According to modern classification, the more common types of mental illness include anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders, impulse control and addiction disorders, and personality disorders. Mental illnesses are conditions that affect the mind and contribute to maladaptive behaviors, and they are generally classified by the mental faculty affected and the symptoms presented.
Some examples of anxiety disorders are generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Mood disorders affect the way people experience emotions over a period of time. Mood disorders include depression and bipolar disorder. Psychotic disorders distort the way people think and perceive reality. Examples of psychotic disorders are schizophrenia and delusional disorder. Eating disorders involve distorted eating patterns and attitudes about food and weight. People with eating disorders often have an unrealistic body image and an obsession with achieving that ideal, but eating disorders can involve eating too much as well as eating too little or purging to lose weight. Common eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.
People with psychotic disorders often experience hallucinations and delusional beliefs, like hearing voices or believing that someone is after them. Examples of psychotic disorders are schizophrenia and delusional disorder. Sometimes symptoms of a psychotic disorder can result from taking drugs or having physical head or brain injury. Addiction disorders include alcoholism, compulsive gambling and sexual addiction. Examples of personality disorders are antisocial personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder and borderline personality disorder.
Less common types of mental illness are dissociative disorders, somatoform disorders, sexual disorders and many others. Dissociative disorders involve a distortion of consciousness and memory. Somatoform disorders are psychological conditions in which people experience physical symptoms with no known cause. Sexual disorders can involve inappropriate sexual desires and behavior and the classification includes gender identity disorder, which has created controversy for considering transsexualism a disorder.
As psychology learns more about the nature of mental illnesses, the way we classify types of mental illness could change significantly in the future.
Some examples of anxiety disorders are generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Mood disorders affect the way people experience emotions over a period of time. Mood disorders include depression and bipolar disorder. Psychotic disorders distort the way people think and perceive reality. Examples of psychotic disorders are schizophrenia and delusional disorder. Eating disorders involve distorted eating patterns and attitudes about food and weight. People with eating disorders often have an unrealistic body image and an obsession with achieving that ideal, but eating disorders can involve eating too much as well as eating too little or purging to lose weight. Common eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.
People with psychotic disorders often experience hallucinations and delusional beliefs, like hearing voices or believing that someone is after them. Examples of psychotic disorders are schizophrenia and delusional disorder. Sometimes symptoms of a psychotic disorder can result from taking drugs or having physical head or brain injury. Addiction disorders include alcoholism, compulsive gambling and sexual addiction. Examples of personality disorders are antisocial personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder and borderline personality disorder.
Less common types of mental illness are dissociative disorders, somatoform disorders, sexual disorders and many others. Dissociative disorders involve a distortion of consciousness and memory. Somatoform disorders are psychological conditions in which people experience physical symptoms with no known cause. Sexual disorders can involve inappropriate sexual desires and behavior and the classification includes gender identity disorder, which has created controversy for considering transsexualism a disorder.
As psychology learns more about the nature of mental illnesses, the way we classify types of mental illness could change significantly in the future.
When helping someone with mental illness, you may have to make some tough decisions. The more you know about what they are going through, and why they are going through it, the better equipped you are to do the right thing. Understanding that these things are not all in their head, and that they cannot just snap out of it is one big step in the right direction. Knowledge is always powerful, and in this case, can make a world of difference when helping someone with mental illness.
