When we consider health and fitness, we only focus on physical health and ignore mental health. We try every possible way to treat physical injuries, but what about mental health disorders?
Globally, mental health diseases are on the rise.
Thankfully, after lockdown, people are aware and taking mental health seriously. But, still, in some rural areas of countries, situations are the same due to a lack of mental health awareness.
In the first place, through this blog article, we aim to shed light on the importance of integrating mental health into the discourse of health and fitness.
We are going to discuss not only the types of mental health disorders but also their causes, symptoms, and treatment.
To bridge this gap, concerted efforts are required at various levels. Specifically, this includes community outreach programmes, educational initiatives, and collaborations with healthcare providers to ensure access to mental health services.
Let us join hands in advocating for mental health awareness, bridging gaps in access, and nurturing a healthier future for all.
What is mental health disorder?
Mental health disorders are medical conditions that disturb a person’s emotional, psychological, and behavioural functioning, giving rise to mental imbalance.
Additionally, these disorders can significantly impact various aspects of an individual’s life, including their relationships, work performance, and overall well-being.
Mental health disorders can be genetic disorders, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
It is diagnosed by mental health professionals, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, or licensed therapists.
These mental health experts evaluate a patient’s symptoms, behavior, emotions, and functioning by applying standardized criteria provided in diagnostic manuals such as the DSM–5-TR (2022).
Types of mental disorders:
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes a range of mental disorders, including anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, eating disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, disruptive behavior disorders, and dissocial disorders.
1.Anxiety:
Anxiety often involves excessive fear and worry.
As defined by the WHO, anxiety is classified into different forms, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, and others.
People with generalized anxiety disorder experience excessive and disproportionate worry about various aspects of life, even though there’s no valid reason to worry about them.
In the case of panic disorder patients, they experience recurrent and unexpected panic attacks that are accompanied by intense fear and physical symptoms.
Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is characterized by an excessive and persistent fear or anxiety in social situations.
For instance, a person with social anxiety disorder experiences intense worry and dread before social events such as parties.
Furthermore, separation anxiety disorder results in overwhelming feelings of distress and anxiety when people are apart from their loved ones.
2.Depression:
People with depression frequently endure symptoms such as depressed mood or a loss of interest in activities, for at least two weeks.
It also involves other symptoms like poor concentration, feelings of excessive guilt, tiredness, and sleep disturbances.
Depending on the intensity of symptoms, depression is categorized as mild, moderate, or severe.
Mild depression doesn’t impact a person’s lifestyle as much as severe depression. The person facing mild depression experiences persistent feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness.
Furthermore, Moderate depression falls between mild and severe depression on the spectrum of depressive disorders.
A person with moderate depression faces low energy levels, fatigue, a lack of interest in activities, and sleep disturbances.
Severe depression is an extreme level of depression.
In such cases, people experience difficulties with concentration, intense suicidal thoughts, disruptions in sleep patterns such as hypersomnia, and significant changes in appetite leading to weight gain or loss.
3. Bipolar disorder:
Bipolar disorder is impacting hugely on human health globally. It is characterized by distinct periods of manic episodes and depressive episodes.
Following are the common symptoms of bipolar disorder include:
1.Maniac episode symptoms:
- Mood swings
- Hypomania
- Fatigue
- Excessive thoughts
- Hypersexual behavior
2.Depressive episode symptoms:
- Emptiness
- Insomnia
- Excessive guilt
- Suicidal thoughts
- Weight gain or loss
Types of bipolar disorder:
Bipolar disorder is classified into three classes.
A. Bipolar I disorder:
Bipolar I disorder involves maniac episodes last at least seven days.
During these manic episodes, a person with bipolar I disorder can display symptoms such as racing thoughts, a reduced need for sleep, an exaggerated sense of self-importance, impulsive behavior, and engaging in risky activities.
B. Bipolar II disorder:
Bipolar II disorder is generally considered to be less severe than bipolar I, as it involves hypomanic episodes rather than full mania. It lasts for a minimum of two weeks.
3.Cyclothymic disorder:
Cyclothymic disorder is a chronic type of bipolar disorder involving symptoms that endure for at least two years in adults or one year in children and adolescents.
4.Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):
The patient experiences terrible childhood or past events, which lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. These traumatic events leave an indelible mark on a person’s memory.
Symptoms of PTSD can emerge when past events resurface, leading to distressing nightmares, intense fear, disruptions in sleep patterns, and feelings of self-blame.
Psychiatrists are the better option for PTSD treatment.
5.Schizophrenia:
Schizophrenic patients cannot differentiate between reality and perceptions. It’s a serious mental health disorder. It affects patients’ behavior and thought processes.
The most common symptoms of Schizophrenia are hallucinations, delusions, psychosis, and difficulty expressing emotions.
The exact cause of schizophrenia is unknown.
6.Eating disorders:
Eating disorders involve abnormal eating habits as well as behaviors.
Furthermore, these factors mentioned, including genetic predisposition, hormonal fluctuations, altered neurotransmitter activity, societal pressures favoring thinness, cultural beauty norms, past trauma, and low self-esteem, collectively contribute to the development of eating disorders.
Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder are three distinct types of eating disorders, each characterized by its own set of symptoms.
Extreme weight loss, a fear of gaining weight, a distorted body image, as well as restrictive eating habits are all symptoms of anorexia nervosa.
Bulimia nervosa symptoms include fear of weight gain, gastrointestinal problems, and a chronic sore throat.
Binge-eating disorder symptoms involve rapid eating, vomiting or excessive exercise, and a feeling of distress.
7.Disruptive behavior disorders:
Children get affected by disruptive behaviour disorders, which can manifest as challenging behaviours such as defiance, aggression, and difficulty following rules.
The causes of disruptive behaviour can be genetic, social rejection, or family conflicts.
Disruptive behaviour disorders would be harmful not only for the child but also for his family or society if they did not get proper treatment.
It can result in long-lasting consequences, such as
- Lower educational attainment
- Social isolation
- Risk of substance abuse
- Destruction of mental health
- Involvement in illegal activities
- Unhealthy relationship
8.Neurodevelopmental disorders:
Neurodevelopmental disorders influence the development of brain functions such as cognitive processes, social skills, language abilities, attention, and executive functions.
Here’s a list of neurodevelopmental disorders:
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Specific learning disorders
- Communication disorders
- Rett syndrome
The real cause of neurodevelopmental disorders is not clearly defined. Further research is necessary to gain more detail.
Basically, the symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders vary depending on the specific disorder.
Some people experience challenges in maintaining focus, acquiring new knowledge, and engaging in social interactions.
Treatment:
The treatment methods employed for mental health disorders differ depending on the type of disorder.
Following are some of the common treatment options available in medical field.
1. Psychotherapy:
Psychotherapy involves long-term counseling sessions with a psychologist aimed at openly discussing and treating mental health issues.
It involves cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and psychodynamic therapy.
The primary focus of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is extensively practiced in psychotherapy, is to understand how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors influence each other.
Additionally, CBT has proven to be highly effective in treating a wide array of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), eating disorders, and substance abuse.
Dialectical behavior therapy is a form of Cognitive behavioral therapy.
It focuses on teaching skills, including mindfulness, healthy communication, assertiveness, and boundary-setting skills in relationships while maintaining self-respect. It also helps people manage intense emotions.
The goal of psychodynamic therapy is to uncover and understand the unconscious dynamics and unresolved conflicts that shape an individual’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Furthermore, with an understanding of these hidden dynamics, patients can enhance their self-awareness and proactively bring about positive changes in their lives.
2.Medications:
Once a patient has undergone counseling with a psychiatrist, medication prescriptions may be recommended.
Moreover, antidepressants, antianxiety medications, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers are frequently prescribed medications in the treatment of mental health disorders.
Antidepressant drugs are medications that are commonly used to improve mood in individuals with depressive illnesses.
These drugs work by targeting and balancing certain neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
Antianxiety drugs are primarily mild central nervous system depressants. Their purpose is to manage symptoms of anxiety and promote a calm mental state without significantly affecting normal cognitive or physical functioning.
Antipsychotic medications are prescribed to address mental disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe depression.
The mechanism of action for these medications involves specifically targeting neurotransmitters in the brain to alleviate symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganised thinking.
Mood stabilizers are helpful in managing and stabilizing mood fluctuations in bipolar disorder.
3.Hospitalization:
Hospitalization is needed in order to treat chronic mental health disorders.
Usually, patients’ family members refer patients to hospitalization for monitoring closely and care from a team of mental health professionals.
The treatment approach consists of medication management, individual or group therapy sessions, psychoeducation, and counseling services.
Above all, how long a patient stays in the hospital depends on the seriousness of their condition and their response to the treatment provided.
4.Lifestyle Changes:
Habits impact on everyone’s lives. They influence our daily routines, behavior, and choices in powerful ways.
Therefore, including healthy habits such as regular exercise, maintaining a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, reducing substance use, and practicing stress management techniques like mindfulness and relaxation exercises makes a difference.
5. Join support groups:
Within support groups, participants find a nurturing space to freely exchange their experiences, receive support, and acquire effective coping techniques.
Following is a list of support groups:
1.Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)
2.National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
3.Obsessive-Compulsive Anonymous (OCA)
4. Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
Feel free to join these support groups and find a supportive community that understands your experiences, offers guidance, and promotes healing and growth.
Conclusion:
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes a range of mental health disorders.
These include anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, eating disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, disruptive behavior disorders, and dissocial disorders.
Above all, the treatment methods employed for mental health disorders differ depending on the type of disorder.
Following are some of the common treatment options available in the medical field.
- Psychotherapy
- Medications
- Hospitalization
- Lifestyle changes
- Join support groups.
However, despite the increasing global awareness of mental health, there is still a lack of understanding and resources, particularly in rural areas.
To bridge this gap, concerted efforts are required at various levels.
This includes community outreach programmes, educational initiatives, and collaborations with healthcare providers to ensure access to mental health services.