms of a particular disorder include:

• sloppy appearance;
• avoidance of hygiene procedures;
• isolation and touchiness;
• blaming everyone except yourself for your own problems;
• sudden change of mood;
• humiliation and insult of interlocutors.

Diagnostics

Establishing a correct diagnosis is a rather lengthy process that requires an integrated approach. First of all, the clinician needs to:

• study the life history and medical history of not only the patient, but also his immediate relatives - to determine borderline mental disorder;
• a detailed survey of the patient, which is aimed not only at clarifying complaints regarding the presence of certain symptoms, but also at assessing the patient’s behavior.

In addition, a person’s ability to tell or describe his illness is of great importance in diagnosis.

To identify pathologies of other organs and systems, laboratory tests of blood, urine, feces and cerebrospinal fluid are indicated.

Instrumental methods include:

Psychological diagnostics are necessary to identify the nature of changes in individual processes of mental activity.

In cases of death, a pathological diagnostic examination is carried out. This is necessary to confirm the diagnosis, identify the causes of the disease and death of a person.

Treatment

Treatment tactics for mental disorders will be drawn up individually for each patient.

Drug therapy in most cases involves the use of:

• sedatives;
• tranquilizers - to relieve anxiety and restlessness;
• neuroleptics - to suppress acute psychosis;
• antidepressants - to combat depression;
• mood stabilizers - to stabilize mood;
• nootropics.

In addition, it is widely used:

• auto-training;
• hypnosis;
• suggestion;
• neurolinguistic programming.

All procedures are carried out by a psychiatrist. Good results can be achieved with the help of traditional medicine, but only if they are approved by the attending physician. The list of the most effective substances is:

• poplar bark and gentian root;
• burdock and centaury;
• lemon balm and valerian root;
• St. John's wort and kava-kava;
• cardamom and ginseng;
• mint and sage;
• cloves and licorice root;

Such treatment of mental disorders should be part of complex therapy.

Prevention

In addition, it is necessary to follow several simple rules for the prevention of mental disorders:

• completely give up bad habits;
• take medications only as prescribed by the clinician and strictly adhere to the dosage;
• If possible, avoid stress and nervous tension;
• follow all safety rules when working with toxic substances;
• undergo a full medical examination several times a year, especially for those people whose relatives have mental disorders.

Only by following all the above recommendations can a favorable prognosis be achieved.

Mental illnesses are characterized by changes in the individual’s consciousness and thinking. At the same time, a person’s behavior, his perception of the world around him, and emotional reactions to what is happening are significantly disrupted. A list of​ ​common​ ​mental​ ​diseases​ ​with​ ​descriptions highlights the possible causes of pathologies, their main clinical manifestations and treatment methods.

Agoraphobia

The disease belongs to anxiety-phobic disorders. Characterized by fear of open space, public places, crowds of people. Often the phobia is accompanied by autonomic symptoms (tachycardia, sweating, difficulty breathing, chest pain, tremors, etc.). Panic attacks are possible, which force the patient to abandon their usual way of life for fear of a recurrence of the attack. Agoraphobia is treated with psychotherapeutic methods and medication.

Alcohol​ ​dementia

It is a complication of chronic alcoholism. At the last stage, without therapy it can lead to the death of the patient. The pathology develops gradually with the progression of symptoms. There are memory impairments, including memory failures, isolation, loss of intellectual abilities, and loss of control over one’s actions. Without medical care, personality decay, speech, thinking, and consciousness disorders are observed. Treatment is carried out in drug treatment hospitals. Refusal of alcohol is required.

Allotriophagy

A mental disorder in which a person strives to eat inedible things (chalk, dirt, paper, chemicals, etc.). This phenomenon occurs in patients with various mental illnesses (psychopathy, schizophrenia, etc.), sometimes in healthy people (during pregnancy), and in children (aged 1-6 years). The causes of the pathology may be a lack of minerals in the body, cultural traditions, or the desire to attract attention. Treatment is carried out using psychotherapy techniques.

Anorexia

A mental disorder resulting from a disruption in the functioning of the food center of the brain. It manifests itself as a pathological desire to lose weight (even at low weight), lack of appetite, and fear of obesity. The patient refuses to eat and uses all sorts of ways to reduce body weight (diet, enemas, inducing vomiting, excessive exercise). Arrhythmias, menstrual irregularities, spasms, weakness and other symptoms are observed. In severe cases, irreversible changes in the body and death are possible.

Autism

Childhood mental illness. Characterized by impaired social interaction, motor skills, and speech dysfunctions. Most scientists classify autism as a hereditary​ ​mental ​disease. The diagnosis is made based on observation of the child's behavior. Manifestations of pathology: the patient’s unresponsiveness to speech, instructions from other people, poor visual contact with them, lack of facial expressions, smiles, delayed speech skills, detachment. Methods of speech therapy, behavioral correction, and drug therapy are used for treatment.

White fever

Alcoholic psychosis, manifested by behavioral disturbances, anxiety of the patient, visual, auditory, tactile hallucinations, due to dysfunction of metabolic processes in the brain. The causes of delirium are an abrupt interruption of a long drinking binge, a large one-time volume of alcohol consumed, and low-quality alcohol. The patient has body tremors, high fever, and pale skin. Treatment is carried out in a psychiatric hospital and includes detoxification therapy, taking psychotropic drugs, vitamins, etc.

Alzheimer's disease

It is an incurable mental illness, characterized by degeneration of the nervous system and gradual loss of mental abilities. Pathology is one of the causes of dementia in older people (over 65 years old). It manifests itself as progressive memory impairment, disorientation, and apathy. In the later stages, hallucinations, loss of independent thinking and motor abilities, and sometimes convulsions are observed. It is possible that disability due to mental illness Alzheimer's will be granted for life.

Pick's disease

A rare​ ​mental​ ​disease with a predominant localization in the frontotemporal lobes of the brain. Clinical manifestations of pathology go through 3 stages. At the first stage, antisocial behavior is noted (public realization of physiological needs, hypersexuality, etc.), decreased criticism and control of actions, repetition of words and phrases. The second stage is manifested by cognitive dysfunction, loss of reading, writing, counting skills, and sensorimotor aphasia. The third stage is deep dementia (immobility, disorientation), leading to the death of a person.

Bulimia

A mental disorder characterized by uncontrolled excessive food consumption. The patient is focused on food, diets (breakdowns are accompanied by gluttony and guilt), his weight, and suffers from bouts of hunger that cannot be satisfied. In the severe form, there are significant weight fluctuations (5-10 kg up and down), swelling of the parotid gland, fatigue, tooth loss, and irritation in the throat. This mental​ ​disease often occurs​ ​in​ ​adolescents, people under 30 years of age, mainly in women.

Hallucinosis

A mental disorder characterized by the presence of various types of hallucinations in a person without impairment of consciousness. They can be verbal (the patient hears a monologue or dialogue), visual (visions), olfactory (sensation of smells), tactile (the feeling of insects, worms, etc. crawling under the skin or on it). The pathology is caused by exogenous factors (infections, injuries, intoxications), organic brain damage, and schizophrenia.

Dementia

A severe​ ​mental​ ​illness characterized by progressive degradation of cognitive function. There is a gradual loss of memory (up to complete loss), thinking abilities, and speech. Disorientation and loss of control over actions are noted. The occurrence of pathology is typical for older people, but is not a normal condition of aging. Therapy is aimed at slowing down the process of personality disintegration and optimizing cognitive functions.

Depersonalization

According to medical reference books and the international classification of diseases, pathology is classified as a neurotic disorder. The condition is characterized by a violation of self-awareness, alienation of the individual. The patient perceives the world around him, his body, activities, and thinking as unreal, existing autonomously from him. There may be disturbances in taste, hearing, pain sensitivity, etc. Periodic similar sensations are not considered a pathology, however, treatment (medication and psychotherapy) is required for a protracted, persistent state of derealization.

Depression

A serious​ ​mental​ ​illness, which is characterized by a depressed mood, lack of joy, and positive thinking. In addition to the emotional signs of depression (sadness, despair, feelings of guilt, etc.), there are physiological symptoms (impaired appetite, sleep, pain and other unpleasant sensations in the body, digestive dysfunction, fatigue) and behavioral manifestations (passivity, apathy, desire for solitude, alcoholism And so on). Treatment includes medications and psychotherapy.

Dissociative fugue

An acute mental disorder in which the patient, under the influence of traumatic incidents, suddenly renounces his personality (completely losing memories of it), inventing a new one for himself. The patient's departure from home is necessarily present, while mental abilities, professional skills, and character are preserved. The new life can be short (a few hours) or last a long time (months and years). Then there is a sudden (rarely gradual) return to the previous personality, while the memories of the new one are completely lost.

Stuttering

Committing convulsive actions of the articulatory and laryngeal muscles when pronouncing speech, distorting it and making it difficult to pronounce words. Typically, stuttering occurs at the very beginning of phrases, less often in the middle, while the patient lingers on one or a group of sounds. The pathology may rarely recur (paroxysmal) or be permanent. There are neurotic (in healthy children under the influence of stress) and neurosis-like (in diseases of the central nervous system) forms of the disease. Treatment includes psychotherapy, speech therapy for stuttering, and drug therapy.

gambling addiction

A mental disorder characterized by addiction to games and a desire for excitement. Among the types of gambling addiction, there is a pathological addiction to gambling in casinos, computer games, online games, slot machines, sweepstakes, lotteries, sales on the foreign exchange and stock markets. Manifestations of pathology include an irresistible constant desire to play, the patient withdraws, deceives loved ones, mental disorders and irritability are noted. Often this phenomenon leads to depression.

Idiocy

Congenital mental illness characterized by severe mental retardation. It is observed from the first weeks of a newborn’s life and is manifested by a significant progressive lag in psychomotor development. Patients lack speech and its understanding, ability to think, and emotional reactions. Children do not recognize their parents, cannot master primitive skills, and grow up absolutely helpless. Often the pathology is combined with anomalies in the physical development of the child. Treatment is based on symptomatic therapy.

Imbecility

Significant mental retardation (moderate mental retardation). Patients have weak learning abilities (primitive speech, however, it is possible to read syllables and understand counting), poor memory, and primitive thinking. There is an excessive manifestation of unconscious instincts (sexual, food), and antisocial behavior. It is possible to learn self-care skills (through repetition), but such patients are not able to live independently. Treatment is based on symptomatic therapy.

Hypochondria

A neuropsychic disorder based on the patient’s excessive worries about his health. In this case, manifestations of pathology can be sensory (exaggeration of sensations) or ideogenic (false ideas about sensations in the body that can cause changes in it: cough, stool disorders, and others). The disorder is based on self-hypnosis, its main cause is neurosis, sometimes organic pathologies. An effective method of treatment is psychotherapy with the use of medications.

Hysteria

Complex neurosis, which is characterized by states of passion, pronounced emotional reactions, and somatovegetative manifestations. There is no organic damage to the central nervous system, the disorders are considered reversible. The patient strives to attract attention, has an unstable mood, and may experience motor dysfunction (paralysis, paresis, unsteadiness of gait, head twitching). A hysterical attack is accompanied by a cascade of expressive movements (falling on the floor and rolling on it, tearing out hair, twisting limbs, etc.).

Kleptomania

An irresistible urge to steal someone else's property. Moreover, the crime is committed not for the purpose of material enrichment, but mechanically, with a momentary impulse. The patient is aware of the illegality and abnormality of addiction, sometimes tries to resist it, acts alone and does not develop plans, does not steal out of revenge or for similar reasons. Before the theft, the patient experiences a feeling of tension and anticipation of pleasure; after the crime, the feeling of euphoria persists for some time.

Cretinism

The pathology that occurs with thyroid dysfunction is characterized by retardation of mental and physical development. All causes of cretinism are based on hypothyroidism. It can be a congenital or acquired pathology during the development of the child. The disease manifests itself as retarded growth of the body (dwarfism), teeth (and their replacement), disproportionality of the structure, and underdevelopment of secondary sexual characteristics. There are hearing, speech, and intellectual impairments of varying severity. Treatment consists of lifelong use of hormones.

"Cultural" shock

Negative emotional and physical reactions provoked by a change in a person’s cultural environment. At the same time, a collision with a different culture, an unfamiliar place causes discomfort and disorientation in the individual. The condition develops gradually. At first, a person perceives new conditions positively and optimistically, then the stage of “culture” shock begins with awareness of certain problems. Gradually the person comes to terms with the situation, and depression recedes. The last stage is characterized by successful adaptation to the new culture.

Mania​ ​of persecution

A mental disorder in which the patient feels being watched and threatened with harm. The pursuers are people, animals, unreal beings, inanimate objects, etc. Pathology goes through 3 stages of formation: initially the patient is worried about anxiety, he becomes withdrawn. Further, the symptoms become more pronounced, the patient refuses to go to work or close circle. At the third stage, a severe disorder occurs, accompanied by aggression, depression, suicide attempts, etc.

Misanthropy

Mental disorder associated with alienation from society, rejection, hatred of people. It manifests itself as unsociability, suspicion, distrust, anger, and enjoyment of one’s state of misanthropy. This psychophysiological personality trait can turn into antrophobia (fear of a person). People suffering from psychopathy, delusions of persecution, and after suffering attacks of schizophrenia are prone to pathology.

Monomania

Excessive obsessive commitment to an idea, a subject. It is a single-subject insanity, a single mental disorder. At the same time, the preservation of mental health in patients is noted. This term is absent in modern classifiers of diseases, since it is considered a relic of psychiatry. Sometimes used to refer to psychosis characterized by a single disorder (hallucinations or delusions).

Obsessive states

A mental illness characterized by the presence of persistent thoughts, fears, and actions regardless of the will of the patient. The patient is fully aware of the problem, but cannot overcome his condition. Pathology manifests itself in obsessive thoughts (absurd, scary), counting (involuntary recounting), memories (usually unpleasant), fears, actions (their meaningless repetition), rituals, etc. Treatment uses psychotherapy, medications, and physiotherapy.

Narcissistic​ ​personality disorder

Excessive personal experience of one’s importance. Combined with the requirement of increased attention to oneself and admiration. The disorder is based on the fear of failure, the fear of being of little value and defenseless. Personal behavior is aimed at confirming one’s own value; a person constantly talks about his merits, social, material status or mental, physical abilities, etc. Long-term psychotherapy is required to correct the disorder.

Neurosis

A collective term characterizing a group of psychogenic disorders of a reversible, usually not severe, course. The main cause of the condition is stress and excessive mental stress. Patients are aware of the abnormality of their condition. Clinical signs of pathology are emotional (mood swings, vulnerability, irritability, tearfulness, etc.) and physical (cardiac dysfunction, digestion, tremor, headache, difficulty breathing, etc.) manifestations.

Mental retardation

Congenital or acquired at an early age mental retardation caused by organic damage to the brain. It is a common pathology, manifested by impairments of intelligence, speech, memory, will, emotional reactions, motor dysfunctions of varying severity, and somatic disorders. The thinking of patients remains at the level of young children. Self-care abilities are present, but reduced.

Panic​ ​attacks

A panic attack accompanied by severe fear, anxiety, and vegetative symptoms. The causes of the pathology are stress, difficult life circumstances, chronic fatigue, the use of certain medications, mental and somatic diseases or conditions (pregnancy, the postpartum period, menopause, adolescence). In addition to emotional manifestations (fear, panic), there are vegetative ones: arrhythmias, tremors, difficulty breathing, pain in various parts of the body (chest, abdomen), derealization, etc.

Paranoia

A mental disorder characterized by excessive suspicion. Patients pathologically see a conspiracy, evil intent directed against them. At the same time, in other areas of activity and thinking, the patient’s adequacy is fully preserved. Paranoia can be a consequence of certain mental illnesses, brain degeneration, or medications. Treatment is predominantly medicinal (neuroleptics with anti-delusional effect). Psychotherapy is ineffective because the doctor is perceived as a participant in the conspiracy.

Pyromania

A mental disorder characterized by the patient’s irresistible craving for arson. Arson is committed impulsively, in the absence of full awareness of the act. The patient experiences pleasure from performing the action and observing the fire. At the same time, there is no material benefit from arson, it is committed confidently, the pyromaniac is tense, fixated on the topic of fires. When observing the flame, sexual arousal is possible. Treatment is complex, since pyromaniacs often have serious mental disorders.

Psychoses

A severe mental disorder is accompanied by delusional states, mood swings, hallucinations (auditory, olfactory, visual, tactile, gustatory), agitation or apathy, depression, aggression. At the same time, the patient lacks control over his actions and criticism. The causes of pathology include infections, alcoholism and drug addiction, stress, psychotrauma, age-related changes (senile psychosis), dysfunction of the central nervous and endocrine systems.

Self-injurious​ ​behavior​ ​(Patomimia)

A mental disorder in which a person intentionally causes damage to himself (wounds, cuts, bites, burns), but their traces are defined as a skin disease. In this case, there may be a tendency to injure the skin and mucous membranes, damage to nails, hair, and lips. Neurotic excoriation (skin scratching) is often encountered in psychiatric practice. Pathology is characterized by the systematicity of causing damage using the same method. To treat pathology, psychotherapy with the use of medications is used.

Seasonal​ ​depression

Mood disorder, its depression, a feature of which is the seasonal frequency of the pathology. There are 2 forms of the disease: “winter” and “summer” depression. The pathology becomes most common in regions with short daylight hours. Manifestations include depressed mood, fatigue, anhedonia, pessimism, decreased libido, thoughts of suicide, death, and vegetative symptoms. Treatment includes psychotherapy and medication.

Sexual perversions

Pathological forms of sexual desire and distortion of its implementation. Sexual perversions include sadism, masochism, exhibitionism, pedo-, bestiality, homosexuality, etc. With true perversions, a perverted way of realizing sexual desire becomes the only possible way for the patient to obtain satisfaction, completely replacing normal sexual life. Pathology can form due to psychopathy, mental retardation, organic lesions of the central nervous system, etc.

Senesthopathy

Unpleasant sensations of varying content and severity on the surface of the body or in the area of ​​internal organs. The patient feels burning, twisting, pulsation, heat, cold, burning pain, drilling, etc. Usually the sensations are localized in the head, less often in the abdomen, chest, and limbs. At the same time, there is no objective reason, a pathological process that could cause such feelings. The condition usually occurs against the background of mental disorders (neurosis, psychosis, depression). Therapy requires treatment of the underlying disease.

Negative Twin Syndrome

A mental disorder in which the patient is convinced that he or someone close to him has been replaced by an absolute double. In the first option, the patient claims that a person exactly identical to him is to blame for the bad actions he has committed. Delusions of a negative double occur in autoscopic (the patient sees the double) and Capgras syndrome (the double is invisible). Pathology often accompanies mental illness (schizophrenia) and neurological diseases.

Irritable bowel syndrome

Dysfunction of the large intestine, characterized by the presence of symptoms that bother the patient for a long period (more than six months). The pathology is manifested by abdominal pain (usually before defecation and disappearing after), bowel dysfunction (constipation, diarrhea or their alternation), and sometimes autonomic disorders. A psycho-neurogenic mechanism for the formation of the disease is noted; intestinal infections, hormonal fluctuations, and visceral hyperalgesia are also identified among the causes. Symptoms usually do not progress over time and there is no weight loss.

Syndrome​ ​chronic​ ​fatigue

Constant, long-term (more than six months) physical and mental fatigue, which persists after sleep and even several days of rest. It usually begins with an infectious disease, but is also observed after recovery. Manifestations include weakness, periodic headaches, insomnia (often), impaired performance, possible weight loss, hypochondria, and depression. Treatment includes stress reduction, psychotherapy, and relaxation techniques.

Syndrome​ ​emotional​ ​burnout

A state of mental, moral and physical exhaustion. The main reasons for the phenomenon are regular stressful situations, monotony of actions, intense rhythm, a feeling of underappreciation, and undeserved criticism. Manifestations of the condition include chronic fatigue, irritability, weakness, migraines, dizziness, and insomnia. Treatment consists of observing a work-rest regime; it is recommended to take a vacation and take breaks from work.

Vascular​ ​dementia

Progressive decline in intelligence and disruption of adaptation in society. The cause is damage to areas of the brain due to vascular pathologies: hypertension, atherosclerosis, stroke, etc. The pathology manifests itself as a violation of cognitive abilities, memory, control over actions, deterioration of thinking, and understanding of spoken speech. In vascular dementia, there is a combination of cognitive and neurological disorders. The prognosis of the disease depends on the severity of brain damage.

Stress​ ​and​ ​disorder​ ​adaptation

Stress is the reaction of the human body to excessively strong stimuli. Moreover, this condition can be physiological and psychological. It should be noted that with the latter option, stress is caused by both negative and positive emotions of strong severity. Adaptation disorder is observed during the period of adaptation to changing living conditions under the influence of various factors (loss of loved ones, serious illness, etc.). At the same time, there is a connection between stress and adaptation disorder (no more than 3 months).

Suicidal behavior

A pattern of thoughts or actions aimed at self-destruction in order to escape life's problems. Suicidal behavior includes 3 forms: completed suicide (ended in death), attempted suicide (not completed for various reasons), suicidal action (committing actions with a low probability of lethality). The last 2 options often become a request for help, and not a real way to die. Patients must be under constant supervision and treatment is carried out in a psychiatric hospital.

Madness

The term means severe mental illness (insanity). Rarely used in psychiatry, usually used in colloquial speech. By the nature of its impact on the environment, madness can be useful (the gift of foresight, inspiration, ecstasy, etc.) and dangerous (rage, aggression, mania, hysteria). According to the form of the pathology, they distinguish between melancholy (depression, apathy, emotional distress), mania (hyperexcitability, unjustified euphoria, excessive mobility), hysteria (reactions of increased excitability, aggressiveness).

Tafophilia

A disorder of attraction, characterized by a pathological interest in the cemetery, its paraphernalia and everything connected with it: tombstones, epitaphs, stories about death, funerals, etc. There are varying degrees of craving: from mild interest to obsession, manifested in a constant search for information, frequent visits to cemeteries, funerals, and so on. Unlike thanatophilia and necrophilia, with this pathology there are no predilections for a dead body or sexual arousal. Funeral rites and their paraphernalia are of primary interest in taphophilia.

Anxiety

An emotional reaction of the body, which is expressed by concern, anticipation of troubles, and fear of them. Pathological anxiety can occur against the background of complete well-being, can be short-lived or be a stable personality trait. It manifests itself as tension, expressed anxiety, a feeling of helplessness, loneliness. Physically, tachycardia, increased breathing, increased blood pressure, hyperexcitability, and sleep disturbances may be observed. Psychotherapeutic techniques are effective in treatment.

Trichotillomania

A mental disorder that relates to obsessive-compulsive neurosis. It manifests itself as a urge to pull out one’s own hair, and in some cases, to subsequently eat it. It usually appears against a background of idleness, sometimes during stress, and is more common in women and children (2-6 years). Hair pulling is accompanied by tension, which then gives way to satisfaction. The act of pulling out is usually done unconsciously. In the vast majority of cases, pulling is carried out from the scalp, less often - in the area of ​​eyelashes, eyebrows and other hard-to-reach places.

Hikikomori

A pathological condition in which a person renounces social life, resorting to complete self-isolation (in an apartment, room) for a period of more than six months. Such people refuse to work, communicate with friends, relatives, are usually dependent on loved ones or receive unemployment benefits. This phenomenon is a common symptom of depressive, obsessive-compulsive, and autistic disorders. Self-isolation is developing gradually; if necessary, people still go out into the outside world.

Phobia

Pathological irrational fear, reactions to which worsen when exposed to provoking factors. Phobias are characterized by an obsessive, persistent course, while the person avoids frightening objects, activities, etc. The pathology can be of varying severity and is observed both in minor neurotic disorders and in serious mental illnesses (schizophrenia). Treatment includes psychotherapy with the use of medications (tranquilizers, antidepressants, etc.).

Schizoid disorder

A mental disorder characterized by unsociability, isolation, low need for social life, and autistic personality traits. Such people are emotionally cold and have a weak ability for empathy and trusting relationships. The disorder begins in early childhood and continues throughout life. This personality is characterized by the presence of unusual hobbies (scientific research, philosophy, yoga, individual sports, etc.). Treatment includes psychotherapy and social adaptation.

Schizotypal​ ​disorder

A mental disorder characterized by abnormal behavior and impaired thinking, similar to the symptoms of schizophrenia, but mild and unclear. There is a genetic predisposition to the disease. The pathology is manifested by emotional (detachment, indifference), behavioral (inappropriate reactions) disorders, social maladjustment, the presence of obsessions, strange beliefs, depersonalization, disorientation, and hallucinations. Treatment is complex and includes psychotherapy and medication.

Schizophrenia

A severe mental illness of a chronic course with a violation of thought processes, emotional reactions, leading to the disintegration of personality. The most common signs of the disease include auditory hallucinations, paranoid or fantastic delusions, speech and thinking disorders, accompanied by social dysfunction. The violent nature of auditory hallucinations (suggestions), the patient’s secrecy (devotes only to those closest to him), and chosenness (the patient is convinced that he has been chosen for the mission) are noted. For treatment, drug therapy (antipsychotic drugs) is indicated to correct symptoms.

Selective​ ​(selective)​ ​mutism

A condition when a child has a lack of speech in certain situations while the speech apparatus is functioning properly. In other circumstances and conditions, children retain the ability to speak and understand spoken speech. In rare cases, the disorder occurs in adults. Typically, the onset of pathology is characterized by a period of adaptation to kindergarten and school. With normal child development, the disorder resolves spontaneously by the age of 10 years. The most effective treatments are family, individual and behavioral therapy.

Encopresis

A disease characterized by dysfunction, uncontrollability of bowel movements, and fecal incontinence. It is usually observed in children; in adults it is more often of an organic nature. Encopresis is often combined with stool retention and constipation. The condition can be caused not only by mental, but also by somatic pathologies. The causes of the disease are immaturity of control of the act of defecation; a history of intrauterine hypoxia, infection, and birth trauma is often present. More often, the pathology occurs in children from socially disadvantaged families.

Enuresis

Syndrome of uncontrolled, involuntary urination, mainly at night. Urinary incontinence is more common in children of preschool and early school age; there is usually a history of neurological pathology. The syndrome contributes to the occurrence of psychological trauma in the child, the development of isolation, indecisiveness, neuroses, and conflicts with peers, which further complicates the course of the disease. The goal of diagnosis and treatment is to eliminate the cause of the pathology, psychological correction of the condition.

Today, the science of the soul—psychology—has long ceased to be the “handmaiden of the bourgeoisie,” as the classics of Leninism once defined it. More and more people are interested in psychology, and are also trying to learn more about such a branch as mental disorders.

Many books, monographs, textbooks, scientific studies and scientific papers have been written on this topic. In this short article we will try to briefly answer the questions of what mental disorders are, what types of mental disorders exist, the causes of such severe mental illnesses, their symptoms and possible treatment. After all, each of us lives in the world of people, rejoices and worries, but may not even notice how, at a life turn of fate, he will be overtaken by a serious mental illness. You shouldn’t be afraid of it, but you need to know how to counteract it.

Definition of Mental Illness

First of all, it is worth deciding what mental illness is.
In psychological science, this term is usually used to describe a state of a person’s psyche that differs from a healthy one. The state of a healthy psyche is the norm (this norm is usually denoted by the term “mental health”). And all deviations from it are deviation or pathology.

Today, such definitions as “mentally ill” or “mental illness” are officially prohibited as degrading the honor and dignity of a person. However, these diseases themselves have not gone away. Their danger to humans lies in the fact that they entail serious changes in such areas as thinking, emotions and behavior. Sometimes these changes become irreversible.

There are changes in the biological state of a person (this is the presence of a certain developmental pathology), as well as changes in his medical condition (the quality of his life deteriorates until it is destroyed) and social condition (a person can no longer live as a full-fledged member of society, enter into certain productive relationships with the people around you). From here comes the conclusion that such conditions bring harm to a person, therefore they must be overcome both with the help of medication and with the help of psychological and pedagogical assistance to patients.

Classification of mental illnesses

Today there are many ways to classify such diseases. Let's list just a few of them.

• The first classification is based on identifying the following symptom - the external or internal cause of mental illness. Hence, external (exogenous) diseases are pathologies that arise as a result of human exposure to alcohol, drugs, industrial poisons and waste, radiation, viruses, microbes, brain trauma and injuries affecting the activity of the central nervous system. Internal mental pathologies (endogenous) are considered to be those that are caused by a person’s genetic predisposition and the circumstances of his personal life, as well as the social environment and social contacts.
• The second classification is based on identifying the symptoms of diseases, based on the damage to the emotional-volitional or personal sphere of a person and the factor in the course of the disease. Today this classification is considered classic; it was approved in 1997 by the World Health Organization (WHO). This classification identifies 11 types of diseases, most of which will be discussed in this article.

According to the degree of progression, all mental illnesses are divided into mild, which cannot cause serious harm to a person’s health, and severe, which pose a direct threat to his life.

Let us briefly outline the main types of mental disorders, give them a detailed classification, and also give them a detailed and comprehensive classical description.

The first disease: when tormented by severe doubts

The most common mental disorder is anancastic personality disorder. This condition is characterized by a person’s tendency to excessive doubts and stubbornness, preoccupation with unnecessary details, obsessions and obsessive caution.

Anancastic personality disorder also manifests itself in the fact that the patient cannot break any of the rules he has accepted, he behaves inflexibly, and shows intractability. He is characterized by excessive perfectionism, manifested in a constant striving for perfection and constant dissatisfaction with the results of his work and life. It is common for such people to come to a serious state as a result of any failures in life.

Anancastic personality disorder in psychoanalysis is considered as a borderline mental illness (that is, a state of accentuation that is on the verge of normality and deviation). The reason for its occurrence is the inability of patients to master the world of their emotions and feelings. According to psychotherapists, people experiencing such emotionally uncomfortable unstable personality disorders were punished by their parents in childhood for not being able to control their behavior.

In adulthood, they retained the fear of punishment for losing control of themselves. It is not easy to get rid of this mental illness; specialists of the Freudian school offer hypnosis, psychotherapy and the method of suggestion as treatment methods.

Disease two: when hysteria becomes a way of life

A mental disorder that manifests itself in the fact that the patient is constantly looking for a way to attract attention to himself is called histrionic personality disorder. This mental illness is characterized by the fact that a person by any means wants to achieve recognition from others of his importance, the fact of his existence.

Hysterical personality disorder is often called acting or theatrical disorder. Indeed, a person suffering from such a mental disorder behaves like a real actor: he plays various roles in front of people in order to evoke sympathy or admiration. Often those around him blame him for unworthy behavior, and a person with this mental illness makes an excuse by saying that he cannot live otherwise.

According to psychiatrists, people with hysterical personality disorder are prone to exaggerated emotionality, suggestibility, a desire for excitement, seductive behavior and increased attention to their physical attractiveness (the latter is understandable, because patients think that the better they look, the more others like them). The causes of histrionic personality disorder should be sought in a person’s childhood.

According to scientists of the psychoanalytic Freudian school, this type of mental disorder is formed during puberty in girls and boys whose parents forbid them to develop their sexuality. In any case, the manifestation of hysterical personality disorder is a signal to parents who sincerely love their child that they must reconsider the principles of their upbringing. Histrionic personality disorder is difficult to treat with medication. As a rule, when diagnosing it, psychotherapy of the Freudian school, hypnosis, as well as psychodrama and symbol drama are used.

Disease three: when egocentrism is above all else

Another type of mental illness is narcissistic personality disorder. What it is?
In this state, a person is confident that he is a unique subject, endowed with enormous talents and entitled to occupy the highest level in society. Narcissistic personality disorder gets its name from the ancient mythological hero Narcissus, who loved himself so much that he was turned into a flower by the gods.

Mental disorders of this kind are manifested in the fact that patients have enormous conceit, they are absorbed in fantasies about their high position in society, believe in their own exclusivity, need admiration from others, do not know how to sympathize with others, and behave extremely arrogantly.

Usually, people around them accuse people with such mental pathology of... Indeed, selfishness and narcissism are sure (but not the main) signs of this disease. Narcissistic personality disorder is difficult to treat with medication. As a rule, psychotherapy (art therapy, sand therapy, play therapy, symbol-drama, psychodrama, animal therapy and others), hypnotic suggestions and methods of advisory psychological conversation are used in treatment.

Disease four: when it is difficult to be a two-faced Janus

Mental disorders are diverse. One of their types is bipolar personality disorder. Symptoms of this disease include frequent mood swings in patients. A person laughs cheerfully at his problems in the morning, and in the evening he cries bitterly over them, although nothing has changed in his life. The danger of bipolar personality disorder is that a person, falling into a depressed state, can commit suicide.

An example of such a patient would be patient N., who, having come to see a psychotherapist, complained that in the morning he is always in a great mood, he wakes up, goes to work, communicates friendly with others there, but in the evening his mood begins to deteriorate sharply , and by nightfall he doesn’t know how to relieve his mental anguish and pain. The patient himself called his condition nocturnal depression (in addition, he complained of poor night sleep and nightmares). Upon closer examination, it turned out that the reason for this person’s condition was a serious hidden conflict with his wife; they had not found a common language for a long time, and every time returning to his home, the patient experiences fatigue, melancholy and a feeling of dissatisfaction with life.

The fifth disease: when suspicion reaches its limit

Mental disorders have long been known to mankind, although their symptoms and treatment options could not be fully determined. This also applies to paranoid personality disorder. In this state, a person is excessively suspicious; he suspects anyone and anything. He is vindictive, his attitude towards others reaches the point of hatred.

Paranoid personality disorder also manifests itself in symptoms such as belief in “conspiracy theories,” suspicion of one’s family and friends, constant struggle with others for rights, constant dissatisfaction and painful experiences of failure.

Psychoanalysts call the cause of such mental disorders negative projection, when a person strives to find in others those qualities that he is not satisfied with in himself, he transfers them from himself (considering himself ideal) to other people.

Overcoming this mental disorder with medications is ineffective; as a rule, active methods of psychological interaction are used.

Such a mental state of the patient, as a rule, causes many complaints from others. People of this type cause hostility, they are antisocial, so their mental illness entails serious consequences and, above all, social trauma.

Disease six: when emotions run high

A mental condition characterized by emotional instability, increased excitability, high anxiety and lack of connection with reality is commonly called borderline personality disorder.

Borderline personality disorder is an emotionally unstable personality disorder. Borderline personality disorder has been described in a wide range of scientific literature. In such a state, a person cannot control his emotional-volitional sphere. At the same time, there is debate in science about whether borderline personality disorder should be considered a serious type of mental disorder or not. Some authors consider nervous exhaustion to be the root cause of borderline personality disorder.

In any case, borderline personality disorder is a state between normality and deviation. The danger of borderline personality disorder is the tendency of patients to suicidal behavior, so this disease is considered in psychiatry as quite serious.

Borderline personality disorder has the following symptoms: a tendency to unstable relationships with idealization and subsequent devaluation, impulsiveness accompanied by a feeling of emptiness, the manifestation of strong anger and other affects, and suicidal behavior. Treatment methods for borderline personality disorder are varied, they include both psychotherapeutic (art therapy, play therapy, psychodrama, symbol-drama, psychodrama, sand therapy) and medicinal methods (in the treatment of depressive conditions).

Disease seven: when a person has a teenage crisis

Mental disorders can have a wide variety of manifestations. There is a disease when a person experiences a state of extreme nervous excitement at acute crisis moments in his life. In psychology, this condition is usually called transient personality disorder.

Transient personality disorder is characterized by a short duration of its manifestation. Typically, this mental disorder is observed in adolescents and young adults. Transient personality disorder manifests itself in a sharp change in behavior towards deviation (that is, deviation from normal behavior). This condition is associated with the rapid psychophysiological maturation of a teenager, when he cannot control his internal state. Also, the cause of transient personality disorder can be stress suffered by a teenager due to the loss of a loved one, unsuccessful love, betrayal, conflicts at school with teachers, etc.

Let's give an example. A teenager is an exemplary student, a good son, and suddenly in the 9th grade he becomes uncontrollable, begins to behave rudely and cynically, stops studying, argues with teachers, disappears on the street until night, hangs out with dubious companies. Parents and teachers, naturally, begin to “educate” and “reason” such a mature child in every possible way, but their efforts run into even greater misunderstanding and negative attitude on the part of this teenager. However, adult mentors should think about whether a child might have such a serious mental illness as transient personality disorder? Maybe he needs serious psychiatric help? Do notations and threats only intensify the progression of the disease?

It should be noted that, as a rule, such a disease does not require drug treatment; its treatment uses non-directive methods of providing psychological assistance: psychological counseling, conversation, sand therapy and other types of art therapy. With proper treatment of transient personality disorder, manifestations of deviant behavior disappear after a few months. However, this disease tends to return in moments of crisis, so if necessary, the course of therapy can be re-prescribed.

Disease eight: when the inferiority complex has reached its limit

Mental illnesses find their expression in people who suffered from an inferiority complex in childhood and who were unable to completely overcome it in adulthood. In this state, an anxious personality disorder may develop. Anxious personality disorder manifests itself in a desire for social withdrawal, a tendency to worry about a negative assessment of one’s behavior from others, and avoidance of social interaction with people.

In Soviet psychiatry, anxious personality disorder was commonly referred to as “psychasthenia.” The causes of this mental disorder are a combination of social, genetic and educational factors. Melancholic temperament can also influence the development of an anxious personality disorder.

Patients diagnosed with signs of an anxious personality disorder create a kind of protective cocoon around themselves, into which they do not allow anyone. A classic example of such a person can be Gogol’s famous image of the “man in a case,” an eternally ill gymnasium teacher who suffered from social phobia. Therefore, it is quite difficult to provide comprehensive help to a person with an anxious personality disorder: patients withdraw into themselves and reject all the efforts of the psychiatrist to help them.

Other types of mental disorders

Having described the main types of mental disorders, we will consider the main characteristics of the lesser known ones.

• If a person is afraid to take independent steps in life to accomplish any business or plans, this is a dependent personality disorder.
  Diseases of this type are characterized by the patient’s feeling of helplessness in life. Dependent personality disorder manifests itself in the deprivation of a sense of responsibility for one's actions. A manifestation of dependent personality disorder is the fear of living independently and the fear of being abandoned by a significant person. The cause of dependent personality disorder is a style of family education such as overprotection and an individual tendency to fear. In family education, parents instill in their child the idea that he will be lost without them; they constantly repeat to him that the world is full of dangers and difficulties. Having matured, a son or daughter raised in this way spends his whole life looking for support and finds it either in the person of parents, or in the person of spouses, or in the person of friends and girlfriends. Overcoming dependent personality disorder occurs with the help of psychotherapy, however, this method will also be ineffective if the patient’s anxious state has gone far.
• If a person cannot control his emotions, then this is an emotionally unstable personality disorder.
  Emotionally unstable personality disorder has the following manifestations: increased impulsivity combined with a tendency to affective states. A person refuses to control his mental state: he can cry over a trifle or be rude to his best friend because of a cheap insult. Emotionally unstable personality disorder is treated with exposure therapy and other types of psychotherapy. Psychological help is effective only when the patient himself wants to change and is aware of his illness; if this does not happen, any help is virtually useless.
• When a deep traumatic brain injury has been experienced, this is an organic personality disorder.
  In organic personality disorder, the patient's brain structure changes (due to injury or other serious illness). Organic personality disorder is dangerous because a person who has not previously suffered from mental disorders cannot control his behavior. Therefore, the risk of organic personality disorder is high in all people who have experienced brain injury. This is one of the deepest mental illnesses associated with disruption of the central nervous system. Getting rid of an organic personality disorder is only possible with medication or even direct surgical intervention. Avoidant personality disorder. This term characterizes a state of mind in which people strive to avoid failures in their behavior, and therefore withdraw into themselves. Avoidant personality disorder is characterized by a person's loss of faith in their own abilities, apathy, and suicidal intentions. Treatment for avoidant personality disorder involves the use of psychotherapy.
• Infantile personality disorder.
  It is characterized by a person’s desire to return to the state of wounded childhood in order to protect himself from the problems that have piled up. This short-term or long-term condition is usually experienced by people who were dearly loved by their parents in childhood. Their childhood was comfortable and calm. Therefore, in adult life, when faced with insurmountable difficulties, they seek salvation in returning to childhood memories and copying their childhood behavior. You can overcome such an illness with the help of Freudian or Ericksonian hypnosis. These types of hypnosis differ from each other in the power of influence on the patient’s personality: if the first hypnosis involves a directive method of influence, in which the patient is completely dependent on the opinions and desires of the psychiatrist, then the second hypnosis assumes a more careful attitude towards the patient, such hypnosis is indicated for those who does not suffer from serious forms of this disease.

How dangerous are mental illnesses?

Any mental illness harms a person no less than the illness of his body. In addition, medical science has long known that there is a direct connection between mental and physical illnesses. As a rule, it is mental experiences that give rise to the most severe forms of physical diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, tuberculosis, etc. Therefore, peace of mind and harmony with the people around you and with yourself can cost a person additional decades of his life.

Therefore, mental illnesses are dangerous not so much for their manifestations (although they can be severe), but for their consequences. It is simply necessary to treat such diseases. Without treatment, you will never achieve peace and joy, despite external comfort and well-being. Actually, these diseases belong to the field of medicine and psychology. These two directions are designed to save humanity from such serious illnesses.

What to do if you discover signs of mental illness?

By reading this article, someone may discover in themselves the signs that were described above. However, you should not be afraid of this for several reasons:

• firstly, you shouldn’t take everything upon yourself, mental illness, as a rule, has severe internal and external manifestations, so mere speculation and fears do not confirm it, sick people often experience such severe mental anguish that we never dreamed of it;
• secondly, the information you read may become a reason to visit a psychiatrist’s office, who will help you competently draw up a course of treatment if you are really sick;
• and thirdly, even if you are sick, you should not worry about it, the main thing is to determine the cause of your illness and be ready to make every effort to treat it.

In conclusion of our brief review, I would like to note that mental disorders are those mental illnesses that occur in people of any age and any nationality; they are very diverse. And they are often difficult to distinguish from each other, which is why the term “mixed mental disorders” has arisen in the literature.

Mixed personality disorder refers to a person’s state of mind when it is impossible to accurately diagnose his illness.

This condition is considered rare in psychiatry, but it does occur. In this case, treatment is very difficult, since the person needs to be saved from the consequences of his condition. However, knowing the manifestations of various mental disorders, it is easier to diagnose them and then treat them.

The last thing to remember is that all mental illnesses can be cured, but such treatment requires more effort than overcoming ordinary physical illnesses. The soul is an extremely delicate and sensitive substance, so it must be handled with care.

Our psyche is a rather subtle and complex system. Experts classify it as a form of a person’s active reflection of objective reality, which arises when an individual interacts with the outside world and regulates his behavior and activities. Quite often, doctors have to deal with pathological deviations from the normal state, which they call mental disorders. There are many mental disorders, but some are more common. Let's talk about what a human mental disorder is in a little more detail, discuss the symptoms, treatment, types and causes of such health problems.

Causes of mental disorders

Mental disorders can be explained by a variety of factors, which can generally be divided into exogenous and endogenous. The first are external factors, for example, the intake of dangerous toxic substances, viral illnesses and traumatic injuries. And internal causes are represented by chromosomal mutations, hereditary and genetic diseases, as well as mental development disorders.

An individual’s resistance to mental disorders is determined by both specific physical characteristics and the general development of the psyche. After all, different subjects react differently to mental anguish and various kinds of problems.

Typical causes of mental disorders include neuroses, neurasthenia, depressive states, aggressive exposure to chemical or toxic elements, as well as traumatic head injuries and hereditary factors.

Mental disorders - symptoms

There are a number of different symptoms that can be experienced with mental disorders. They most often manifest themselves as psychological discomfort and disturbances in activity in various areas. Patients with such problems experience a variety of physical and emotional symptoms, and cognitive and perceptual impairments may also occur. For example, a person may feel unhappy or extremely happy, regardless of the seriousness of the events that occurred, and he may also experience failures in building logical relationships.

Classic manifestations of mental disorders include excessive fatigue, rapid and unexpected changes in mood, insufficiently adequate reaction to events, and spatial and temporal disorientation. Also, specialists are faced with a violation of perception in their patients; they may not have an adequate attitude towards their own condition, abnormal reactions (or lack of adequate reactions), fear, confusion (sometimes hallucinations) are observed. A fairly common symptom of mental disorders is anxiety, problems with sleep, falling asleep and waking up.

Sometimes mental health problems are accompanied by the appearance of obsessions, delusions of persecution and various phobias. Such disorders often lead to the development of depressive states, which can be interrupted by frantic emotional outbursts aimed at fulfilling some incredible plans.

Many mental disorders are accompanied by disorders of self-awareness, which make themselves felt by confusion, depersonalization and derealization. People with such problems often have weakened memory (and sometimes completely absent), paramnesia and disturbances in the thought process.

Delusion, which can be either primary, sensory or affective, is considered a frequent accompaniment of mental disorders.

Sometimes mental disorders manifest themselves as problems with eating - overeating, which can cause obesity, or, conversely, refusal of food. Alcohol abuse is common. Many patients with such problems suffer from sexual dysfunction. They also often look sloppy and may even refuse hygiene procedures.

Types of mental disorders

There are quite a few classifications of mental disorders. We will consider only one of them. It includes conditions provoked by various organic diseases of the brain - injuries, strokes and systemic diseases.

Also, doctors separately consider persistent or drug use.

In addition, one can distinguish disorders of psychological development (debut in early childhood) and disorders of activity, concentration and hyperkinetic disorders (usually recorded in children or adolescents).

Mental disorder - treatment

Therapy for problems of this kind is carried out under the supervision of a psychotherapist and other specialized specialists, while the doctor takes into account not only the diagnosis, but also the patient’s condition and other existing health problems.

So, quite often, specialists use sedatives that have a pronounced calming effect. Tranquilizers can also be used; they effectively reduce anxiety and relieve emotional tension. Such drugs also reduce muscle tone and have a mild hypnotic effect. The most common tranquilizers are Chlordiazepoxide, and.

Mental disorders are also treated with the use of antipsychotics. These drugs are considered the most popular for such diseases; they are good at reducing mental agitation, reducing psychomotor activity, reducing aggressiveness and suppressing emotional tension. Popular drugs in this group are Propazine, Pimozide, and Flupenthixol.

Antidepressants are used to treat patients with complete depression of thoughts and feelings, with a severe decrease in mood. Such medications can increase the pain threshold, improve mood, relieve apathy and lethargy; they normalize sleep and appetite quite well, and also increase mental activity. Qualified psychotherapists often use Pyritinol and as antidepressants.

Treatment of mental disorders can also be carried out with the help of mood stabilizers, which are designed to regulate inappropriate manifestations of emotions and have anticonvulsant effectiveness. Such medications are often used for bipolar disorder. These include, etc.

The safest medications for the treatment of mental disorders are considered to be nootropics, which have a positive effect on cognitive processes, enhance memory and increase the resistance of the nervous system to various stresses. The drugs of choice are usually Aminalon.

In addition, correctional psychotherapy is indicated for patients with mental disorders. They will benefit from hypnotic techniques, suggestions, and sometimes NLP methods. Mastering the technique of autogenic training plays an important role; in addition, one cannot do without the support of relatives.

Mental disorders - traditional treatment

Traditional medicine experts claim that some herbal and improvised medicines may well help eliminate mental disorders. But they can be used only after consultation with the doctor.

Thus, traditional medicines can be an excellent alternative to some sedative medications. For example, to eliminate nervous excitement, irritability and insomnia, healers advise mixing three parts of crushed valerian root, the same amount of peppermint leaves and four parts of clover. Brew a tablespoon of this raw material with a glass of just boiled water. Infuse the medicine for twenty minutes, then strain and squeeze out the plant material. Take the prepared infusion half a glass twice a day and immediately before bed.

Also, for irritability of the nervous system, insomnia and nervous agitation, you can mix two parts of valerian roots with three parts of chamomile flowers and three parts of cumin seeds. Brew and take this remedy in the same way as in the previous recipe.

You can cope with insomnia with a simple infusion based on hops. Pour a couple of tablespoons of crushed cones of this plant with half a liter of cool, pre-boiled water. Leave for five to seven hours, then strain and drink a tablespoon three or four times a day.

Another excellent sedative is oregano. Brew a couple of tablespoons of this herb with half a liter of boiling water. Leave for half an hour, then strain and take half a glass three or four times a day immediately before meals. This medicine perfectly eliminates sleep problems.

Some traditional medicines can be used to treat depression. So, taking a medicine based on chicory root gives a good effect. Brew twenty grams of this crushed raw material with a glass of boiling water. Boil the product over low heat for ten minutes, then strain. Take the prepared decoction one tablespoon five to six times a day.

If depression is accompanied by severe loss of energy, prepare a medicine based on rosemary. Brew twenty grams of crushed leaves of such a plant with one glass of boiling water and simmer over low heat for fifteen to twenty minutes. Cool the finished medicine and then strain. Take half a teaspoon half an hour before meals.

Taking an infusion based on common knotweed also has a remarkable effect on depression. Brew a couple of tablespoons of this herb with half a liter of boiling water. Leave for half an hour, then strain. Take small portions throughout the day.

Mental disorders are quite serious conditions that require close attention and adequate correction under the supervision of specialists. The advisability of using folk remedies should also be discussed with your doctor.

The human brain is the most complex mechanism in the world. The psyche as its component has not been fully studied to date. This means that the causes and treatment of many mental illnesses are still unknown to psychiatrists. The tendency for the formation of new syndromes is growing, and accordingly, blurred boundaries between normality and pathology appear. After reading this article to the end, you will know about the most terrible mental illnesses, their formation, symptoms, possible correction options, treatment, and how patients with such disorders are dangerous to others.

Mental illness is...

Mental illnesses mean disorders of the psyche (soul). That is, a person who has such characteristics as: impaired thinking, frequent changes in mood and behavior that go beyond moral standards. The course of the disease can be mild, which allows the sick person to live the same way as other people, start relationships and go to work. But if a person has been diagnosed with a serious or dangerous mental illness, then he will be constantly under the supervision of psychiatrists and must take the strongest medications so that his personality can somehow exist.

Types of mental disorders

Mental illnesses are classified based on their origin and divided into two large groups.

Endogenous - mental illnesses caused by internal factors in the brain, most often due to heredity, these include:

• schizophrenia;
• epilepsy;
• age-related mental disorders (dementia, Parkinson's disease).

Exogenous - mental disorders caused by external factors (brain damage, infection, intoxication), such diseases include:

• neuroses;
• psychoses,
• addiction;
• alcoholism.

Top most terrible and dangerous mental disorders

Patients who are unable to control themselves and their actions in society are automatically considered dangerous to others. A person with such a disease can become a maniac, murderer or pedophile. Below you will learn about the most terrible and dangerous mental illnesses for others:

1. Delirium tremens - included in the classification of psychoses, occurs due to frequent and prolonged use of alcohol. The signs of this illness are varied: all kinds of hallucinations, delusions, sudden mood swings, even unreasonable aggression. People around you should be wary, since such a person in a fit of aggression is capable of causing injury.
2. Idiocy - the level of intelligence of such patients is exactly the same as that of small children 2-3 years old. They live instinctively and cannot learn any skills or acquire moral principles. Accordingly, an idiot poses a threat to the people around him. Therefore, he requires round-the-clock monitoring.
3. Hysteria - women most often suffer from this disorder, and this manifests itself in violent reactions, emotions, whims, and spontaneous actions. At such moments, a person does not control himself and can cause harm to loved ones and other people.
4. Misanthropy is a mental illness manifested by hatred and hostility towards other people. In a severe form of the disease, the misanthrope often creates a philosophical society of misanthropes, calling for numerous murders and cruel wars.
5. Obsessive states. They manifest themselves as obsessive thoughts, ideas, actions, and a person cannot get rid of it. This disease is typical for people with high mental abilities. There are people with harmless obsessions, but sometimes crimes are committed due to persistent obsessive thoughts.
6. Narcissistic personality disorder is a behavioral change in personality, manifested by inappropriately inflated self-esteem, arrogance and at first glance seems completely harmless. But due to the severe form of the disease, such people can substitute, interfere, disrupt plans, interfere and in every possible way poison the lives of others.
7. Paranoia - this disorder is diagnosed in patients who are preoccupied with persecution mania, delusions of grandeur, etc. This disease has exacerbations and moments of calm. It is dangerous because during a relapse, a paranoid person may not even recognize his relative, mistaking him for some kind of enemy. It is believed that such disorders are the most terrible mental illnesses.
8. Pyromania - a disease of this kind is very dangerous for surrounding people and their property. Patients with this diagnosis have a pathological love of watching fire. During such observations, they are genuinely happy and satisfied with their lives, but as soon as the fire stops burning, they become sad and aggressive. Pyromaniacs set fire to everything - their things, the things of loved ones and other strangers.
9. Stress usually occurs after a stressful situation (death of loved ones, shock, violence, disaster, etc.), and has a stable course of the disease. During this period, the patient is especially dangerous, since his adaptation of behavior and moral standards is impaired.

Severe mental illness

Below is a list of a group of mental illnesses that are severe and also difficult to treat. It is generally accepted that these are the most severe and most terrible mental illnesses of a person:

1. Allotriophagy - this diagnosis is given to those individuals who excessively consume inedible objects, such as soil, hair, iron, glass, plastic and much more. The cause of this disease is considered to be stress, shock, excitement or irritation. Inedible food most often leads to death for the patient.
2. Bipolar personality disorder manifests itself in a patient with a change in mood from the deepest depression to a state of euphoria. Such phases can alternate with each other several times a month. In this state, the patient cannot think sensibly, so he is prescribed treatment.
3. Schizophrenia is one of the most severe mental illnesses. The patient believes that his thoughts do not belong to him, as if someone has taken over his head and thinking. The patient's speech is illogical and incoherent. The schizophrenic is alienated from the outside world and lives only in his own distorted reality. His personality is ambiguous, for example, he can feel love and hate for a person at the same time, sit or stand in one position motionless for several hours, and then move non-stop.
4. Clinical depression. This mental disorder is typical for patients who are pessimistic, unable to work and socialize, have no energy, low self-esteem, constant feelings of guilt, and disrupted diet and sleep. With clinical depression, a person cannot recover on his own.
5. Epilepsy is a disease accompanied by convulsions, which manifests itself either unnoticed (twitching of the eye for a long time), or a full-fledged attack, when a person loses consciousness and undergoes convulsive seizures, while he releases
6. Dissociative identity disorder is a division of personality into two or more that can exist as a separate individual. From Billy Milligan - a mental hospital patient had 24 personalities.

Causes

All of the above most terrible mental illnesses have the main causes of development:

• heredity;
• negative environment;
• unhealthy pregnancy;
• intoxication and infection;
• brain damage;
• violent acts suffered in childhood;
• severe mental trauma.

Symptoms

Only a specialist can tell whether a person is really sick or whether he is faking it. In order to determine it yourself, you need to take into account all the signs of the disease together. Below are the main symptoms of terrible mental illnesses, from which we can conclude that a person is mentally ill:

• rave;
• excessive emotionality;
• vindictiveness and anger;
• absent-mindedness;
• withdrawal;
• madness;
• alcoholism and drug addiction;
• hallucinations;
• apathy.

What are the worst mental illnesses that are inherited?

A predisposition to mental illness exists only when relatives have had or have similar disorders. The following diseases are inherited:

• epilepsy;
• schizophrenia;
• bipolar personality disorder;
• depression;
• Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

Treatment

Mental deviations and various kinds of dangerous psychosis. diseases also require medication support, like other common ailments of the human body. The drugs help patients preserve the remaining parts of their personality, thereby preventing it from further deteriorating. Depending on the diagnosis, patients are prescribed the following therapy:

• antidepressants - these drugs are prescribed for clinical depression, bipolar disorder or neuroses, they correct mental processes and help improve overall well-being and mood;
• neuroleptics - this group of drugs is prescribed for the treatment of mental disorders (hallucinations, delusions, psychoses, aggression, etc.) by inhibiting the human nervous system;
• tranquilizers are psychotropic drugs that relieve a person of anxiety, reduce emotionality, and also help against hypochondria and obsessive thoughts.

Prevention

In order to prevent the occurrence of terrible mental illnesses, you need to take timely measures to monitor your mental hygiene. These include:

• responsible pregnancy planning;
• identify stress, anxiety, neurosis and the causes of their occurrence in a timely manner;
• rational organization of work and rest;
• knowledge of the family tree.

Mental illnesses in famous people

Not only ordinary people have the most dangerous mental illnesses, but celebrities also have disorders. Top 9 famous people who suffered or are suffering from mental illness:

1. Britney Spears (singer) suffers from bipolar disorder.
2. JK Rowling (author of the Harry Potter books) underwent psychotherapy due to prolonged depression.
3. Angelina Jolie (actress) has faced depression since childhood.
4. Abraham Lincoln (former US President) - fell into clinical depression and apathy.
5. Amanda Bynes (actress) has bipolar personality disorder and is suffering from and being treated for schizophrenia.
6. Mel Gibson (actor) suffers from manic-depressive psychosis.
7. Winston Churchill (former Prime Minister of Great Britain) - periodically suffered from severe depression.
8. Catherine Zeta-Jones (actress) - she has been diagnosed with two diseases: bipolar disorder and manic-depressive psychosis.
9. Mary-Kate Olsen (actress) - successfully recovered from anorexia nervosa.