Psychological
disorder or mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health problems
that affect your mood, thinking, and behavior.
In this post, you will learn all about psychological disorders, symptoms, causes, and complications and how to prevent them.
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| Psychological disorder symptoms, causes |
Psychological Disorders: Symptoms, Causes, and Complications - How to Prevent Mental Disorders
What are Psychological Disorders?
A psychological disorder is a mental or behavioral pattern that results from a feeling of
distress or disability that affects the individual and is not part of the
normal growth of mental skills or culture.
Examples of psychological disorders include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders, addictive behaviors, etc.
Mental illness can make you unhappy and cause problems in your daily life, for example in school, work, or in your relationships.
Methods of
understanding mental health situations have changed over time and across
cultures, there are still differences in the classification, definition, and evaluation
of mental disorders, even though guidance standards are widely accepted in the
world.
At present,
mental disorders are portrayed as disturbances in brain neurons that are likely
to result from the evolutionary processes posed by the complex interaction
between genetic factors and life experiences.
In other
words, genes inherited from mental or psychological illness may be responsible
for brain growth, which are likely to have different consequences, depending on
the biological and environmental factors.
Many people
have mental health concerns from time to time. But mental health concerns
become a psychological illness when persistent signs and symptoms cause
constant tension and affect your ability to perform your functions.
Psychiatric
illness or psychological disorder can cause you unhappiness and can cause you
problems in your daily life, for example in school, work, or in your
relationships.
In most
cases, symptoms can be controlled using a combination of medications and
several therapies.
Symptoms of the Psychological Disorder
Signs and
symptoms of psychological disorders may vary, depending on the type, conditions
and other factors.
Symptoms of
mental illness may affect feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.
Examples of
signs and symptoms include the following:
- Feeling sad or depressed
- Confused thinking or low concentration ability
- Overconfidence or fear, or excessive feeling of guilt
- Mood fluctuates excessively
- Isolation from friends and activities
- Feeling a great deal of fatigue, low energy or sleep problems
- Separation from reality (delusions), paranoia or hallucinations
- The inability to overcome everyday problems and pressures
- Difficulty in understanding and dealing with situations and individuals
- Alcoholism or drugs
- Major changes in dietary habits
- Changes in sex drive
- Extreme anger, aggression or violence
- Suicidal thoughts
Sometimes
symptoms of mental health disorder are manifested as physical problems, such as
stomach pain, back pain, headache, or other unexplained pain and aches.
Causes of Psychological Disorder
In general,
mental illness is thought to be caused by a variety of genetic and
environmental factors:
Inherited traits
Psychiatric
illness is more common among people whose blood relatives suffer from mental
illness as well.
Some genes
may increase the risk of mental illness; their life situations may also
motivate it.
Environmental exposures during pregnancy
Sometimes,
exposure to environmental stresses, infections, toxins, alcohol or drugs in the
womb can be associated with psychological illness.
Brain chemistry
Neurotransmitters
lead to the appearance of chemicals in the brain, which carries signals to the
rest of the body and the brain, in a physiological manner.
When the
neural network that includes those chemicals is weak, the function of
neurotransmitters and neurons changes, leading to depression.
Risk factors
There are
some factors that may increase the risk of mental health problems, including:
- Injury to close relatives, such as parents or siblings
- Exposure to life situations poses severe psychological stress, such as financial problems
- The death of a loved one, or divorce
- The chronic condition, such as diabetes
- Brain damage due to serious injury (traumatic brain injury), such as severe head injury
- Exposure to traumatic experiences, such as military battles or assaults
- Alcoholic or recreational drugs
- Exposure to abuse or neglect during your childhood
- Having a few friends or bad health relationships
- Prevalence of mental illness
Mental
illness is widespread. in the world. About 1 to 5 adults suffer from mental
illness in any given year.
Mental
illness can start at any age, from childhood to late puberty, but most start
early.
The effects
of mental illness can be temporary or long-lasting. You can also have more than
one mental health disorder at the same time.
For example,
you may have depression and substance abuse disorder.
Complications of Psychological Disorder
Mental
illness is the leading cause of disability and untreated mental illness can
cause acute emotional, behavioral and physical health problems.
Complications
that are sometimes associated with mental illness include:
- Feeling unhappy and lacking in life
- Family disputes
- Complexities of relationships
- Social isolation
- Problems of tobacco addiction, alcohol, and other drugs
- Failure to work, school, or other problems associated with work or school
- Legal and financial problems
- Displacement and poverty
- Harmful or self-inflicted, including suicide or murder
- The weak immune system, so your body finds it difficult to resist inflammation
- Heart disease and any other medical conditions
When to visit a doctor
If you have
any signs or symptoms, visit your primary care provider or mental health
professional.
Most cases
of mental illness do not improve on their own, and if untreated, mental illness
may worsen over time and cause serious problems.
If you have suicidal thoughts
Suicidal
thoughts and behaviors are common symptoms associated with some mental illness.
If you
believe that you may harm yourself or have the idea of suicide, please feel
free to get help immediately by:
- Call your local emergency number immediately.
- Contact a mental health professional.
- Contact the suicide prevention hotline
- Ask for help from your primary care provider or another health care provider.
- Talk to a close friend or one of your loved ones.
- Communicate with a priest, spiritual leader, or someone else in your religious community.
Suicidal
thoughts do not go on their own, for this, you must get proper help
immediately.
Help one of your loved ones
If one of your
loved ones shows signs of mental illness, have an open and honest discussion
about your fears.
You may not
be able to force someone to seek specialized care, but you can give them
encouragement and support.
You can also
help one of your loved ones reach a qualified mental health care provider and
schedule an appointment. You may go with him to the appointment.
If someone
in your family has hurt himself or is thinking of doing so, take quickly the
person to the hospital or call for emergency help.
Prevention of Mental Disorders
There is no
proven way to prevent mental illness. However, if you have a mental illness,
take steps to control stress, increase resilience and promote self-esteem as
this may help control symptoms.
Follow these
steps for the prevention of psychological disorders:
Be aware of warning signs
Work with
your doctor or therapist to see what triggers your symptoms. Make a plan so
that you are ready for what to do if symptoms reappear.
Contact your
doctor or therapist if you notice any changes in your symptoms or your feeling.
See Engaging
family members or friends to monitor warning signs.
Get regular medical care
Do not
neglect checks or ignore visits to your healthcare provider, especially if you
do not feel well.
May
experience a new health problem and require treatment, or may suffer side
effects of the drug.
Get help
when you need it. Mental health problems can become more difficult to tackle if
you wait until your symptoms worsen.
Long-term preventive therapy may also help prevent
relapse.
Take good care of yourself
Sleeping
for a good time, healthy eating and regular physical activity are important. Try
to keep a regular schedule.
Talk to your
health care provider if you have problems sleeping or if you have questions about
diet and physical activity.
General advice for the prevention of mental
illness
If you have
anxiety, depression or suicide thoughts, you should tell someone close to you
if you are afraid to go to a doctor. Do not let these thoughts dominate you.
- Be sure of
the side effects of each medication that can affect the chemistry of the body
and mind, especially may arise some mental and psychological diseases.
- Some mental diseases transmitted by
heredity If one in your family has a psychiatric illness, consult a
psychiatrist and the necessary tests.
- There is no defect in the incidence
of a disease and therefore there is no shyness in the incidence of mental
illness.
- All humans
have a period of sadness, but it becomes a problem if it lasts for a long time,
in this situation, you should call for help and if possible, you should know
the reason and treatment.