The mental disorder, also known as psychopathology or mental illness, is a psychological imbalance of an individual, which can manifest itself in their behavior, in the appreciation they have of themselves or the world around them. These types of conditions are characterized by affecting the normal functioning of a person in their daily lives. These pathologies are the focus of interest in psychology and psychiatry, fields that will be in charge of investigating the symptoms and signs to determine the therapy or mechanism necessary to minimize the consequences of the mental disorders that you have in your life.
What is disorder
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In the medical field, a disorder is defined as an unbalanced variation in the body or mind, characterized by abnormal behavior, mood, and thinking. It is important to mention that it is common for a person to manifest a mental health problem or temporary mental disorder at some time in their life, but when their symptoms are permanent and frequent, they can speak of a mental disorder, which can be determined with a test of mental disorders. One of the main consequences of mental disorders is the inability to carry out normal daily activities.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), classifies these diseases, in which it also reflects the organic mental disorder, which is the one that is generated in the brain due to brain deterioration caused by diseases that are not of origin psychiatric.
Causes of mental disorders
These imbalances can have different origins according to the condition and the person, they can be due to the following causes:
- Heredity, since there are genes that predispose the individual's mental health to suffer a certain type of disorder.
- External factors prior to birth that affect embryonic development, such as diseases, stress from the environment, harmful substances (drugs, alcohol), affecting the development of the baby's brain.
- Exposure to a traumatic event, such as a situation of sexual, physical or emotional abuse; an illness; the sudden abandonment or absence of a loved one; if you have suffered from anxiety or stress; loneliness or isolation; among others.
- Physical injuries to the brain resulting from an accident (organic mental disorder).
- Consequence of the consumption of drugs and narcotics that unbalance brain chemistry.
- Disorders in brain chemistry.
- It is important to educate the population about the effects, causes and what they consist of, since misinformation results in the stigmatization of people with mental and neurological disorders.
Types of mental disorders
Anxiety disorders
They are considered one of the most common mental disorders, and it is the recurrent presence of strong and disproportionate fears with daily situations, which, if not controlled, can trigger panic attacks in which the person even feels a strong terror of dying. A person with this type of disorder is affected in their daily activities, since it is triggered by stress factors even when they have disappeared: stress with a “residual” effect. It is characterized by presenting stress in situations that another person can handle normally.
The most common symptoms are increased heart rate, sweating, feelings of danger, nervousness and irritation, tension, body tremors, hyperventilation, blockage, insomnia, stress, stomach problems, excessive worry, dizziness, trouble concentrating, alertness, physical fatigue, headaches, feeling short of breath, among others.
The treatments to combat it are therapy and medications. The most effective therapy is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which gives you techniques to cope with symptoms by confronting anxiety triggers. Medications are necessary when the patient has other mental and physical health problems, and antidepressants and in other cases, sedatives can be given.
The improvements in the treatments for anxiety control are usually short and medium term, and are manifested in the overcoming of fears, the development of skills to face what triggered the anxiety and the change in attitude.
Personality disorders
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is characterized because the pattern of behavior, thinking and performance is marked and unhealthy, which influences the way of relating to people in their environment and perceives them in a distorted way, causing them to have limitations in their interpersonal, school and work relationships.
This type of disorder is not so easy to perceive, since the person who suffers from it does not know that they have it as they consider themselves a normal person and, in fact, they may blame others for their own problems.
There are three groups of personality disorders according to their characteristics, which are classified as group A, group B and group C, and can be classified according to their symptoms:
- Group A
- Group A
- Group A
- B Group
- B Group
- B Group
- B Group
- Group C
- Group C
- Group C
Disorder: Paranoid Personality
Symptoms: Believing that others will harm or deceive you.
Hostile reactions and resentment.
Suspicion of infidelity on the part of your partner.
Disorder: Schizoid personality
Symptoms: Tendency to loneliness.
Not being able to enjoy activities.
Indifference and apathy.
Disorder: Schizotypal personality
Symptoms: Peculiar behaviors manifested even in clothing.
Strange perceptions (hearing your name whisper).
Belief that your thinking influences others.
Disorder: Antisocial personality
Symptoms: There is no conformity with the norms established within society and habitual breaking of them.
They tend to cheat, lie and swindle others with the aim of benefiting solely from that person or for simple pleasure.
He is usually impulsive and unsuccessful in planning anything for the future.
Disorder: Borderline personality
Symptoms: Unstable self-perception.
Ephemeral and intense relationships.
Feelings of emptiness with fear of abandonment or loneliness.
Disorder: Histrionic personality
Symptoms: Constantly seeking attention.
Excessive attention to appearance.
Great speech capacity without strong foundations.
Disorder: Narcissistic personality
Symptoms: Conceit and belief in being superior to others.
Unable to recognize the needs of others.
Always expecting to be praised or admired, it exacerbates your achievements.
Disorder: Avoidant Personality
Symptoms: Susceptibility to rejection and criticism.
Feeling of inferiority, so you will avoid social situations.
Social isolation, shyness, and lack of self-confidence.
Disorder: Dependent personality
Symptoms: Dependence on another person to watch over them.
Submission and sticking to what others say or do.
Lack of initiative for new projects due to insecurity.
Disorder: Obsessive-compulsive personality
Symptoms: Strict in placing objects in a certain order.
Excessive or exaggerated concern about dirt or germs.
You tend to hesitate before practically anything.
The indicated treatments are psychotherapy, medication and, in some cases, hospitalization. The psychotherapy used by the specialist must be appropriate for each type of BPD, and the main ones are: dialectical behavioral therapy (focuses on the management of emotions, relationships and stress), schema-focused therapy (promotes patterns of positive life) and therapy based on mentalization (thinking before reaction).
There is no specific medication, but antidepressants, antipsychotics and stabilizers are used. Hospitalization will be taken in case the patient presents suicidal behaviors or thoughts.
Pure Obsessive Disorder
Pure obsessive disorder is characterized by having fewer observable or visible compulsions, compared to those with the typical form of OCD. There is the presence of neutralizing rituals and behaviors, however, the nature of these is mainly cognitive and usually consist of mental avoidance
The symptoms of this condition are: intrusive thoughts to the point of obsession, which are usually unpleasant and unwanted. In general, obsessions have a theme centered on the fear of not being in control and doing something inappropriate for oneself that in the end could have very negative consequences for said individual as well as for those around him.
This condition can be treated with therapy and medications. The therapy will be carried out with cognitive behavioral treatment, in which the individual will be exposed to their fear, prohibiting them from carrying out neutralizing rituals, causing the anxiety to accept it. The pharmacological treatment that is recommended are antidepressants and inhibitors.
It is known that of all the patients who suffer from this type of condition, only 40% seek to resolve the disorder with treatment.
Bipolar disorder
It is a mental alteration that produces sudden and extreme mood changes in the individual, which are the highs (manic phase) and the emotional lows (depressive phase). In both cases, the person is driven to the extreme of each emotion; In the manic phase the person may experience euphoria and increased energy, while in the depressive stage they will be indifferent and unable to carry out activities.
The symptoms will vary according to the phase. During mania or hypomania, the person will show increased energy, euphoria, distraction, exaggerated optimism and / or compulsive behaviors; while in the depressive episode, you will have feelings of emptiness, loss of interest in activities due to not feeling satisfaction in them, disorder in sleep patterns, disorder in appetite, physical exhaustion, difficulty concentrating or suicidal thoughts.
Treatment for this type of alteration consists of psychotherapy, such as interpersonal, which is usually combined with pharmacological treatment. Medication treatment will be performed with stabilizers, antipsychotics, and medications to control sleep. Other recommended treatments are regular exercise or in recurrent cases, electroconvulsive therapy.
In Mexico, one of the main reasons for consulting mental health experts is for bipolar disorders. In 2019 it was estimated that about 3 million Mexicans suffer from bipolarity, most of them being wrongly diagnosed.
Depressive disorder
It is one that causes constant feelings of sadness and apathy to perform tasks. This will affect the way of thinking, feeling and behaving of those who suffer from it, which will be reflected in their way of relating to others and will somatize it in their body. It is important to emphasize that it is not a simple feeling of sadness, since this is temporary; whereas depressive disorder is persistent and can lead a person to think that life is not worth living.
Symptoms can range from feelings of deep sadness, loss of appetite, apathy, frustration, altered sleep and eating patterns, lack of interest in sexual intercourse, tiredness, sluggishness, lethargy, suicidal thoughts, and unexplained body aches.
Recommended treatments are psychotherapy, behavioral therapies, and behavioral therapies; likewise, medications such as inhibitors, antidepressants, antipsychotics and anxiolytics; and electroconvulsive therapy.
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders, affecting women at a higher rate and is one of the most frequent diseases and the main causes of disability, affecting around 300 million people worldwide.
Dissociative disorder
It is the disconnection and lack of continuity that a person experiences from reality, thoughts, memories, environment or own identity, to escape from situations in an involuntary and unhealthy way, which affects their normal performance.
These episodes can occur in response to uncomfortable moments for the person, since they are the product of a traumatic event, so it is a defense mechanism to block those situations.
The symptoms of this alteration are selective amnesia, separation of own feelings, distortion in the perception of what surrounds them, confusion of their own identity, depression, suicidal thoughts, inability to maintain healthy interpersonal relationships and stress.
For dissociation, the treatments used are pharmacological, which includes the administration of antidepressants, anxiolytics and antipsychotics, since there is no specific medication to treat this condition; and psychotherapy.
One of the best-known films about mental disorders is about this one in particular and that of Fragmented, in which the protagonist manifests 23 personalities.
Autism spectrum disorder
ASD, for its acronym, is produced by alterations in brain development, affecting the way in which the individual perceives the world and their interaction with other people. The word "spectrum" is added because of its wide range of symptoms and severity scales depending on the case.
Symptoms range from repetitive patterns, hypersensitivity, indifference, resistance to displays of affection, delayed language development, little eye contact, atypical speech, little or no expression of emotions, and not able to perceive emotions. strangers, difficulty understanding non-verbal language, rituals in their behavior, sensitivity to light and sound, becomes obsessed with a topic of interest, is inflexible in their preferences, among others.
Among the treatments for ASD, they are pharmacological, but it will be to help control energy levels, help concentration, antidepressants and anticonvulsants. Also speech therapy, hearing treatment, sensory integration or applied behavioral analysis.
It is estimated that on average, 1 in 160 children is on the autism spectrum. Treatment and early intervention for these types of people are key to focusing and developing their abilities.
Psychotic disorder
It is considered serious, since those who suffer from it receive abnormal perceptions and disconnected from reality. The person has hallucinations (perceives sounds or visions that do not exist) and delusions (such as someone conspiring against them or secret messages are sent to them by different means).
Symptoms range from constant alertness, disorganized thoughts, delusions, hallucinations, isolation, hyperactivity, insomnia, aggressiveness, repetitive patterns, disorientation, intense emotions, among others.
Treatments include cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy, and psychoeducation; hospitalization in extreme cases where the intervention must exist; and drug treatment with antipsychotics. If there is no evidence of efficacy in the treatment during the first two weeks, complementary medications should be administered.
Second-generation antipsychotics have presented better results since they give the patient greater safety. However, early detection of this condition is key to attack its disabling effects in time.
Panic disorder
It is considered as a type of anxiety, and is characterized by being a sudden attack of terror even when there is no substantiated cause of imminent danger, which can physically affect the person suffering from it, since their body responds as if there were a real threat. These episodes can last minutes or even exceed an hour in duration.
Symptoms are tachycardia, anxiety, intense fear that reaches terror, loss of control, fear of death and everything around him, inability to coordinate or move due to terror, sweating, tremors, chest pain, nausea, chills, shortness of breath and tingling in the hands.
Appropriate treatment is psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapies, focused cognitive restructuring, and exposure; and pharmacological treatment, with the use of tricyclic antidepressants, Benzodiazepine and selective inhibitors.
Because the person who has already suffered them recognizes when a panic attack occurs, it is recommended that the thoughts that generate anxiety are neutralized by distracting themselves in another activity that keeps them connected with reality, as well as seeking to speak with a family member, friend or any other person.
