Psychiatric Problems or How We Relate to Mental Disorders

The term "mental health problem" covers a wide range of psychological and psychiatric symptoms and conditions. The name itself is generally avoided by specialists, being considered an additional cause of stigmatization of people suffering from mental disorders.

However, in everyday language, through mental problems, most people refer to a disorder or an imbalance of a mental nature, which cannot be explained outside the specialized assessment.

What do we mean by mental health?

When in colloquial language we use the phrase "mental health problems" we refer to what specialists call mental health disorders. Let's see, first of all, what mental health refers to and what a specialist pursues during the evaluation:

• correct self-perception and self-esteem, adequate self-esteem;

• autonomy;

• adaptation to the conditions of the outside world;

• tolerance of frustration and stress, finding strategies to solve difficult problems;

• the ability to love and live joy without conflict;

• the ability to live without fear, guilt, or anxiety;

• the ability to take responsibility and learn from experience;

• self-realization about the personal and socio-cultural ideal.

Psychiatric problems: symptoms

Most people have times when they negatively look at their selves or question their quality of life. Moments of uncertainty, self-questioning, or even rejection of situations or emotions are not reasons to consider that we have "mental problems".

A mental disorder is characterized by specific signs and symptoms that produce a significant dose of stress, that impede the normal functioning of the person and that indicate the existence of a "mental problem". They differ from person to person, depending on their own medical and life history, but also on the type of disorder they suffer from.

The main warning signs are:

• prolonged or constant feeling of sadness;

• lack of concentration and emotional absenteeism;

• frequent mood swings;

• experiencing the emotion of fear, anxiety, or guilt at an extreme level;

• withdrawal from social life and the need to be alone;

• feeling extremely tired;

• sleep disorders;

• detachment from reality (illusions, paranoia, or hallucinations);

• inability to perform daily activities;

• the difficulty of empathizing with other people or understanding what they are communicating;

• excessive alcohol consumption or use of hallucinogenic substances;

• eating disorders;

• sexual disorders;

• anger, aggression, or violence;

• suicidal thoughts.

The main types of mental disorders

Psychotic disorders

Short psychotic disorders - are characterized by detachment from reality (hallucinations, delusional ideas), lasting less than 6 months;

Schizophrenia - is also characterized by detachment from reality, disorganization of thinking and speech, as well as marked impairment of functioning (these symptoms must persist for more than 6 months to consider this diagnosis).

Mood disorders

Bipolar affective disorder - is characterized by a succession of episodes of mania and depression, with periods of normal functioning between the two;

Unipolar depressive disorder - is characterized by one or more episodes of excessive and prolonged sadness.

Anxiety disorders

• Generalized anxiety disorder - characterized by excessive concern for everyday things and situations;

• Panic disorder - characterized by fear and a feeling of lack of control, which is manifested physically by the sensation of suffocation, palpitations, and an accelerated pulse;

• Agoraphobia - fear of public places or crowds;

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder - the presence of obsessions or compulsions that take up most of the time;

• Post-traumatic stress disorder - repetitive and obsessive relapse of a past traumatic event.

Personality disorders

• Category A: paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder;

• Category B: antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic personality disorder;

• Category C: avoidant personality disorder, addictive personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

• Disorders related to the consumption of alcohol or other substances

Neurodegenerative disorders

It is predominantly characterized by memory impairment, disorientation, and difficulty in performing daily tasks (specific to the elderly).

Mental disorders are serious and require specialist care. Although there is still a reluctance on the part of society and individuals to go to a psychologist or psychiatrist, the help received from specialists is imperative in such cases.

The destigmatization of mental illness or mental disorders can start from the refusal to use the name "mental problems" when we refer to a person who has a mental illness.