Mental illness is a broad term for a group of conditions whose symptoms can change how a person thinks, feels, acts, or perceives things. Someone suffering from different types of mental health issues may find it hard to manage relationships, job, and other responsibilities.
Though the link between stress and mental disease is complicated, it is well established that stress can exacerbate a mental illness episode. Medication, therapy, or both can help most people control their mental illness. In this article, some of the most common types of mental health issues are listed.
Major Types of Mental Health Issues
There are many types of mental health issues and conditions. Different types of mental health issues consist of:
Depression
A mood illness called depression impairs daily functioning and results in enduring emotions of sadness, lack of interest or pleasure.
Symptoms
- Persistent sadness
- loss of interest or pleasure
- feelings of worthlessness or guilt
- changes in sleep or appetite
- Fatigue
- difficulty concentrating
- thoughts of death or suicide.
Causes
- Genetics
- brain chemistry
- life events
- medical conditions.
Treatment
Therapy (cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy), medication (antidepressants), lifestyle changes (exercise, healthy diet, social support).
Bipolar Disorder
Extreme mood fluctuations, including depressive lows and mania or hypomania, are common in those with bipolar illness.
Symptoms
- Mania (elevated mood, increased energy, risky behavior)
- Depression (persistent sadness, loss of interest or pleasure)
- Alternating periods of each.
Causes
- Genetics
- brain structure and function
- life events.
Treatment
Mood stabilizers, antipsychotic medications, therapy.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
People with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) worry too much and can’t stop about everyday things.
Symptoms
- Excessive worry
- Restlessness
- Fatigue
- difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- muscle tension
- sleep disturbances.
Causes
- Genetics
- brain chemistry
- life experiences
- stress.
Treatment
Therapy (cognitive-behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques), medication (antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications).
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder is a long-term mental illness in which people get irrational anxious when they are around other people.
Symptoms
- Intense fear of social situations
- fear of being judged or embarrassed
- avoidance of social interactions.
Causes
- Genetics
- brain structure and function
- past experiences
- social environment.
Treatment
Therapy (cognitive-behavioral therapy, exposure therapy), medication (antidepressants, beta-blockers).
Specific Phobias
A specific phobia is an extreme and unreasonable dread of a particular thing or circumstance.
Symptoms
- Intense fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation
- avoidance of the phobic stimulus.
Causes
- Genetics
- traumatic experiences
- learned behaviors.
Treatment
Therapy (exposure therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy), medication (beta-blockers, antidepressants for severe cases).
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder sufferers frequently experience intense, brief episodes. Heart palpitations, perspiration, shaking, dyspnea, and visions of impending disasters are common symptoms of these episodes.
Symptoms
- Sudden and repeated attacks of fear
- feeling of being out of control
- intense worry
- avoidance of places where panic attacks have occurred.
Causes
- Genetics
- major life stress
- temperament that is more sensitive to stress
- prone to negative emotions.
Treatment
Therapy (cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy), medication (antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications).
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
People who have obsessive-compulsive disorder have unwanted, upsetting thoughts called obsessions. To calm themselves down, they keep doing the same mental or physical actions or activities.
Symptoms
- Obsessions (fear of contamination, fear of harm, intrusive sexual or aggressive thoughts)
- compulsions (excessive cleaning, checking, counting, arranging)
- significant distress
- impairment in daily functioning.
Causes
- Genetics
- brain structure and function
- environmental factors (such as childhood trauma).
Treatment
Therapy (cognitive-behavioral therapy, exposure and response prevention), medication (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors).
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it.
Symptoms
- Flashbacks
- Nightmares
- severe anxiety
- uncontrollable thoughts about the event
- avoidance of places, people, or activities of the traumatic experience
- negative changes in thoughts and mood, hyperarousal (feeling keyed up or on edge).
Causes
- Exposure to a traumatic event (war, natural disaster, sexual assault, etc.)
- brain chemistry, personality
- risk of mental health problems.
Treatment
Therapy (cognitive-behavioral therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy), medication (antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications).
Borderline Personality Disorder
As a mental condition, borderline personality disorder (BPD) alters one’s perspective on life and others, making it difficult to function normally.
Symptoms
- Intense fear of abandonment
- unstable relationships
- unclear or shifting self-image
- Impulsive
- self-destructive behaviors
- extreme emotional swings
- chronic feelings of emptiness
- explosive anger
- feeling suspicious or out of touch with reality.
Causes
- Genetics
- brain abnormalities
- environmental factors (such as childhood trauma or neglect).
Treatment
Therapy (dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy), medication (antidepressants, mood stabilizers).
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Among many types of mental health issues is antisocial personality disorder. It makes people not care about other people.
Symptoms
- Disregard for right and wrong
- persistent lying or deceit to exploit others
- being callous
- Cynical
- disrespectful of others
- disregarding the safety of self or others
- lack of remorse about harming others
- Aggressive
- violent behavior.
Causes
- Genetic factors and environmental factors
- child abuse or neglect
- dysfunctional families
- unstable family relationships
- inconsistent discipline by parents.
Treatment
Psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), medication, such as antidepressants or mood stabilizers, and group therapy.
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Constantly worrying about being organized, flawless, and in control of one’s thoughts and interactions makes people with OCD less open, efficient, and adaptable.
Symptoms
- Preoccupation with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or schedules
- perfectionism that interferes with task completion
- excessive devotion to work and productivity
- Overconscientiousness
- Scrupulousness
- inflexibility about matters of morality, ethics, or values,
Causes
There is no known precise cause of obsessive-compulsive personality syndrome. It is believed to be the outcome of a mix of environmental and hereditary elements, much like other mental health illnesses.
Treatment
Medication, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and psychotherapy, such cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
A narcissistic personality disorder sufferer has an exaggerated feeling of their own importance, a strong desire for excessive attention and praise, tense relationships, and a lack of empathy for other people.
Symptoms
- Perceiving yourself to be superior to others
- inflating your accomplishments or skills
- expecting consistent praise and adulation
- thinking you’re unique and acting accordingly
- failing to see the emotions and sentiments of others
- taking advantage of others
- showing contempt for those you believe to be less than
- envious of other people thinking that other people are envious of you.
Causes
It is uncertain what causes narcissistic personality disorder exactly. It is believed to arise from a mix of environmental and genetic elements, much like other mental health illnesses.
Treatment
Psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and medication, such as antidepressants or mood stabilizers.
Schizophrenia
People who have schizophrenia have a severe mental disease that affects how they think, feel, and act. People with schizophrenia may look like they are not in touch with reality, which can be very upsetting for them and their family and friends.
Symptoms
- Hallucinations
- Delusions
- disorganized thinking (speech)
- extremely disorganized
- abnormal motor behavior (including catatonia)
- negative symptoms
Causes
- Genetics
- brain chemistry and structure
- environmental factors (such as being exposed to viruses or not getting enough food before birth, having problems during birth, psychological issues, and drug use).
Treatment
Antipsychotic medications, psychotherapy, rehabilitation, and support services.
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexics have an unusually low body weight, a great dread of gaining weight, and a warped perception of their size or weight.
Symptoms
- Restriction of food intake leading to significantly low body weight
- intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat
- a distorted body image
- absence of menstrual periods in females post-puberty.
Causes
There is no known reason for anorexia nervosa, but it is thought to be a mix of biological, genetic, environmental, psychological, and social factors.
Treatment
Psychotherapy (specifically, cognitive-behavioral therapy), medications, and nutritional counseling.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa sufferers eat a much and then purge by self-induced vomiting, overuse of laxatives, diuretics, or other medications, fasting, or excessive exercise.
Symptoms
- Recurrent binge eating episodes
- feeling unable to regulate eating during the binge phase
- repeating improper compensatory behavior to avoid gaining weight
- self-induced vomiting abuse of diuretics, laxatives, or other drugs
- intense worry about body weight and shape
- fasting or overdoing exercise.
Causes
While the precise cause of bulimia nervosa is unknown, a confluence of biological, psychological, social, and genetic elements is believed to be involved.
Treatment
Psychotherapy (specifically, cognitive-behavioral therapy), medications, and nutritional counseling.
Binge Eating Disorder
This is among many types of mental health disorders. People with binge eating disorder often eat a lot of food at once, often very quickly and to the point of discomfort. They also feel like they’ve lost control during the binge and feel shame, distress, or guilt afterward. They also don’t normally use unhealthy ways to cope (like purging) to stop the bingeing.
Symptoms
- Often eating too much at once
- lacking control over eating habits during the binge episode
- Taking in food a lot faster than usual
- Consuming food until feeling too full
- consuming a lot of food even though not actually hungry.
Causes
There is no known reason for binge eating disorder, but it is thought to be a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, psychological, and social influences.
Treatment
Psychotherapy (specifically, cognitive-behavioral therapy), medications, and nutritional counseling.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a cognitive illness that causes people to be impulsive and/or not pay attention for long periods of time. This makes it hard to work or grow.
Symptoms
- Inattention
- hyperactivity
- impulsivity
- impatience
Causes
- Genetics
- brain development and function
- environmental factors
- lead exposure
- tobacco use during pregnancy
- premature birth
- low birth weight
Treatment
Stimulant medications, non-stimulant medications, therapy (behavioral therapy, parent training).
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (symptoms, causes, treatment)
Autism spectrum disorder is a complicated developmental disorder that causes people to have ongoing problems with communicating with others, making friends, and controlling their actions.
Symptoms
- Social communication challenges
- difficulty with social interactions
- difficulty with verbal and nonverbal communication
- repetitive behaviors
- sensory sensitivities
Causes
- Genetics
- environmental factors
- advanced parental age
- maternal illness during pregnancy
- certain genetic conditions
Treatment
Early intervention services, behavioral therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, medications for co-occurring conditions (such as anxiety or ADHD).
Alcohol Use Disorder (symptoms, causes, treatment)
Long-term, relapsing brain condition called alcohol use disorder (AUD) makes it difficult to cut back or regulate drinking, even when doing so would have detrimental social, occupational, or health consequences.
Symptoms
- Uncontrollable urge to drink
- inability to stop drinking once started
- withdrawal symptoms when not drinking
- neglecting other activities because of drinking
- continuing to drink despite negative consequences.
Causes
- Genetic
- Environmental
- Psychological
- social factors.
Treatment
Counseling, medications, support groups, and inpatient or outpatient treatment programs.
Drug Abuse and Dependence
Substance use disorder, another name for drug abuse and dependence, is the medical condition when the use of one or more drugs results in a clinically significant impairment or discomfort.
Symptoms
- Taking the substance in larger amounts
- craving or a strong desire to use the substance
- not managing to do what you should at work, home, or school
- giving up important social, occupational, or recreational activities
- physical or psychological problem
Causes
- psychological issues
- societal pressures
- environmental stress
- individual behavioral traits
- genetic susceptibility.
Treatment
Detoxification, counseling, medication, support groups, and inpatient or outpatient treatment programs.
Conclusion
Types of mental health issues involve a wide range of diseases that can have a big impact on people’s lives, relationships, and in general health. To help people with these conditions, you need to know about their symptoms, what causes them, and what solutions are available.
Common ways to treat types of mental health issues are therapy, medication, and changes to one’s lifestyle. However, the effectiveness of these treatments depends on the personality and the mental health problem. Early diagnosis and care are key for people who are affected by these conditions to get them under control and improve their quality of life.
FAQs
Seek professional help and practice self-care, such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle and social support.
Engage in continuous learning and self-reflection to develop emotional intelligence and mindfulness.
Weak mental health can be influenced by genetics, environment, lifestyle, and social factors.
