What are mental illnesses?
Although depression tends to be the most common mental disorder, as it usually ties in with other disorders, there are other common illnesses too. Mental illnesses are like any other illnesses, they have symptom. But mental illnesses affect the mind, and the way a person will act and feel. and So on this page I'm just going to give a brief overview of what some of those illnesses are.
Bipolar~
Bipolar comes in two types; Bipolar I and Bipolar II.
People with bipolar will experience extreme mood swings, ranging from elevated, happy "highs" where the person will be very up and talkative and very down "lows" where they will then feel very depressed and it can sometimes cause suicidal thoughts.
These mood swings can happen every few days, weeks or even months. But usually the person will not often feel "normal" they will either be in a state of a "high" or a "low".
Schizophrenia~
Schizophrenia is not as common as Bipolar, but it is a very serious and distressing condition. It is found to be more common in woman, according to surveys and is also more common in people ages 23-30 and 35-40.
The symptoms of schizophrenia are very distinctive. The person may think they are seeing someone or something that isn't really there, they may hear voices and sometimes even talk to those voices. They tend to stare blankly at nothing for long periods of time and they get very paranoid; they think people are out to get them, they may talk of being "followed" on the way home from work, for example.
If you suspect that someone you know has this disorder, it really is recommended that you either try to talk to them about it or go and see their GP or tell their family to go see their GP.
Anxiety Disorders~
Anxiety disorders are often put into groups. The groups include phobias, panic disorders, post-traumatic stress syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Anxiety disorders often manifest themselves through such physical symptoms as excessive perspiration, shortness of breath, palpitations and rapid heart beats, dizziness, tension headache, and many other accelerated or slowed-down body functions. Probably no single situation or condition causes anxiety disorders. Rather, physical and environmental triggers often combine to create a particular anxiety illness. Medication, behavioural therapy, psychotherapy, or combinations are used to treat anxiety disorders.
