The 5 Most Common Mental Disorders

There are certain mental disorders that we see manifest themselves, either personally in our lives or in the people around us. However, it is advised not to self-diagnose or diagnose other people based on symptoms gathered by the internet or social media.

Here is a list of the most common mental health disorders.

Anxiety Disorders 

Anxiety occurs when one has irrational fears regarding people, places, and even everyday situations, like not being able to speak up or be assertive in front of their boss.

Generalized anxiety disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder is the most commonly observed disorder in which the individual is prone to excessively worrying about daily life situations and has difficulty coping with the stress and hassle.

Social anxiety disorder

Social anxiety disorder is characterized by debilitating anxiety in social situations that require the person to either interact with other people or stay in the presence of other people. It may also be triggered when one thinks that people are scrutinizing or talking about them all the time.

Panic disorder

Panic disorder is a mental health disorder where the person gets frequent panic attacks with symptoms like dizziness, nausea, shaking, trembling, a feeling like the person might die, etc. 

Mood disorders

Mood disorders are a category of mental health disorders that generally come off as mood swings or irritation in casual settings but are far more intensive than that. Usually, mood disorders are classified into major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and substance-induced mood disorder.

Major depressive disorder 

Major depressive disorder, or clinical depression, is characterized by two or more weeks of persistently sad or low mood, followed by sleep fluctuations and appetite irregularities. People also experience a loss of interest in things that they liked to do earlier in their lives.

Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mental health disorder that was previously called manic depression, in which the person experiences extreme highs (mania) or very lows (depression). 

In a depressive episode, the person might become gloomy and may also lose hope and enthusiasm for living.

In a manic episode, on the other hand, the person becomes too energetic, talkative, and jumpy and also experiences a lesser need for sleep.

Substance-induced mood disorder

Substance-Induced mood disorder is a mental health disorder that not only affects the person psychologically but even the brain chemistry is impacted, By that, we mean that substances tend to alter a person's emotions, impulse control, decision-making abilities, etc. Substance-induced mood disorders can induce severe mood swings.

Post-traumatic Traumatic disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health disorder that a person experiences when they go through a terrifying, intense intense, shocking event that leaves its trace on the person's life. The trauma experienced and the interpretation of it are subjective; everybody feels and understands trauma differently. Some symptoms of PTSD include intrusive memories, avoidance, changes in physical and emotional reactions, etc. 

Usually, soldiers are displayed as having major post-traumatic symptoms in the form of flashbacks and borderline hallucinations in the entertainment industry. Although somewhat correct, movies tend to dramatize the reality of the situation.

Personality Disorders

Personality disorders are mental health disorders that are categorized by long-term maladaptive patterns of thought and behavior that may make it difficult to start or maintain relationships as well as deal with everyday stress in both personal and work life.

Cluster A: Odd and Eccentric

Schizoid Personality Disorder 

Schizoid personality disorder is a condition where a person shows very little interest in or ability to form relationships with other people. It's very hard for a person to express a full range of emotions. People with this disorder enjoy their own company more than making new connections with others.

Paranoid Personality Disorder

The person has an extreme degree of suspicion and trust issues with people in their life, is not able to believe anyone's intentions, and doubts every action. Usually, there is no proof as to why they are suspicious; they just strongly believe that everyone is out to get them.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

The person experiences a perpetual and consistent pattern of discomfort in relationships, distorted views of reality, and superstitions that are majorly untrue. This causes dysfunction in forming social relationships.

Cluster B: Inappropriate, Volatile and Dramatic

Anti-social Personality Disorder

People with ASPD have decreased fear or consideration for society's norms and rules; they tend to not care for them; they are hardly able to empathize with others; they are in the game for their own sake. They don’t consider how others might feel or how something might impact them; their sole aim is to gain all the benefits for themselves.

Borderline Personality Disorder

People diagnosed with BPD have traits like impulsiveness, a black-and-white thought pattern, suicidal ideation, a persistent feeling of emptiness, loneliness, and anger management problems. They struggle to regulate their emotions after being triggered by an event. They also have deep abandonment wounds that might lead them to act clingy and desperate for attention from others.

Histrionic Personality Disorder

People with HPD exaggerate, dramatize, and are emotionally shallow. They might exaggerate a normal situation to gain pity and attention from people around them, persistently. They also have trouble maintaining relationships due to the way they act and behave.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

People with NPD generally believe that they are far better and more superior than others. They have an inflated ego and a sense of grandiosity, so they view others around them as inferior with a lens of contempt. They usually sound condescending and want to gain attention to show others how important they are.

Cluster C: Anxious and fearful behaviours

Avoidant Personality Disorder

People with APD are very sensitive to criticism and rejection from others around them. This is followed by low self-esteem and a feeling of inadequacy. They also think that they are inferior and that their thoughts, opinions, or priorities don’t matter, so they try to avoid confrontations or discussions about difficult topics.

Dependent Personality Disorder

People who have symptoms of DPD have issues with their self-esteem. They want to be reassured and taken care of, and they might also need excessive amounts of reassurance while making decisions about their own lives. They want to give control of their lives to someone else all the time. Such people also suffer from the intense fear of abandonment and being left out.

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder

People with OCPD tend to be very meticulous, tidy, neat, and specific about specific things in their lives. They want to establish a sense of control in every area of their lives, which manifests in their relationships as well, be it romantic or otherwise. They also want to be as perfect as possible in the things they do in life. OCPD is not the same as OCD.

Substance Abuse Disorders

Substance abuse disorders are a spectrum of mental health disorders that involve a pattern of substance use that is dysfunctional and unhealthy. It goes on through a cycle of intoxication to withdrawal. The person usually avoids withdrawal by consuming larger amounts or frequencies of the substance than they can tolerate on each pass to feel the same high as they did the first time.

Substances are drugs that have addictive potential. Some substances include alcohol, cannabis, caffeine, sleeping pills, benzodiazepines, opioids, etc.

People suffering from substance use disorders need help immediately, preferably before they hit the withdrawal symptoms so that the addiction can be managed and withdrawal symptoms can be avoided altogether.