Illness/Symptoms

Illnesses/Symptoms Defined

This is a partial list of the most common mental disorders.

Anxiety Disorders

Characterized by feelings of apprehension, tension, sense of danger or feeling out of control.

Panic Disorder: Characterized by panic attacks that strike repeatedly, without warning. Symptoms may include difficulty breathing, chest pain, smothering sensation, dizziness, sweating and fear of dying. Panic attacks also can be triggered by phobias.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Characterized by obsessions (recurrent, persistent thoughts or ideas that cause anxiety and stress) or compulsions (repetitive behaviors that are performed in order to reduce distress). This disorder often is characterized by repeated, intrusive, unwanted thoughts that seem impossible to control, usually followed by or linked with ritualized behavior.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: These people often relive a traumatic experience from the past which causes anxiety and stress. They often suffer from nightmares, flashbacks and possible numbing of emotions.

Mood Disorders

Depression: Characterized by feelings of sadness, worthlessness, hopelessness and changes in appetite or sleep patterns. These symptoms continue or worsen over time and occur EVERY day, reducing pleasure in ALL activities. These symptoms also may include significant weight loss or gain, diminished ability to think clearly and thoughts of death or suicide.

Bipolar Disorder: Also referred to as "manic depression," it is characterized by frequent and sudden mood swings form extreme "highs" to extreme "lows." Symptoms of a "manic phase" or "high" may include; feeling ecstatic, talking loud and fast, feeling invincible, doing pleasurable things to excess (spending money, sexual activities), having an inflated sense of self-esteem. The person may go for days without sleeping, often is irritable and is easily distracted. Symptoms of the "depressive phase" or "low" may include hopelessness, helplessness, decreased energy, thoughts of suicide.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a neurological disorder that affects one in one hundred people in the United States. It is the least understood of all mental illnesses. Symptoms of schizophrenia may include a distorted sense of reality, delusions (unreal beliefs), hallucinations which can be seen, heard, tasted, smelled or felt, numbed emotions, inappropriate show of emotions, withdrawal from the external world, paranoia, bizarre behavior.