Mental Health Disorders Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Mental health is a condition that includes a person’s emotional, psychological, and social.
Mental health will affect how a person thinks, feels, and acts in everyday life.
It also helps a person deal with stress and problems, manage conflicts with others, and when making choices.
A healthy mentality is when you are in a state of well-being, namely feeling good, peaceful, and able to function optimally in life, while being able to understand the purpose and meaning of life.
In contrast, a mental disorder or mental illness is a serious condition that can affect a person’s thinking, mood, and behavior.
There are many types of mental disorders with varying symptoms, such as anorexia, depression, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, addictive disorders, and schizophrenia.
WHO itself describes the characteristics of healthy mental, among others:
- Able to cope with the normal pressures of life
- Able to work productively
- Able to contribute to society
- Be aware of your abilities and potential
A person’s mental health can change which is influenced by various factors, such as genetics, sexual abuse, past trauma, unhealthy lifestyles, and brain injury.
Mental health is very important to pay attention to at every stage of life, from childhood to adulthood.
If not, complications can occur that reduce the quality of life to the point of being life-threatening.
Mental Health Disorders
| Medical specialist | Psychiatrist, psychologist |
| Symptoms | Withdrawal from others, low energy, irregular eating and drinking patterns, hopelessness, forgetfulness, anger, anxiety, fear, thoughts of hurting others |
| risk factor | Genetics, family history, brain disorders, drug addiction, alcoholism |
| diagnosis | The complete interview, physical examination, complete blood count, urine examination |
| Treatment | Psychotherapy, medication |
| Drug | Antidepressant, antianxiety, antipsychotic, mood stabilizer |
| Complications | Decreased quality of life |
| When to see a doctor? | When one of the symptoms appears and interferes with daily activities |
Symptoms
Meanwhile, some of the symptoms of mental disorders can include:
- Eating or sleeping too little or too much
- Withdrawing from other people and general activities
- No energy or little energy
- Feeling numb or nothing matters
- Experiencing unexplained pain
- Feeling helpless or hopeless
- Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and using drugs
- Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, angry, anxious, and afraid
- Yelling or fighting with family and friends
- Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships with other people
- Have persistent thoughts and memories that cannot be taken out of your head
- Hearing voices or believing something that is not true
- Thinking of hurting yourself or others
- Unable to carry out daily activities such as caring for children or going to school or work
Reason
Mental health disorders, in general, can be caused by various genetic and environmental factors, including:
- Inherited from the family
- Pressure from the environment
- Exposure to certain toxic substances while still in the womb has sometimes been linked to mental illness
- Alcohol dependence and drug addiction
- Experiencing acts of domestic violence
- Violence or abuse in childhood
- Neurotransmitter disorders
- Loneliness, or the condition of being socially isolated
- Deep trauma, such as being involved in a serious accident, war, abuse, and natural disasters
Risk Factors
Factors that influence mental health and cause mental disorders are divided into three, namely:
- Biological factors: genetics, brain chemistry, brain disorders
- Life factors: trauma, abuse, poison, alcohol, drugs
- Family factors: family history, family problems
Diagnosis
A mental health doctor will determine a diagnosis of mental health disorders based on The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
The DSM guidelines cover the symptoms and signs of hundreds of mental illnesses. The doctor will find out about the patient’s and other people’s perceptions of the patient’s condition.
In addition, the doctor will also carry out a physical examination to rule out the possibility of physical illness.
Supporting tests such as thyroid function lab tests or alcohol and drugs will also be carried out.
Treatment
Treatment for people with mental health disorders depends on the type of disorder itself.
However, basically mental health treatment includes drugs and psychotherapy.
Treatment of cases of severe mental disorders can also involve several parties, such as psychiatrists, general practitioners, family members, and others.
Psychiatric drugs that can be used include antidepressants, antianxiety, or antianxiety; mood stabilizers and antipsychotics.
Psychotherapy is also called talk therapy which covers the patient’s condition and related issues to a psychiatrist.
There are many types of psychotherapy. Treatment usually lasts several months or longer. Psychotherapy can only be with sufferers or family members.
Other treatments include:
- Brain stimulation includes electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, an experimental treatment called deep brain stimulation, and vagus nerve stimulation.
- Hospital care and housing
- Substance abuse treatment
Prevention
Preventing mental disorders can be done by maintaining positive mental health, such as:
- Keep in touch with others
- Keep thinking positive
- Stay physically active
- Help others
- Enough sleep or rest
- Have the ability to solve problems
- Seek professional help if needed
Complications
Mental health disorders that are not handled properly can cause severe emotional, behavioral and physical health problems in sufferers.
Complications sometimes associated with mental illness include:
- Unhappiness and decreased enjoyment of life
- Family conflict
- Difficulty in relating and dealing with other people
- There was social isolation
- Problems with alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs
- Loss of work or school learning disorders, or other problems related to both
- Legal and financial issues
- A tendency to harm oneself and/or others, including suicide or homicide
- The immune system is weakened, so the patient’s body will have difficulty fighting infection
- Heart disease and other medical conditions
When to See a Doctor?
If you find signs of mental illness, immediately see a doctor, psychologist, and other professionals.
Moreover, you have thoughts of suicide. This is because suicidal thoughts and behavior are common in several mental illnesses.