Notes

Common Psychological Illnesses


Mental illnesses are health conditions involving emotional, behavioral and thinking changes. These illnesses are usually associated with stress and/or problems in social episodes. The most common psychological disorders range from anxiety disorders to personality disorders. ´´Depression´´ is a mood disorder that affects 300 million people world-wide that is usually caused by feelings of disappointment, frustration or even despair. There are different types of depression, such as, seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This type of depression varies depending on which season it is. For example, most people’s symptoms begin in fall and continuing into the winter, sapping your energy and making you more moody. SAD can also cause depression in spring or early summer. Another example of depression would be bipolar affective disorder. This one consists of both manic and depressive episodes separated by periods of normal moods. Manic episodes involve elevated or irritable mood, over-activity, pressure of speech, inflated self-esteem and a decreased need for sleep. Of course, fortunately, symptoms of depression are treatable via medication. But that’s just one of the many common psychological illnesses there are to talk about.

Schizophrenia is a mental illness which is characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disturbances in thinking and withdrawal from social activity. It has been estimated to affect 1 in 100 Canadians and their families. There isn’t a universal agreement on what causes this illness, unfortunately. But, research has shown that it takes a combination of genetics and your environment to trigger the disease. Doctors hypothesize that it takes many genetic mutations to raise one’s chances of having the mental illness. They do know that you’re more likely to get schizophrenia if someone in your family has it. It goes up by a 10% chance if a parent or a sibling has it, 40% if both parents have it and 50% chance if your twin has it (if you have one). But some people with schizophrenia have no history of it in their family. Scientists think that in these cases, a gene may have changed and made the condition more likely. Still, genes aren’t the only thing that matters. As I’ve said before, environment could also play a role. If you were exposed to certain viral infections before you were born, your chances of getting schizophrenia are higher.