Mental health is something that affects the way humans think, behave, and feel on a daily basis. If you are somebody who has a mental health diagnosis, you might feel confused or even ashamed. However, many people don’t realize that many different mental health disorders are treatable with the right support and intervention methods.
Today, we are providing this mental illness list to get a clearer look at common psychological disorders. Moreover, this comprehensive mental illness list will show you that struggling with your mental health is nothing to fear—with quality mental health care, you can learn to manage your symptoms in order to feel like the best version of yourself.
Contents
List of Common Mental Illnesses
Did you know that mental illnesses impact millions of people each and every day in the United States and around the world? In fact, the National Institute of Mental Health states that approximately one in five adults has a mental health diagnosis in the United States. This totals to over 51 million people with mental illnesses throughout the country.
Mental illnesses can be passed down through genetics, influenced by environmental factors, or brought on by life experiences. For example, if you feel sad or stressed every so often, you might not have a diagnosable mental illness. However, if you have chronic anxiety that impacts your ability to leave the house or take on your usual responsibilities, there is a good chance that you have a mental health disorder. Typically, getting a mental health diagnosis of one of the conditions on this mental illness list means that you must experience the specific symptoms for a certain amount of time.
To better include a wide range of mental health concerns in this list, these diagnoses are separated into common mental health disorder categories. Each category of mental health disorder comes with its own unique diagnoses, symptoms, and treatment options. So, let’s get into this mental illness list for further details:
1. Affective Disorders or Mood Disorders:
The symptoms of mood disorders, which are also known as affective disorders, can be characterized by intense emotions, prolonged sadness, and impulsive behaviors. Common mood disorders include depression and bipolar disorder. These can also be influenced by external factors like going through chronic pain or grief.
2. Anxiety Disorders:
Anxiety disorders cover a wide range of mental health concerns such as phobias, generalized anxiety, and panic disorders. Having persistent worrying and intrusive thoughts are common symptoms of anxiety disorders, but these are not the only signs that you might be struggling with one of these mental health diagnoses. Other things to look out for would be physical health symptoms like a racing heart beat, trouble breathing, sweating, frequent stomach distress, and other signs of stress.
3. Psychotic Disorders:
Psychotic disorders are extremely misunderstood and stigmatized. This means that people who have symptoms of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder might think that they are simply “crazy” and cannot get help. But this is a harmful misrepresentation.
In truth, people who have psychotic disorders do experience symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations, but these are often a result of trauma, untreated mental health distress, and physical changes in brain chemistry that can only be managed with medication and/or active therapeutic treatment.
4. Trauma Disorders:
Post-traumatic stress disorder is perhaps the most well-known trauma disorder. This mental health issue is accompanied by symptoms of flashbacks, physical pain, avoidance of emotional triggers, and self-medicating.
Some demographics of people, such as United States veterans, are at a higher risk for developing PTSD or symptoms of a trauma disorder. However, trauma can happen to anybody and any time. PTSD is a very complex disorder and requires specialized treatment to manage the symptoms.
5. Substance Use Disorders:
Many people don’t know that having a substance use disorder is actually a mental health concern. While it’s true that drug or alcohol addiction most frequently involves physical dependency to the substance, there is an emotional and mental component to substance abuse as well. Interestingly, it is more likely for people who have another mental health disorder to develop problems with addiction and vice versa.
Ultimately, receiving treatment for addiction also means working through the emotional and mental healing process as well. For those who do have a diagnosed mental health condition alongside a substance use disorder, dual diagnosis treatment is the best way to treat all concerns simultaneously.
Looking at a long mental illness list can often feel reassuring, as it serves as a reminder that you are not alone when it comes to mental illness. But glancing over a long mental illness list can also feel overwhelming. After looking through this list of common mental disorders, you might be wondering what the next steps are. If you fall into any of these categories, be prepared to take the next steps toward recovery with specialized treatment options.
Treatment for Mental Illness
Treatment for mental illness depends on a few different factors, including your family history, current symptoms, and recovery goals. Typically, mental health professionals recommend a variety of treatment options to best address any struggles you might be going through. These treatment options usually include:
- One-on-one counseling sessions
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Group sessions
- Medication management
- Recreational therapy
- Psychiatric assessments
- Nutritional consultations
- Chronic pain management
- Addiction recovery services
- Family education
For the best and most effective treatment, consider getting help for your mental health with residential programs like the one at Baton Rouge Behavioral Hospital. Further care that might benefit you when the time is right could be our intensive outpatient program for when you need to balance recovery and daily life responsibilities. In more urgent situations, we recommend our crisis care services to keep you and your loved ones safe.
How to Get Help for Mental Illness
No matter the program you choose, you will have the space, time, and guidance to fully work on your recovery. Treatment for any of the conditions on this mental illness list is possible. Contact the experts at Baton Rouge Behavioral Hospital for more information on this mental illness list as well as your options for recovery. You can reach out by phone at 225-300-8470 or through a confidential form to begin your treatment journey today.
