If you think mental disorder is a hoax then you just have to look at the scary statistics to know that it is a salient issue that is most time left uncorked, untilled and unaddressed, sources show that more than 450 million people are affected by mental disorder globally; 1 in 4 persons are affected in the UK every year, this includes 1 out of 5 US adults, half a million students in Germany, the Nigerian government also announced that 40 million Nigerians suffers from mental disorder. These figures should be enough to sweep you off your feet, it’s scary but you don’t have to be scared, it’s alright. Stick with me…..
This is one of many articles that will focus on a series of mental disorder topics; awareness, causes, and treatments. I believe sensitization and awareness are key if we want to get rid of problems that plague us as a society. I want to make this viral so people understand the dangers of mental disorder.
While many think mental illness only refers to roaming about the streets and neighborhood naked, eating from the waste sites and all another nefarious malady, mental illness goes beyond that, it has to do with the psychological, physical and emotional state of the mind. Now, depression is a mental illness not just because it is seemingly called but it is symptomatic, its symptoms include; anxiety, insomnia, frustration, anger, sadness, bitterness, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and excessive sensitivity. This is because of the bundle of emotions and psychological stress people go through when they are depressed, this toils on their physical appearance.
Lots of people get angry, frustrated all for nothing and it gets to impact their life and relationship negatively, they don’t really know where it went wrong and what’s happening, they just all of a sudden get angry, depressed and can’t help it, there are chances this kind of people have psychological and emotional issues. Sometimes kids and even adults get excessively and maniacally goes wild, boisterous and gets too loud, hopping down from one task to the other without completing either. They easily lose concentration, forget too easily, easily distracted and don’t seem to finish any task assigned to them, while this might seem like an ordinary negligence or bad behavior, they are high chances that the person is suffering from mental disorder, ADHD in particular. How about someone who’s feeling happy, cheery and making fun then suddenly gets angry doesn’t want to see anyone anymore, these are indicators of mental disorder. Then how about someone who always have to check the window from time to time like fifteen times before going to bed just to make sure it is closed, how about somebody who always have to look at the street like thirty times a day just to make sure nobody is staring at his house, what about somebody who washes one plate over and over again and is obsessed doing just one thing, chances are that this particular person is compulsively obsessed, while we may look at it as an act of care it leaves much to be desired.
If you’re always angry or most of the time you don’t get to smile, your face is as gloomy as a dark cumulonimbus cloud which is all set to let a heavy downpour drop down the soil, then chances are that you’re depressed. The issues with people is that when they’re angry, reclusive, sad they often give excuse that they’re thinking a lot and that’s true they have racing thoughts down their spine that they can’t control it, they get depressed too easily and unable to manage their thoughts, they flip between thoughts and actions and end up hurting themselves.
For so many people there’s tendency to harm themselves by piercing sharp and harmful objects on their skin, some even go as far as trying to commit suicide, this is not a joke, it’s really serious, this is mostly associated with borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia, people might allude this to metaphysical forces but hey wait there, it’s no extraordinary stuff, it’s mental disorder
The thing with a mental disorder is that it can happen to anyone irrespective of social class or level of intelligence, it can happen to anybody, nobody is free from vulnerability, the rich and poor suffer this so it is a very delicate issue that warrants attention.
What are these mental illness or disorder people are most likely to suffer, don’t ask further, I’ve tried to list some below, I’ll definitely discussion more in a subsequent article, so let’s get started,
• Attention deficit hyperactive disorder
• Narcissistic personality disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Borderline personality disorder
• Depression
• Postpartum depression
• Schizophrenia
• Autism
• Dementia
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Anxiety disorder
• Dissociative disorder
• Somatic symptom disorder
Research has shown that genetics is a cogent factor in mental and health-related issues, causes of mental disorder include the following;
• Genetics
• Stress
• Poverty
• Unemployment
• Abusive childhood
• Drug addiction and abuse
• Environment
• Bullying
• Spiteful words
• Unhealthy diets
• Poor ability to relate with others
• An important early loss such as loss of a parent
• Neglect
• Divorce
• A dysfunctional family life
• Low self-esteem, anxiety, anger, and loneliness
• Changing jobs or school
• Social or cultural expectations
• Poor nutrition, exposure to toxins such as lead
• Loss of oxygen to the brain
• Brain injury
• Brain damage
• Poor serotonin level in the brain
• Sexual assault
The therapies for mental disorder are as follows;
• Psychotherapy
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
• Exposure therapy
• Lithium
• Antidepressants
• Hospitalization
• Support group
• Complementary and alternative medicine
• Peer support
• Self-help plan
• Art therapy
• Electroconvulsive therapy
Kindly redeem, Upvote and drop your comments, you might just be educating someone with what they never knew before.