Let’s Talk About Mental Illnesses
Mental illnesses, by definition from the Government of Canada, can be described as alterations in thinking, mood or behaviour, associated with significant distress or impairment. We often talk about depression and anxiety as they are both the two most prevalent, however many live with other mental illnesses and it is important to make space for others to feel validated and supported.
In this article, we will be talking about a few types of mental illnesses to increase awareness and help destigmatize mental health.
Mood Disorders: Major Depression and Bipolar Disorder
What Is a Mood Disorder?
The term ‘mood disorder’ is used by health professionals to broadly describe all types of depression and bipolar disorders, as stated by Johns Hopkins Medicine. Mood disorders mainly affect one’s emotional states.
Depression
Sometimes we say “I’m depressed” to describe how we are feeling in our current state of mind. However, depression impacts an individual’s life on a much deeper level and more than the typical daily fluctuations of emotions.
Some common symptoms of depression include:
Depressed mood
Feelings of guilt, worthless, or hopeless
Loss of interest or pleasure in previously-enjoyed activities
Change in weight or appetite
Sleep disturbances
Decreased energy or fatigue (without significant physical exertion)
Thoughts of death
Poor concentration or difficulty making decisions (American Psychiatric Association)
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar Disorder is a result of a chemical imbalance of the neurotransmitters in the brain. This chemical imbalance causes mood swings that can last days, weeks or months. They can be debilitating to the individual experiencing it. Mood swings can take you from happiness to elation, to depression or despair, making it hard to navigate daily life and relationships. Those with bipolar disorder can also experience mania or manic episodes.
Common symptoms of Bipolar Disorder are:
Depressive symptoms:
Feeling sad, hopeless, or irritable most of the time
Lacking energy
Difficulty concentrating/poor memory
Loss of interest in activities
Feelings of emptiness, worthlessness, guilt or despair
Pessimism
Self-doubt
Suicidal thoughts
Manic symptoms:
Feelings of invincibility
More physical energy that usual
Less need for sleep
Inappropriate excitement
Irritability or excessive anger
Increased activity, talking and moving
Loss of self-control
Anxiety Disorders
Sometimes we experience a mild feeling of anxiety or nervousness before a stressful situation. However, anxiety disorders are different from feelings of nervousness. People with anxiety may experience it at any time for any reason, whereas nervousness is experienced due to a particularly stressful situation.
Here are a few anxiety disorders that can affect someone:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder: persistent and excessive worry that interferes with daily activities.
Panic disorder: a recurrence of panic attacks (chest tightness, heart palpitations and numbness).
Phobias: persistent or excessive fear of a specific object (e.g. fear of flying or spiders).
Social Anxiety Disorder: is significant anxiety and discomfort about being embarrassed, humiliated, rejected or looked down on in social interactions, according to Mayo Clinic.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders can affect both your physical and mental health. These conditions include problems with how you think about food, eating, your body weight and shape. These symptoms can affect your health, your emotions and your ability to function in important areas of life.
The four main eating disorders are:
Those with Anorexia have an intense fear of gaining weight, exhibit an unhealthy low body weight and possess an unrealistic body image. The habits they develop during this period in order to keep their body weight low can cause severe health problems. Individuals may severely restrict their eating, or cut out certain kinds of foods completely.
Those with Bulimia experience episodes of binging which are commonly followed by episodes of purging. Binge eating is described as eating a large amount of food in a short period of time. It is then followed by a purge which includes vomiting, extreme workouts, not eating for a long time period, and any other activity to reduce the guilt of binge eating.
Binge-Eating Disorder is when there is no control over eating. It is described as frequently consuming unusually large amounts of food and the inability to stop eating.
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Disorder is an extreme limitation on the food consumed. Individuals with this disorder are likely not meeting the minimum daily nutritional requirements and are not worried about weight or body image. Experiencing this disorder is more about a disinterest in eating or avoidance of food with a certain colour, texture, smell or taste.
Substance Dependency
Substance dependency is when one is not able to control their use of substances which include legal or illegal drugs, alcohol or medications. Substance dependency can be a result of other persistent mental illnesses and can also lead to more mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, personality disorders and more.
Gambling Disorder
Gambling disorder is when an individual has an uncontrollable urge to continue gambling despite the toll it may be taking on their life. People who live with gambling disorders often experience financial losses, bankruptcy, job loss, homelessness and dysfunctional personal relationships. Someone with a gambling disorder might feel the urge to bet all for nothing, or think that because they have lost the last five times, they will win on lucky number six. This disorder can exist comorbidly with other mental illnesses, or lead to other conditions.
Conclusion
While we have covered a few mental disorders in this blog, it is important to remember that there are many more to consider that people live with everyday. Depression and anxiety disorders are most commonly discussed because they are more prevalent in the population. By spreading awareness about other mental illnesses, we can encourage others to feel validated and safe to talk about their experiences. It is important to remember that all mental illnesses are worth talking about.
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with mental health, we encourage you to reach out to a therapist or a doctor for support.
Our therapists are well trained and experienced in helping clients with such challenges. Feel free to get in touch with us if you'd like to try a complimentary consultation with one of our therapists.
If you would like to read more about mental illnesses, here are a few helpful links:
