It is a common mistake of people not to take mental health problems seriously. In fact, many psychological disorders are curable if we take measures at their first sign. However, it is upsetting how people treat mental health issues as inferior as compared to physical health problems.
There are a number of difficult mental problems that manifest in all adults and children. Many of us are unaware of basic facts about these mental disorders. Therefore, if you are interested in some eye-opening facts about these common mental disorders, this article will not disappoint you.
Schizophrenia
The most interesting fact about Schizophrenia is that you will not even know that you have the disease. It is one of those rare brain disorders where affected people start to hallucinate or see things that others can not see. And the worst part is the victim is barely aware that he is suffering from the disorder.
If you need any help with essay about mental disorders, there are several interesting schizophrenia research paper topics that you can check out. These fascinating essay samples will increase your knowledge about the atrocities of the disorder. If you are reading a book on this topic in a library or as part of your education coursework, you will learn about imposter syndrome that derives from this disorder.
Even though there is no proper cure, it is a completely treatable disease. As there are about twenty million people suffering from it worldwide, we should take this mental disorder seriously as soon as possible.
Depression
Depression is one of the most frequent psychiatric disorders that can be genetic, which means that you can inherit it as a trait from your family gene. In fact, if your father or mother has suffered from chronic depression, you are more likely genetically predisposed to have it.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), there is an estimated 264 million people are affected by some degree of depression. And in that, it is interesting to point out that women are affected by it more than men.
There is the infamous case of Nobel laureate Ernest Hemingway and a total of seven suicides in his family, all due to depression. Hemingway committed suicide in 1961 when he could not cope with his father’s suicide. Later, his sister Ursula died of deliberate pill overdose due to chronic illness. His only brother, Leicester, shot himself in 1981 after years of struggling with health issues. His youngest child Gregory was diagnosed with manic depression due to the deterred relationship with his father. Similarly, his granddaughter, Margaux, committed suicide in 1996 after years of struggling with dyslexia, learning disability and manic depression.
The case of the Hemingway family proves again that depression can be genetically inherited.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is one of those mental disorders that manifest mostly during the teenage years. Children as young as seven can also be diagnosed with this problem. However, they may not understand the cause of their irritation to dirt or the order of things.
It is interesting to note that every student studying at school, college, or university may at some point be diagnosed with this disorder. Academic research has shown that it is more common among nineteen years old than among adults. Adolescent boys and girls usually suffer from agitations when they are exposed to germs, dirt, and often misarrangement of things.
OCD is a chronic condition. Therefore, there is no cure for OCD. However, proper treatment can bring it down to an acceptable minimum where it does not interfere with your everyday life.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is one of the most traumatic mental disorders than the rest others. And the interesting fact about this particular disorder is that it can take several years for the symptoms to show up. People experience trauma after an accident or traumatic event. However, that trauma can sometimes be mistaken for Acute Stress Disorder. That is why it is customary for doctors to suggest the patient wait for at least a month or two. Then and only then one can fully diagnose the victim of such a horror-like problem.
There are also differences in the symptoms of men and women. Therefore, each patient follows a unique course designed particularly for them. In the case of women, their symptoms include avoiding things that trigger terrible memories. But for men, often turn to alcohol and drugs to suppress their rage and anger.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar Disorder is a threatening mental disorder that cycles between manic high and depressive low. However, most people mistake it for a normal depression. Because the manic high is usually in the form of short bursts which can go unnoticed, therefore, it is the depressive low that overshadows the symptoms and leads to misjudgment of the problem.
In the usual horror story, we all see that the hero has bipolar disorder that forces him to change his personality according to his mood. But that is not an accurate representation of that disorder. It is a psychiatric condition that leads to substance abuse issues due to their attempts to self-medicate the problem.
Over forty-five million people worldwide have this mental disorder. There are effective treatments available for the acute phase of the disorder. It can prevent the patient from going into relapse. Psychosocial support also enhances the treatment of this mental disorder.
Conclusion
It has become a norm to frown upon mental health issues in today’s world. Whereas in actuality, it is as important for a human’s sound living as the physical health issues. Therefore, we should not look down upon someone suffering from dementia, psychoses or any other brain disorders.
With the advent of modern technology, we are far more knowledgeable about mental disorders than the previous generation. So, the lesson that you can take away from this article is the fact that each mental disorder is unique in its own way. Therefore, we all should address each of those disorders with utmost seriousness.
