What are mental disorders?
There are numerous different types of mental disorders, however, common for all of them is that the patient’s emotions, thought processes, and/or behaviour changes. The cause of many mental disorders is unknown, and it is therefore difficult to know how best to treat them. Mental disorders can be difficult to diagnose, since symptoms may manifest at different periods of the patient’s life and without prior ailments. However, mental disorders manifest with a severe reduction in the patient’s health and social functions. Patients may exhibit a gradual decline in health and mental condition; therefore, the symptoms may not be readily identified, and it is thus difficult to know when treatment is necessary. It is believed that mental disorders are the result of a combination of genetic, psychologic, social, and biologic factors throughout the patient’s life. In the case of the so called ‘organic mental disorders’, it is possible to identify a specific cause for the mental condition - either a severe physiological condition or something affecting the central nervous system.
What are the symptoms of mental disorders?
The symptoms include anxiety, compulsions, addiction, personality disorders, and mood swings. Other symptoms are easier to identify, such as hallucinations, delusions, and sensory processing disorder. The cause of many mental disorders remains unknown; it is therefore difficult to treat them properly.
How are mental disorders treated?
Treatments of mental disorders are varied, and depend on the complexity of the origin and expression of the disease. In the treatment, it is necessary not only to focus on the psychological, but also on the social and biological aspects in the patient. Psychotherapy is focussed on the human mind, and this sort of treatment can involve cognitive behavioural therapy, which is based on Freud’s theories on associative learning and psychodynamic theory. The social aspect is focussed on occupational rehabilitation and retraining, economic status, and pedagogy. The biological aspect is focused on the underlying physical illness, where ‘psychopharmaceuticals’, medicine designed to treat and prevent mental disorders, are an integral part. Some mental disorders can be treated with focus on a single aspect, whereas others require a broader treatment. Treatment will be dependent on the specific mental disorder.
Some of the most common mental disorders are:
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder, most commonly found in young adults, and forms symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions without an emotional component. This makes it difficult to distinguish between reality and fantasy. Schizophrenia patients will often experience auditory or visual hallucinations, a feeling of being watched, changes in personality, inability to behave properly, and difficulties being social. However, schizophrenia does not manifest as a split personality. The cause of schizophrenia is unknown, however, scientist believe that a combination of genes (heritage), biology (e.g. brain structure and chemistry), possibly viral infections, and autoimmune diseases contribute to the condition. Treatment often involves psychosocial rehabilitation by a multidisciplinary team, and antipsychotic medicine.
Depression, mania, and bipolar disorder
In affective mental disorders (mood disorders) one’s mood is altered in varying degree and direction; depression lowers the mood and mania heightens it. In addition to an altered mood, there are a number of other symptoms. Mood swings are often episodic, meaning that the patient will experience a period of depression, followed by a period where the patient feels happy and healthy, which is again followed by a period of depression. If someone have had a depression before, the risk of developing another is significantly increased. Depression can also be, or become, chronic.
The mood must be compared to the individual’s normal state, and what is fitting for the given situation; since long term sorrow can be natural with the loss of close relations. Depression can be diagnosed, if someone has experienced a period of more than two weeks of melancholy, lack of energy, and a disinterest in the surroundings and themselves. These symptoms are often accompanied by other emotions, i.e. poor self-confidence, poor self-esteem, guilt, concentration problems, sleep disorders, and changes in appetite. These manifest in varying degrees and how they are experienced can vary between individuals.
Mania is an episodic condition, where the patient will experience periods of minimum one week with an unhealthy heightened mood, characteristically accompanied by restlessness, unrestrained behaviour, unusually rapid speech, increased self-esteem, inconsiderate and irresponsible behaviour. If one experience both manic and depressive episodes, the condition is called bipolar affective disorder, since one experience both a lowered and a heightened mood.
The cause of affective mental disorders is multifactorial, and since more than one factor affects the development of the disease, including genes, brain structure and chemistry, and personal experience, it is difficult to gauge, whether one suffers from depression or not. The same case applies for mania and bipolar disorder. It is incredibly important to determine the correct diagnosis in order to prescribe the best treatment. Depression is often treated with therapy and antidepressants while mania is treated with cognitive behavioural therapy and antipsychotics.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a psychophysiological reaction instantaneously trigged by a feeling of ‘danger’, with the intent of ‘flight’ or evading the danger. The reaction is a natural product of evolution and is beneficial in its non-unhealthy form. However, excessive anxiety is seen in cases where a disproportional intense anxiety reaction and the perceived ‘danger’ is present. This will often result in a significant handicap in the patient’s everyday life. Excessive anxiety is often accompanied by discomfort, reduced capacity to handle daily tasks, and difficulties socialising with others. The difference between excessive and normal anxiety is difficult to determine, therefore, it can be hard to diagnose.
Anxiety is divided into different types dependent on what one finds uncomfortable or fears. Some are afraid of different social interactions, while some are afraid of snakes or of being alone. The symptoms are rapid heartbeat, sweating, dry mouth, trembling, tightness of breath, and tightness in the chest. Some experience dizziness and fear of death, but there are numerous reactions to anxiety.
The cause is unknown. However, genes and environment are believed to have a significant impact on the disease. Some of the risk factors of anxiety are elusiveness, shyness, having family members with mental disorders, and negative events, i.e. divorce. Anxiety is treated with behavioural therapy, in which the patient is repeatedly subjected to the source of their anxiety, thereby developing a more natural reaction to the situation. Medications such as antidepressants, benzodiazepines, or beta-blockers can also be helpful to the patient.
