What Do You Need to Know About Different Types of Mental Illnesses and Dementia?

Mental illnesses and disorders vary though some conditions exhibit common symptoms. Professional training goes a long way in relieving and even eliminating the symptoms. The term ‘mental illness” is a broad word used to generalize the group of medical conditions that affect the patient’s thought process, mood, behavior, and perceptions. Mental diseases affect an individual’s social life by hindering relationships and career advancement. Stress is often associated with mental diseases though it is important to note that stress severely worsens any episode of mental diseases. Such conditions are usually managed through prescription drugs and counseling from experts who get mandatory training for nurses and care staff. Some of the most common mental disorders and issues include the following:

Bipolar Affective Disorder

This a mental disease that affects the mood of the patient. It was previously known as manic depression, but the name has since changed to bipolar affective disorder. The patient exhibits episodes of elation and depression. There are certain times where the patient might also show psychotic signs. Though the exact cause for this disorder is still unknown, there has been an established genetic predisposition identified through research. Other triggers include environmental stressors, which can be managed by a caregiver who has undergone mandatory training for nurses and care staff.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are a collection of mental illnesses that entail general anxiety conditions, panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and specific phobias such as agoraphobia. Treatment is necessary for such illnesses, otherwise, the patient’s condition might become severe hence hindering their social lives.

Behavioral and Emotional Disorders Affecting Children

There are several behavioral disorders that are common among children. Such disorders include oppositional defiant disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder known as ADHD, and conduct disorder. Recommended treatment for these disorders involves therapy, medication, and sometimes education.

Depression

This a common mood disorder that is characterized by the loss of interest in key activities lowering or mood and reduced energy to carry on with daily activities. It is more than a feeling of sadness since there are various types of depression. Depression entails varying severity levels and symptoms, with most of them causing suicidal thoughts or tendencies.

Dissociative and Dissociation Disorders

Dissociation is a medical illness which is characterized by the patient disconnecting from their identity, memories, feeling, and thoughts. Dissociative disorders often include the dissociative fugue, dissociative identity disorder, dissociative amnesia, and depersonalization disorder.

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are also categorized as mental disorders because they are as a result of mental illnesses. Such conditions include bulimia nervosa and anorexia, among other binge eating conditions. Eating disorders affect both males and females of varying ages and, if left unchecked, can cause severe physical and psychological issues.

Paranoia

Paranoia is a mental disorder where the patient is always irrational and has a constant feeling that there are certain people who want to harm them. Paranoia is an example of symptoms associated with conditions such as schizophrenia, paranoid personality disorder, and delusional disorder. The treatment for paranoia involves psychological help and medications.

Psychosis

Patients who have psychosis usually experience confused thinking, delusions, and visual hallucinations. Psychosis develops as a result of numerous mental conditions such as mood disorders, drug-induced psychosis, and schizophrenia. Treatment includes medication and counseling to relieve and eliminate the symptoms.

Different Types of Dementia

There are several types of dementia that are associated with different parts of the brain most commonly Alzheimer’s disease which causes the brain to shrink and brain cells to die. Stem cell therapy for Alzheimer’s is a unique approach to treating Alzheimer’s disease that involves the systemic introduction of Mesenchymal Stem Cells into the body via IV. The symptoms of such conditions also differ. The term dementia is a medical condition that is characterized by severe brain changes that lead to memory loss. Such changes also make it difficult for patients to go about their routines. Often, dementia affects the behavior and personality of the patient, which is why caregivers are required to go through mental health support training in an accredited institution.

There are three sections of the brain that are affected by this mental illness. They include language, decision-making, and memory. Common cases involving dementia are often caused by a disease, which makes it very difficult to reverse. Training can come in handy for health workers who take care of dementia patients. In situations where dementia is caused by alcohol and drug abuse, it is possible to reverse the effects of the disease.

There are several types of dementia classified in the medical field. Looking into one of these conditions allows you to know more about the disease and what it entails. For instance, Alzheimer’s disease is the most popular type of dementia. Research shows that about 60 to 80 percent of dementia patients have Alzheimer’s disease. Common signs associated with the early onset of Alzheimer’s are forgetting recent events and names of people, depression, and having a depressed mood. It is important to note that depression should be treated separately from Alzheimer’s. Another critical characteristic of this condition is the death of brain cells, which continues to progress as the patient experiences reduced mobility and speech.