Most Common Mental Disorders

 Dissociative disorders, which often develop after trauma, may involve:

• disruptions in processes related to memory, identity, and perception
• emotional disconnection and detachment
• disconnection from reality and surroundings

Anxiety refers to feelings of nervousness, fear, or worry. Most people will feel anxious before a job interview, when taking a test, or on their first day at a new job or school. Anxiety disorders involve excessive fear, anxiety, or worries that interfere with your well-being and ability to function. For example, recurring anxious thoughts and behaviors can have a big impact on your work life, school life, hobbies, or relationships. Anxiety disorders are defined by the situations or objects that cause your anxiety. Some anxiety disorders have different symptoms and types of negative thoughts associated with them.

Types of anxiety disorders include:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The focus of your anxiety isn’t on one thing but several things when you have GAD. This could include health, social interactions, or work. These worries appear on more days than not for at least 6 months.

• Panic disorder. This disorder involves recurrent and unexpected panic attacks. Panic disorder can lead to worry or stress about future panic attacks. It’s important to note that having panic attacks doesn’t always mean you have panic disorder.

• Agoraphobia. This condition involves an intense fear of a situation that might be difficult to escape from. This might include open spaces, enclosed spaces, or public transport. For some people, these fears make it difficult to leave the house.

• Social anxiety disorder. Previously known as social phobia, this is an intense fear of social situations or performing in front of others. The anxieties are linked with a fear of negative judgement from others, and a fear of showing signs of anxiety or embarrassment in public.

• Specific phobias. Also known as simple phobias, this involves an intense fear of a certain object or situation. The fear is out of proportion with the actual danger posed. Common phobias people have involve animals, heights, flying, and injections.

• Separation anxiety disorder. This condition involves intense anxiety about being separated from people you feel close to. This can affect both children and adults.

 PTSD can develop after experiencing a traumatic event. The symptoms typically develop within 3 months Trusted Source of the trauma, but sometimes they don’t arise until years later. 

 OCD involves recurring, uncontrollable thoughts or behaviors. The obsessions or compulsions linked with OCD can create intense anxiety. 

 Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting approximately 280 million people worldwide. Depression is a sense of hopelessness, the feeling of being “weighed down,” and a loss of enjoyment in things that used to bring you joy — these are some common signs of depression, one of the most widespread mental health issues in the world. 

People with bipolar disorder experience changing moods, thoughts, behaviors, and energy levels that may impair daily life and negatively affect their work and social functioning. Take heart: The condition is treatable.

As many people as Colorado’s entire population — around 5.7 million U.S. adults — live with bipolar disorder. The average onset of bipolar disorder is about 25 years old, but it can show up in early childhood or later adulthood. Women tend to develop bipolar disorder later than men Trusted Source. 

Though it’s almost even, slightly more males develop bipolar disorder than females.5.7 million U.S. adults — live with bipolar disorder. The average onset of bipolar disorder is about 25 years old, but it can show up in early childhood or later adulthood. 

Women tend to develop bipolar disorder later than men Trusted  Source. Though it’s almost even, slightly more males develop bipolar disorder than females.

 Schizophrenia is a chronic mental health condition that affects thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The condition is characterized by symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations.  Some symptoms of schizophrenia can be easier to recognize because they stand out distinctly from a person’s usual behavior. Schizophrenia symptoms are often classified as either positive or negative. You can think of these symptoms as those that add behaviors (positive) and those that decrease them (negative).

There are several types of eating disorders, each involving different symptoms. Anyone can have an eating disorder, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, and other demographics. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, eating disorders affect at least 9% of the world’s population. Eating disorders affect mental and physical health. They can be life threatening if left untreated

 Major neurocognitive disorder — a new term for dementia — is an acquired deficit in your ability to think that’s severe enough to impact your daily functioning. Neurocognitive disorders can lead to cognitive deficits in various domains involving attention, memory, language, or social skills, for instance. Various medical conditions can lead to major neurocognitive disorder. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of major neurocognitive disorder.

 Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can affect the ways a person interacts, communicates, and behaves.

Autism exists on a “spectrum” because sensory, social, and communication needs for autistic individuals can present across a spectrum from high to low. Within the autism spectrum there is a range of support needs. Some autistic people need less support, while others may need more support.

 Have you ever had trouble concentrating, found it hard to sit still, interrupted others during a conversation, or acted impulsively despite the chance of injury?  ADHD is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that affects how you behave. Symptoms often include ongoing, persistent patterns of inattention, an inability to focus, hyperactivity, or impulsivity. These patterns may lead you to face challenges in how you function daily and develop skills. ADHD is usually diagnosed in childhood — around ages 6-12 — but symptoms can become apparent at any age.

• Inattentive ADHD: This type is primarily characterized by difficulty paying attention or focusing on a task. There’s also a tendency to be easily distracted. No hyperactivity symptoms are usually present.

• Hyperactive-impulsive ADHD: This type is mainly characterized by extreme, excessive, or disruptive behavior and low impulse control. Distractibility or difficulty focusing is rarely seen in this case. This is the least common type of ADHD.

• Combined ADHD: The most common type. It combines symptoms of both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive types.

General symptoms of ADHD include:

• forgetfulness
• being easily distracted
• losing or misplacing things
• abrupt or impulsive behavior
• lack of motivation for specific activities or in general
• difficulty organizing or completing tasks
• not being able to follow instructions
• constantly moving from one activity to another
• engaging in behaviors that might put you or others in jeopardy
• having a hard time focusing on a conversation