Mental illness is a community among many people. Normalizing conversations about mental disorders is a way to help determine how many others have mental disorders. However, many people may or may not realize that many mental disorders are more common than you think.
Common mental disorders can range from depression to anxiety to post-traumatic stress disorder. However, there are a few more things you should know about mental disorders.
Read more to learn about the definition of a mental disorder, what can classify itself as such, along with the ten most common types of mental disorders.
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What is the Definition of a Mental Disorder?
A mental disorder, also called a mental illness, are conditions that can affect how you think, feel, and behave and your mood. This varies from person to person, but one’s mental disorder can be sporadic or last long. Depending on your mental disorder, this can also affect how you socialize with others and function daily. And while this isn’t the same for everyone, some can have more than one mental disorder diagnosed.
There are various classifications as to what can be considered a mental disorder. Read more about what classifies something as a mental disorder.
What classifies something as a "Mental Disorder?"
There are various ways to classify something as a mental disorder. A mental illness can either have a severe effect on your life to where you cannot function throughout the days fully, or you can manage your mental disorder and go about life while ensuring that your mental health is stable.
Classifications for a mental disorder can include:
- Changes your emotions.
- Affects your thinking, behavior, or a combination of both.
- Affects your functioning within work and social settings.
- Happens persistently or in single episodes.
- Serious functional impairment.
These classifications have found many different mental disorders. Some are rare, and others are more common diagnoses. Read more to learn about how many mental diseases there are, and multiple people are diagnosed with various mental illnesses.
How many types of Mental Disorders are there?
There are over 250 mental disorders that are listed in the DSM-V. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is a handbook that therapists and psychiatrists typically use as a tool to diagnose their patients. The DSM-V was first introduced in 1952 and is updated every once, but it has been updated seven times.
Despite over 250 mental disorders, among those are commonly diagnosed mental disorders. Read more to learn about the ten most common types of mental disorders.
The 10 Most Common Types of Mental Disorders
There are many types of mental disorders within the DSM-V, but there are ten specific common mental disorders that more people are often diagnosed with. Read more about the ten common mental disorders.
Depression
Depression is a common mental disorder that is diagnosed among many people. It is a mood disorder that consists of feeling sad and having a low mood. Depression can affect your interests, lowering them, and your mood where one minute you can feel despondent and, randomly, at another point, you can become irritated. Symptoms of depression, and diagnosis, can range from mild to severe, given what you reveal to a mental health professional or your doctor.
Anxiety
Anxiety disorder is a feeling of fear or worry. There are many different forms of anxiety, i.e., generalized anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, etc. Depending on how severe the anxiety can be, it can affect your day-to-day life with work and how you socialize with others. You are likely to be at risk of developing concern over time if you have a family history of anxiety, have difficulty adjusting to new situations, or have had a stressful life or childhood.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are common disorders that are diagnosed or observed among, usually, women and young girls. Eating disorders, in general, affect one’s body, whether this happens through restrictive eating, called anorexia, or binge eating followed by exercising extreme dieting, or vomiting, which is called bulimia nervosa. There is another eating disorder called binge eating disorder, where you are overeating.
Eating disorders affect those who want to lose weight or excessively eat to gain weight. Many factors contribute to eating disorders, such as media, trauma, etc.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder is common among many people. It can develop after suffering from a traumatic event in their life within the first few days. Those who have PTSD often become reliant on drugs and alcohol as a form of coping.
PTSD can be shown in many forms within a person who has suffered from trauma and can form triggers within them if they have to relive the event, try to avoid reminders that affect their day to day, changes in mood, or being paranoid or overly alert, which can affect how they are sleeping and concentrating.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD, affects your attention, behavior, and how well you can sit still. ADHD is typically diagnosed in children or teens and lives on as you go through adulthood because it is not cured; however, ADHD has treatments to manage it.
Substance Use Disorder
Substance use disorder is diagnosed among those who excessively use or misuse alcohol or other substances, typically drugs. Constant use of either substance can lead to health issues and affect one’s social life and work or school. Substance use disorders are often a part of a dual diagnosis for those who suffer from mental disorders such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, etc.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that revolves around someone having highs and lows within their emotions. Lows are known as depressive moods, and highs are called manic episodes, where they have a lot of energy. A depressive and manic episode depends on the person, but it can last for six months and happen every few minutes.
There are many different types of bipolar disorder, and the cause of the bipolar disorder can vary but has been primarily linked to genetics.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Body dysmorphic disorder is when someone does not appear satisfied with their appearance and can often lead to a different perception of their body in contrast to how people see their body in person. BDD can often coincide with people having eating disorders or getting plastic surgery because they perceive their bodies. BDD can be treated depending on your conversation with your doctor.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is an anxiety disorder that affects those who have compulsions and obsessions. These compulsions and obsessions are typically intrusive and affect their daily life depending on how severe the disorder is for them. However, many people with OCD feel they cannot control it, but it can be treated.
Panic Disorder
An anxiety disorder, panic disorder is when a person becomes repeatedly tense and full of fear. This fear and anxious behavior can often lead to panic attacks, without warning, after experiencing physical symptoms such as difficulty breathing, sweating, chest pains, etc. Panic disorders are typically treated with therapy, medicine, or breathwork.
Closing
You have now learned about mental disorders and the ten most common mental disorders. Along with learning about common mental disorders, you have also known what a mental illness is, what classifies as a mental disorder, and how many are within the DSM-V.
