Bringing Awareness to the Mental Health Epidemic
Mental Health and staying mentally well is a topic that isn't light, but is extremely important.
Mental health has always been seen as something that doesn't matter a lot. Programs are stripped of funds necessary to keep some people alive and medicated, and there are many communities that have little to no resources. This is our way to combat that!
As with everything 'Mental Health' related, These topics arent easy to swallow or light, but these are short and informational articles on common mental health disorders and disabilities written and verified by our foundation! Navigate to your hearts content.
Topics include:
Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Eating disorders, Substance abuse, OCD, ADHD, Schizophrenia, Insomnia, Hearing loss and its mental toll, Amnesia, Dementia, Trichotillomania.
In the event that you or someone you love is in danger, or in need of help, do not neglect the use of hotlines, they are here to help you.
NATIONAL HELPLINES
988 Mental Health Emergency Hotline: Call 988 to connect to a crisis counselor, regardless of where you are in the US.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): 1-800-950-NAMI, or text “HELPLINE” to 62640. Both services are available between 10 A.M. to 10 P.M. ET, Monday through Friday.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Crisis Text Line: Text “REASON” to 741741, in English or Spanish
Self-Harm Hotline: 1-800-DONT CUT (366-8288)
Family Violence Helpline: 1-800-996-6228
Planned Parenthood Hotline: 1-800-230-PLAN (7526)
American Association of Poison Control Centers: 1-800-222-1222
National Council on Alcoholism and drug Dependency: 1-800-622-2255
LGBTQ Hotline: 1-888-843-4564
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-TLC-MAMA (852-6262)
The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 678678
The SAGE LGBT Elder Hotline: For LGBT older people and caretakers 1-877-360-LGBT (5428)
The Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860 (US) 1-877-330-6366 (CA)
Understanding Anxiety Disorders: Types and Symptoms Explained
Source
Anxiety disorders include many kinds of disorders and phobias, various of which are related to specific fears.
If you experience occasional anxiety, that is a normal part of life, but people with anxiety disorders constantly have various waves of constant worry and fear about everyday situations, and it can even reach a peak within minutes which is called a panic attack.
The different anxiety disorders consist of:
Agoraphobia, which makes you avoid places or issues that might cause you to make you feel helpless, trapped, or even embarrassed
Anxiety can even be because of a medical disorder, usually a physical health problem.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which includes constant and excessive anxiety and worry about activities or events or ordinary routine problems.
Panic disorder involves repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or dread that can increase to their peak within minutes and can even lead to worrying about these attacks again.
Social Anxiety Disorder (Socialphobia) involves high level anxiety, terror, and avoidance of social situations due to feelings of self-consciousness, embarrassment and worry of being judged.
Separation Anxiety, which is a childhood disorder distinguished by anxiety that is excessive to the child's development.
And other phobias with different symptoms, however multiple generalized symptoms could include:
Feeling tense, nervous, or like you barely slept
Increase in heart rate
Hyperventilation or breathing rapidly
Sweating
Trembling
Feeling of weakness
Issues sleeping
Only focusing on the worry and not around you
Stomach issues and problems with digestion
Avoiding things that trigger anxious feelings
Difficulty controlling feeling of worriedness
Any questions on the topic of anxiety, visit MayoClinic.org to learn more
The Spectrum of Depression: From Seasonal Affective Disorder to More
Source
Depression is a common mental disorder which leads to being uninterested in certain activities and emotions but can affect every aspect of your life.
Around 4% of the population experience depression, also involving 5.7% of adults and 5.9% of adults 70 or older.
Depression is also 1.5 times more common in women than among men. Depression also has other variations, including:
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a disorder related to the change in seasons.
Psychotic Depression, which relates to psychosis such as hallucinations or delusions.
Dysthymia is a long-lasting and continuous form of depression.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder is a severe and can be disabling extension of premenstrual syndrome. But premenstrual dysphoric disorder causes extreme mood swings and can interrupt life and ruin relationships.
Postpartum Depression, or “baby blues”, is a depression usually after childbirth.
Many of these disorders are different in themselves, yet main symptoms could include:
Feeling of sadness or emptiness
Depressive episodes that could last weeks, months, or years (varies)
Difficulty concentrating
Low self-esteem or feeling guilty
Feeling hopeless of future
Thoughts of suicide or self-harm
Difficulty sleeping
Change in appetite
You can find more information on depression at who.int
Bipolar Disorder: The Ups, Downs, and Turnarounds
Source
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that can cause extreme mood swings, such as manic episodes of feeling, depressive episodes, or a mix of both.
It is also considered part of depression, nevertheless bipolar disorder is much more than just feeling sad.
Bipolar was also called other things, including manic depression and manic-depressive disorder.
Symptoms could include:
-Feeling very energetic, irrational, or “up.”
-feeling jumpy, or more active than usual
-having short temper or extremely irritable
-less sleep
-feeling less important, talent or powerful
This is referred to as a manic episode.
-Feeling hopeless, “down,” or sleepy.
-isolating yourself from others.
Having little energy, sleeping too much
eating too much or too little
Lack of interest in usual activities, being unable to do simple tasks
Thinking about death or suicide
This is known as a depressing episode.
You can even feel a mix of a manic and a depressive episode all at once, which is considered a mixed episode.
A change in behavior.
Frequent change in energy.
A change in the activities you take part in.
There are several types of bipolar as well, including
Bipolar 1 Disorder involves manic episodes that may last at least 7 days, or symptoms so awful you need immediate medical care.
Bipolar 2 Disorder is depressive episodes, but there are episodes of hypomania instead of manic episodes.
Cyclothymic bipolar, which involves both depressive and hypomanic symptoms.
Go to medlineplus.org for more information on bipolar disorder.
Unpacking Eating Disorders: Effects on Physical and Mental Wellbeing
Source
Eating disorders are persistent eating or eating behaviors that result in the altered consumption or absorption of food.
This can significantly impart one's physical health, or physical functioning; it has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.
Types of eating disorders may include:
Anorexia- one who engages in persistent restriction intake, often presenting with below-average weight.
Bulimia nervosa-reoccurring binge eating episodes, often having unreasonable portions; reoccurring compensating behaviors to prevent weight gain.
Binge eating disorder-the most common, involves binge eating episodes, yet does not involve any compensating behaviors to avoid weight gain.
Pica- involves eating one or more non-nutritive, nonfood substance persistently for at least 30 days, often enough for concern and needing clinical attention
Rumination disorder - repeated regurgitation of food occurring after feeding or eating for over 30 days. Swallowing food with no clear symptoms of nausea, involuntary gaging, or disgust.
Eating disorders are complicated and vary from person to person, some facts that research has been able to clearly present regardless of the individual.
Eating disorders are indiscriminate and can be found in individuals of all ages, racial and ethnic backgrounds, body weights, plus genders.
The onset of eating disorders generally takes place during adolescence or young adulthood, however; it is not confined to these states of life.
There is no singular cause of eating disorders. Studies show various “genetic, biological, behavioral, phycological, and social factors” that may increase the risk of developing an eating disorder.
Eating disorders can be life-threatening and have the highest mortality rate of any mental health illness.
-Eating disorders don't have a “miracle cure,” there are many evidence-based practices shown to support eating disorder recovery.
Understanding Anxiety Disorders: Types and Symptoms Explained
The Nature of Addiction: A Quick Dive into Substance Abuse
Source
Substance abuse disorder, also known as addiction, is a relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug-seeking, continuous use despite harmful consequences, and long-lasting changes in the brain. Many may experience a pattern with substance use that affects your health and quality of life. Types of substances commonly abused include:
-Alcohol
-prescription drugs
-illicit drug
-tobacco or nicotine usage
-cannabis
-inhalant (paint thinner, gas etc.)
-hallucinogens
-stimulants (cocaine)
Substances change the way your brain functions over time, with the release of dopamine, a chemical released from the brain, making you feel good.
When the drug wears off, your brain and body want to continue the good feeling.
This can notably affect and change your emotional wellbeing, relationships, education, and career. In many cases, it can be life-threatening.
The 2 categories in substance abuse are:
Intoxication-feeling sleepy, calm, excited, and other intense emotions. This can affect your decision-making process or mental and physical functioning
Withdrawn-when the drug leaves your body, you can experience symptoms that vary from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, difficulty sleeping, muscle cramping, and mood changes.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Symptoms and Daily Struggles
Source
OCD is a mental disorder that can affect anyone of any age. OCD occurs when one has cycles of obsessions, unwanted or intrusive thoughts, and compulsions, behaviors one does to try and get rid of the obsessions.
Most experience this in their lifetime, however for those with OCD, this is an everyday occurrence.
This can cause distress; it can get in the way of important activities like school or work.
Common obsessions include:
Contamination obsessions-fear of meeting contaminated substances
Violent obsessions-wanting to hurt themselves, others, or imagining horrific imagery in one's mind.
Responsibility obsessions-fear of handling terrible accidents or events, fear or harming others
Perfectionism-related obsessions-concern of performing tasks “perfectly/correctly,” fear of making mistakes, excessive concern about evenness or exactness.
identity obsessions-excessive concern with one's sexual orientation or one's gender identity
Other obsessions can include relationship-related obsessions. Death/existence, real event or false memory, emotional contamination
There are many disorders that are like OCD, such as
Hoarding disorder- a mental disorder when people hava trouble letting go or getting rid of possessions that have no use
Body dysmorphic disorder- thinking too much of one's imagined flaw in one's looks, if there is such a flaw the person's concern is extreme.
Body-focused repetitive behaviors-repeated self-grooming activities such as biting, pulling, picking, or scraping one's hair, skin, lips, cheeks, or nails. This can cause physical harm and often persist despite multiple attempts to stop
Common compulsions include:
-Washing and cleaning in certain ways
-Excessively checking to make sure you did not harm anyone or make a mistake
-Repeating activities
-Body movements
-Doing repetitive things or actions
-Mental compassions to prevent self-harm
-Counting to perform a task
People with ocd may experience challenges, such as
Public recognition with ocd and related disorders- not nearly enough people can accurately identify ocd. More than 2/3 of the public do not have an accurate understanding of odc. This misunderstanding causes stigma and misuse of the term in casual conversation. Delays in diagnosis and treatment for those with ocd, making it harder for treatment and can cause one's journey to become more challenging
Access to effective treatment- because of the public stigma and misconceptions of ocd and other closely related disorders, it can take an average of 7 years before one receives an accurate ocd diagnosis
ADHD: A Chronic Disorder Affecting Both Children and Adults
Source
ADHD is an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; this is one of the most common affecting children.
ADHD is considered a chronic and debilitating disorder and is known to affect individuals in their life, such as academic and professional achievements, interpersonal relationships, and daily functioning.
This can also lead to poor self-esteem.
Adults with ADHD may experience poor self-worth, sensitivity towards criticism, and increased self-criticism.
Types of ADHD include inattentive type
-struggling to pay attention
-not follow directions
-struggles with organized tasks and work tasks
-easily distracted.
-Hyperactive/impulse type
-fidgeting excessively with hands, toys etc.
-excessive energy
-not able to stay seated
-run around or climbs in non-proper times
-always” on the go”
-talks too much
-It has difficulty waiting.
-Combination of both, where one experience both sides at once
ADHD presentation and assessment differ between children and adults.
It is most common in young boys, tending to present with hyperactivity and other external symptoms, while girls tend to experience inattention, daydreaming, disorganization, and forgetfulness.
Exploring Schizophrenia: Key Insights into the Mental Illness
Source
Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness affecting less than 1% of the global population, males typically showing symptoms in their late teens early 20’s and women late 20’s early 30’s. People with schizophrenia typically experience distortions or reality, often forms of delusions or hallucinations.
Common early symptoms include
-hallucinations
-delusions
-paranoia
-Reduction in speaking, Social Isolation, moving social or friend groups
-Irritability and agitation
-Sleeping problems
-Difficulties at school or work
-Anxiety
-Vague suspiciousness
-Odd ideas
-Feeling different from others
When it comes to more developed symptoms, they tend to fall into 3 categories:
Positive symptoms- hallucinations; seeing things that are created by your own mind, hearing or smelling things, delusions, believing something even when it has been proven opposite, paranoia, when one believes they are being stalked/followed.
Negative symptoms reduction in speaking, odd emotional responses to situations, loss of pleasure, difficulty doing everyday activities/following through with plans.
Cognitive symptoms- disorganized thinking or speech, like rapid topic changes, using made up words or phrases, talking fast, forgetfulness, trouble focusing/paying attention, impaired executive functioning or understanding information and using it to make decisions.
Exploring Insomnia: A Common Sleep Disorder and Its Effects
Source
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that makes it difficult for one to fall asleep or stay asleep.
It may cause you to wake up too early, unable to fall back asleep.
Feeling tired or depressed when you wake up.
It can drastically drain your energy, affect your mood, health, work performance, and your whole quality of life.
Most adults experience short-term insomnia in their life, usually due to high stress. Some people experience long term insomnia, also known as chronic insomnia, lasting for months at a time.
Some symptoms can include
Difficulty falling asleep
Waking up during the night; Waking up too early
Feeling tired, cranky, depressed, or anxious throughout the day
Having difficulty paying attention or focusing on tasks
Making more mistakes
Having ongoing worries about sleep
-Causes of long-term insomnia can include:
Elevated levels of stress
Travel or work schedule
Poor sleeping habits
Eating too much too late in the evening
Other mental health disorders
Medical prescribed drugs; Medical conditions
Caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.
Insomnia naturally increases with age, as your sleep patterns change, different medications etc.
risk factors that increase your risk of insomnia are irregular sleep patterns, lots of stress, mental and physical health conditions, being over 60yrs old, and genetically being a women increases your chances, with menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause
The Mental Health Impact of Hearing Loss: A Short Overview
Source
The Mental Health Impact of Hearing Loss: A Short Overview
Hearing issues can affect anyone of any age; they can easily affect other factors in your life and overall wellness.
It can increase your risk for anxiety and mood disorders such as depression; it can also worsen any existing mental health conditions one might have. Some psychological and emotional effects that may result from hearing loss include:
-shame and embarrassment
-feeling of inadequacy
-loss of self-esteem
-social isolation and loneliness- one of the immediate side effects of hearing loss is struggling following conversation, and overtime that can cause one to withdraw from social situations
-increased stress and anxiety
- struggling to catch words and interpret sounds can lead to stress and frustration, many people with hearing loss experience heightened anxiety.
-depression and well-being- communication can become difficult, feelings of sadness and frustration may occur. The inability to engage in conversation enjoy hobbies or connect to loved ones can increase the risk of depression
Hearing connects us to the world; it allows us to engage with others in conversation, listen to music, and much more. hearing loss isn't just focusing on the ears; it's about the mind as well.
The Psychological Toll of Dementia: Symptoms Beyond Memory Loss
Source
Dementia is a group of symptoms that affect memory, your ability to think, and how you interact with people.
Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common causes of dementia in older adults, but there are other causes of dementia.
Depending on the cause of dementia, you can be cured!
Symptoms of dementia can include:
Memory loss (typically noticed by a family member or friend).
Issues speaking or trouble finding words.
Vision problems and spatial awareness problems.
Issues problem solving and trouble with reasoning.
Trouble doing more complex problems.
Trouble planning and organizing.
Dementia can be extremely hard on a person's psychological health as well. Some of those symptoms can include:
Personality changes
Depression
Agitation
Unusual behavior
Being suspicious of everything
Hallucinations
Anxiety
The Dynamics of Amnesia: Memory Loss Without Losing Who You Are
Source
Amnesia, also called amnestic syndrome, is the loss of memories and information, facts, and experiences. Experiencing amnesia does not mean you forget who people are; people with amnesia do typically remember themselves.
Amnesia may be caused by a damaged area of your brain that is used to process your memory. It can also be a temporary thing unlike transient global amnesia, which is a temporary form of memory loss.
There isn't a specific treatment for amnesia, but if an underlying cause of amnesia is found, treatment may be possible. Support can help those and their families cope with the syndrome.
People with amnesia may experience:
Issues learning added details.
trouble remembering earlier events and/or details that used to be well known but could still remember deep and personal memories.
Depending on the certain amnesia, people can also experience:
False memories that are either made up or misplaced in time.
Confusion/disorientation.
Amnesia doesn’t mess with one's intellectual ability, general knowledge or attention span, and it also won't mess with one's personality.
Exploring the Impact of Trichotillomania on Mental Health
Source
Trichotillomania is a mental health condition when one feels the strong urge to pull out their hair.
The head is the most occurring spot for pulling, but people can target other places such as
-eyebrows
-eyelashes
-beards
-pubic hair
Experts still don't fully know what sparks trichotillomania.
Genes may be a factor; outside matters have effects too.
Signs usually show up between the ages of 10 and 13.
Many pull their hair without realizing it.
This brings anxiety and shame.
It starts a loop; worry leads to pulling, then short relief, and it repeats.
Triggers can include-
-Enjoying the thickness of hair in their fingers
-enjoying the sensation of hair pulling from the scalp
-emotions like anxiety, boredom, anger, shame, or stress
Docters diagnose trichotillomania base on key signs such as
-ongoing pulling of one's hair, resulting in hair loss
-repeated attempts to decrease or stop hair pulling
-hair pulling causes significant distress or problems at work, school or in social life
-hair pulling or hair loss that is not attributed to another medical condition
-hair pulling is not better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder
Anxiety disorders include many kinds of disorders and phobias, various of which are related to specific fears.
If you experience occasional anxiety, that is a normal part of life, but people with anxiety disorders constantly have various waves of constant worry and fear about everyday situations, and it can even reach a peak within minutes which is called a panic attack.
The different anxiety disorders consist of:
Agoraphobia, which makes you avoid places or issues that might cause you to make you feel helpless, trapped, or even embarrassed
Anxiety can even be because of a medical disorder, usually a physical health problem.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which includes constant and excessive anxiety and worry about activities or events or ordinary routine problems.
Panic disorder involves repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or dread that can increase to their peak within minutes and can even lead to worrying about these attacks again.
Social Anxiety Disorder (Socialphobia) involves high level anxiety, terror, and avoidance of social situations due to feelings of self-consciousness, embarrassment and worry of being judged.
Separation Anxiety, which is a childhood disorder distinguished by anxiety that is excessive to the child's development.
And other phobias with different symptoms, however multiple generalized symptoms could include:
Feeling tense, nervous, or like you barely slept
Increase in heart rate
Hyperventilation or breathing rapidly
Sweating
Trembling
Feeling of weakness
Issues sleeping
Only focusing on the worry and not around you
Stomach issues and problems with digestion
Avoiding things that trigger anxious feelings
Difficulty controlling feeling of worriedness
Any questions on the topic of anxiety, visit MayoClinic.org to learn more
Depression is a common mental disorder which leads to being uninterested in certain activities and emotions but can affect every aspect of your life.
Around 4% of the population experience depression, also involving 5.7% of adults and 5.9% of adults 70 or older.
Depression is also 1.5 times more common in women than among men. Depression also has other variations, including:
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a disorder related to the change in seasons.
Psychotic Depression, which relates to psychosis such as hallucinations or delusions.
Dysthymia is a long-lasting and continuous form of depression.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder is a severe and can be disabling extension of premenstrual syndrome. But premenstrual dysphoric disorder causes extreme mood swings and can interrupt life and ruin relationships.
Postpartum Depression, or “baby blues”, is a depression usually after childbirth.
Many of these disorders are different in themselves, yet main symptoms could include:
Feeling of sadness or emptiness
Depressive episodes that could last weeks, months, or years (varies)
Difficulty concentrating
Low self-esteem or feeling guilty
Feeling hopeless of future
Thoughts of suicide or self-harm
Difficulty sleeping
Change in appetite
You can find more information on depression at who.int
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that can cause extreme mood swings, such as manic episodes of feeling, depressive episodes, or a mix of both.
It is also considered part of depression, nevertheless bipolar disorder is much more than just feeling sad.
Bipolar was also called other things, including manic depression and manic-depressive disorder.
Symptoms could include:
-Feeling very energetic, irrational, or “up.”
-feeling jumpy, or more active than usual
-having short temper or extremely irritable
-less sleep
-feeling less important, talent or powerful
This is referred to as a manic episode.
-Feeling hopeless, “down,” or sleepy.
-isolating yourself from others.
Having little energy, sleeping too much
eating too much or too little
Lack of interest in usual activities, being unable to do simple tasks
Thinking about death or suicide
This is known as a depressing episode.
You can even feel a mix of a manic and a depressive episode all at once, which is considered a mixed episode.
A change in behavior.
Frequent change in energy.
A change in the activities you take part in.
There are several types of bipolar as well, including
Bipolar 1 Disorder involves manic episodes that may last at least 7 days, or symptoms so awful you need immediate medical care.
Bipolar 2 Disorder is depressive episodes, but there are episodes of hypomania instead of manic episodes.
Cyclothymic bipolar, which involves both depressive and hypomanic symptoms.
Go to medlineplus.org for more information on bipolar disorder.
Eating disorders are persistent eating or eating behaviors that result in the altered consumption or absorption of food.
This can significantly impart one's physical health, or physical functioning; it has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.
Types of eating disorders may include: Anorexia- one who engages in persistent restriction intake, often presenting with below-average weight.
Bulimia nervosa-reoccurring binge eating episodes, often having unreasonable portions; reoccurring compensating behaviors to prevent weight gain.
Binge eating disorder-the most common, involves binge eating episodes, yet does not involve any compensating behaviors to avoid weight gain.
Pica- involves eating one or more non-nutritive, nonfood substance persistently for at least 30 days, often enough for concern and needing clinical attention
Rumination disorder - repeated regurgitation of food occurring after feeding or eating for over 30 days. Swallowing food with no clear symptoms of nausea, involuntary gaging, or disgust.
Eating disorders are complicated and vary from person to person, some facts that research has been able to clearly present regardless of the individual.
Eating disorders are indiscriminate and can be found in individuals of all ages, racial and ethnic backgrounds, body weights, plus genders.
The onset of eating disorders generally takes place during adolescence or young adulthood, however; it is not confined to these states of life.
There is no singular cause of eating disorders. Studies show various “genetic, biological, behavioral, phycological, and social factors” that may increase the risk of developing an eating disorder.
Eating disorders can be life-threatening and have the highest mortality rate of any mental health illness.
-Eating disorders don't have a “miracle cure,” there are many evidence-based practices shown to support eating disorder recovery.
Substance abuse disorder, also known as addiction, is a relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug-seeking, continuous use despite harmful consequences, and long-lasting changes in the brain. Many may experience a pattern with substance use that affects your health and quality of life. Types of substances commonly abused include:
-Alcohol
-prescription drugs
-illicit drug
-tobacco or nicotine usage
-cannabis
-inhalant (paint thinner, gas etc.)
-hallucinogens
-stimulants (cocaine)
Substances change the way your brain functions over time, with the release of dopamine, a chemical released from the brain, making you feel good.
When the drug wears off, your brain and body want to continue the good feeling.
This can notably affect and change your emotional wellbeing, relationships, education, and career. In many cases, it can be life-threatening.
The 2 categories in substance abuse are:
Intoxication-feeling sleepy, calm, excited, and other intense emotions. This can affect your decision-making process or mental and physical functioning
Withdrawn-when the drug leaves your body, you can experience symptoms that vary from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, difficulty sleeping, muscle cramping, and mood changes.
OCD is a mental disorder that can affect anyone of any age. OCD occurs when one has cycles of obsessions, unwanted or intrusive thoughts, and compulsions, behaviors one does to try and get rid of the obsessions.
Most experience this in their lifetime, however for those with OCD, this is an everyday occurrence.
This can cause distress; it can get in the way of important activities like school or work.
Common obsessions include:
Contamination obsessions-fear of meeting contaminated substances
Violent obsessions-wanting to hurt themselves, others, or imagining horrific imagery in one's mind.
Responsibility obsessions-fear of handling terrible accidents or events, fear or harming others
Perfectionism-related obsessions-concern of performing tasks “perfectly/correctly,” fear of making mistakes, excessive concern about evenness or exactness.
identity obsessions-excessive concern with one's sexual orientation or one's gender identity
Other obsessions can include relationship-related obsessions. Death/existence, real event or false memory, emotional contamination
There are many disorders that are like OCD, such as
Hoarding disorder- a mental disorder when people hava trouble letting go or getting rid of possessions that have no use
Body dysmorphic disorder- thinking too much of one's imagined flaw in one's looks, if there is such a flaw the person's concern is extreme.
Body-focused repetitive behaviors-repeated self-grooming activities such as biting, pulling, picking, or scraping one's hair, skin, lips, cheeks, or nails. This can cause physical harm and often persist despite multiple attempts to stop
Common compulsions include:
-Washing and cleaning in certain ways
-Excessively checking to make sure you did not harm anyone or make a mistake
-Repeating activities
-Body movements
-Doing repetitive things or actions
-Mental compassions to prevent self-harm
-Counting to perform a task
People with ocd may experience challenges, such as
Public recognition with ocd and related disorders- not nearly enough people can accurately identify ocd. More than 2/3 of the public do not have an accurate understanding of odc. This misunderstanding causes stigma and misuse of the term in casual conversation. Delays in diagnosis and treatment for those with ocd, making it harder for treatment and can cause one's journey to become more challenging
Access to effective treatment- because of the public stigma and misconceptions of ocd and other closely related disorders, it can take an average of 7 years before one receives an accurate ocd diagnosis
ADHD is an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; this is one of the most common affecting children.
ADHD is considered a chronic and debilitating disorder and is known to affect individuals in their life, such as academic and professional achievements, interpersonal relationships, and daily functioning.
This can also lead to poor self-esteem.
Adults with ADHD may experience poor self-worth, sensitivity towards criticism, and increased self-criticism.
Types of ADHD include inattentive type
-struggling to pay attention
-not follow directions
-struggles with organized tasks and work tasks
-easily distracted.
-Hyperactive/impulse type
-fidgeting excessively with hands, toys etc.
-excessive energy
-not able to stay seated
-run around or climbs in non-proper times
-always” on the go”
-talks too much
-It has difficulty waiting.
-Combination of both, where one experience both sides at once
ADHD presentation and assessment differ between children and adults.
It is most common in young boys, tending to present with hyperactivity and other external symptoms, while girls tend to experience inattention, daydreaming, disorganization, and forgetfulness.
Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness affecting less than 1% of the global population, males typically showing symptoms in their late teens early 20’s and women late 20’s early 30’s. People with schizophrenia typically experience distortions or reality, often forms of delusions or hallucinations.
Common early symptoms include
-hallucinations
-delusions
-paranoia
-Reduction in speaking, Social Isolation, moving social or friend groups
-Irritability and agitation
-Sleeping problems
-Difficulties at school or work
-Anxiety
-Vague suspiciousness
-Odd ideas
-Feeling different from others
When it comes to more developed symptoms, they tend to fall into 3 categories:
Positive symptoms- hallucinations; seeing things that are created by your own mind, hearing or smelling things, delusions, believing something even when it has been proven opposite, paranoia, when one believes they are being stalked/followed.
Negative symptoms reduction in speaking, odd emotional responses to situations, loss of pleasure, difficulty doing everyday activities/following through with plans.
Cognitive symptoms- disorganized thinking or speech, like rapid topic changes, using made up words or phrases, talking fast, forgetfulness, trouble focusing/paying attention, impaired executive functioning or understanding information and using it to make decisions.
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that makes it difficult for one to fall asleep or stay asleep.
It may cause you to wake up too early, unable to fall back asleep.
Feeling tired or depressed when you wake up.
It can drastically drain your energy, affect your mood, health, work performance, and your whole quality of life.
Most adults experience short-term insomnia in their life, usually due to high stress. Some people experience long term insomnia, also known as chronic insomnia, lasting for months at a time.
Some symptoms can include
Difficulty falling asleep
Waking up during the night; Waking up too early
Feeling tired, cranky, depressed, or anxious throughout the day
Having difficulty paying attention or focusing on tasks
Making more mistakes
Having ongoing worries about sleep
-Causes of long-term insomnia can include:
Elevated levels of stress
Travel or work schedule
Poor sleeping habits
Eating too much too late in the evening
Other mental health disorders
Medical prescribed drugs; Medical conditions
Caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.
Insomnia naturally increases with age, as your sleep patterns change, different medications etc.
risk factors that increase your risk of insomnia are irregular sleep patterns, lots of stress, mental and physical health conditions, being over 60yrs old, and genetically being a women increases your chances, with menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause
The Mental Health Impact of Hearing Loss: A Short Overview
Hearing issues can affect anyone of any age; they can easily affect other factors in your life and overall wellness.
It can increase your risk for anxiety and mood disorders such as depression; it can also worsen any existing mental health conditions one might have. Some psychological and emotional effects that may result from hearing loss include:
-shame and embarrassment
-feeling of inadequacy
-loss of self-esteem
-social isolation and loneliness- one of the immediate side effects of hearing loss is struggling following conversation, and overtime that can cause one to withdraw from social situations
-increased stress and anxiety
- struggling to catch words and interpret sounds can lead to stress and frustration, many people with hearing loss experience heightened anxiety.
-depression and well-being- communication can become difficult, feelings of sadness and frustration may occur. The inability to engage in conversation enjoy hobbies or connect to loved ones can increase the risk of depression
Hearing connects us to the world; it allows us to engage with others in conversation, listen to music, and much more. hearing loss isn't just focusing on the ears; it's about the mind as well.
Dementia is a group of symptoms that affect memory, your ability to think, and how you interact with people.
Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common causes of dementia in older adults, but there are other causes of dementia.
Depending on the cause of dementia, you can be cured!
Symptoms of dementia can include:
Memory loss (typically noticed by a family member or friend).
Issues speaking or trouble finding words.
Vision problems and spatial awareness problems.
Issues problem solving and trouble with reasoning.
Trouble doing more complex problems. Trouble planning and organizing.
Dementia can be extremely hard on a person's psychological health as well. Some of those symptoms can include:
Personality changes
Depression
Agitation
Unusual behavior
Being suspicious of everything
Hallucinations
Anxiety
Amnesia, also called amnestic syndrome, is the loss of memories and information, facts, and experiences. Experiencing amnesia does not mean you forget who people are; people with amnesia do typically remember themselves.
Amnesia may be caused by a damaged area of your brain that is used to process your memory. It can also be a temporary thing unlike transient global amnesia, which is a temporary form of memory loss.
There isn't a specific treatment for amnesia, but if an underlying cause of amnesia is found, treatment may be possible. Support can help those and their families cope with the syndrome.
People with amnesia may experience:
Issues learning added details.
trouble remembering earlier events and/or details that used to be well known but could still remember deep and personal memories.
Depending on the certain amnesia, people can also experience:
False memories that are either made up or misplaced in time.
Confusion/disorientation.
Amnesia doesn’t mess with one's intellectual ability, general knowledge or attention span, and it also won't mess with one's personality.
Trichotillomania is a mental health condition when one feels the strong urge to pull out their hair.
The head is the most occurring spot for pulling, but people can target other places such as
-eyebrows
-eyelashes
-beards
-pubic hair Experts still don't fully know what sparks trichotillomania.
Genes may be a factor; outside matters have effects too.
Signs usually show up between the ages of 10 and 13.
Many pull their hair without realizing it.
This brings anxiety and shame.
It starts a loop; worry leads to pulling, then short relief, and it repeats.
Triggers can include-
-Enjoying the thickness of hair in their fingers
-enjoying the sensation of hair pulling from the scalp
-emotions like anxiety, boredom, anger, shame, or stress
Docters diagnose trichotillomania base on key signs such as
-ongoing pulling of one's hair, resulting in hair loss
-repeated attempts to decrease or stop hair pulling
-hair pulling causes significant distress or problems at work, school or in social life
-hair pulling or hair loss that is not attributed to another medical condition
-hair pulling is not better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder