Mental health problems

 

What are mental health problems?

One in four people in the UK will experience mental health problems; these can range from mild problems to very severe conditions. Mental health problems affect the way individuals think, feel and behave and how they cope with certain situations.

There are many different types of mental health problem; below we have listed the key diagnoses and explained some of their common features.

Depression

Medical depression is diagnosed when a person feels low regularly or for long periods of time, we all have bad days but usually only occasionally, if an individual is feeling unhappy frequently they should consider asking for help.

The seriousness of depression can vary, but at its most severe it can leave people feeling suicidal. Despite this the vast majority of people recover from depression and some people see it as a turning point which helped them to improve their lives.

Symptoms of depression include:

  • Prolonged periods of sadness
  • Unexplained crying spells
  • Significant changes in appetite
  • Irregular sleeping patterns
  • Irritability, anger, worry, agitation, anxiety
  • Pessimism
  • Loss of energy
  • Feelings of guilt
  • Feelings of worthlessness
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Inability to take pleasure in former interests
  • Social withdrawal
  • Unexplained aches and pains
  • Thoughts of death or suicide

Small changes in lifestyle can for some people have a big impact on their symptoms, for example, exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet have both been found to reduce feelings of depression.

Most people with depression can access treatments such as medication or counselling as part of their normal everyday lives, however, in some cases it may be beneficial for individuals to have the added support of being in a residential service or hospital situation. This extra support can aid recovery and does not necessarily need to be a long term option. For details of Craegmoor hospitals, services and support in the community visit our mental health services page.

Bipolar (sometimes referred to as manic depression)

Individuals with bipolar disorder experience sizeable shifts in mood, they can go from being in a stable mood to experiencing periods of mania where they can feel euphoric and extremely capable or periods of extreme depression.

How often individuals experience these periods of mania or depression varies but even in relatively stable times having bipolar can cause mild symptoms which affect people’s lives.

The causes of bipolar are unknown, but it is thought that there may be a link to genetic factors or to traumatic events. Treatments for bipolar can include talking therapies such as counselling or cognitive behaviour therapy, see what is mental health? for more information. Although therapy is becoming more common, people with bipolar are often given medication to manage their symptoms, the medication options available should always be discussed with the individual’s GP or psychiatrist.

In some extreme cases Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is used to treat bipolar, although controversial this method, performed under general anaesthetic, of passing an electrical current through the brain has been very effective for some people where less extreme methods have been unsuccessful.

Schizophrenia

One in every 100 people will experience schizophrenia at some point in their lives; it develops slowly and can cause people to withdraw from others.

Schizophrenia does not necessarily mean someone has split or multiple personalities but refers to a group of mental health problems, caused when the parts of the brain responsible for emotion and sensation stop working properly, which all have different symptoms and progress at different rates.

There are lots of different types of schizophrenia but the most common is paranoid schizophrenia.

Paranoid schizophrenia is characterised by what psychiatrists refer to as a mixture of positive and negative symptoms.

Positive symptoms are most noticeable in active or acute stages and include:

  • Thought disorder e.g where a person’s thoughts are confused often making conversation difficult
  • Hallucinations e.g where people see, hear or smell things others don’t
  • Delusions e.g strongly held beliefs, such as being followed by secret agents, that are generally at odds with accepted reality

Negative symptoms often appear as a gradual change in personality and include:

  • Inability to concentrate
  • Withdrawing from social situations
  • Being apathetic

Rethink is an organisation set up to give a voice to people with mental health problems and their families, they are campaigning to try and remove the stigma associated with schizophrenia (and mental health problems in general) 100 years after this diagnosis was first recognised; for more information visit the Rethink Unhappy Birthday Schizophrenia campaign.

Personality disorders

Personality disorders are diagnosed when an individual’s thought patterns, feelings and behaviour are rigid and repetitive, having a negative effect on how they cope with situations. There are many different types of personality disorders which all have specific characteristics associated with them; these are grouped by the dominant personality traits into three distinct categories. These traits are:

  • Group A – odd / eccentric
  • Group B – dramatic / emotional / erratic
  • Group C – anxious / fearful

Personality disorders are not brought on by injuries or significant events as an adult but are linked to how people develop and often diagnosed as an adolescent or in early adulthood. Personality disorders are thought to be caused by genetic factors or repeated childhood trauma.

Because of the personal nature of being diagnosed with a ‘personality disorder’ individuals can feel that they are being blamed or that they are responsible for their problems, but as with all mental health problems receiving the right support can improve their quality of life. Regular support can enable people with personality disorders to understand others better and cope with social situations more effectively.

Anxiety

Fear is a natural reaction with an evolutionary benefit, however, for some fear and anxiety can develop into a mental health problem. Anxiety disorder is diagnosed when an individual feels anxious regularly or constantly for no apparent or logical reason.

Anxiety disorders can be caused by a number of different factors; it can develop in people who feel out of control in some aspects of their own lives or people who have had negative experiences in their pasts causing them to be fearful of feeling the same now as they did then.

Anxiety can cause physical reactions, which can be terrifying exasperating the problem, physical symptoms include:

  • Finding it difficult to breathe
  • Shaking
  • Palpitations
  • Blurred vision
  • Feeling sick
  • Muscle tension
  • Extreme tiredness
  • Panic attacks

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) or medication is often used to treat anxiety disorders, for more information on CBT visit our what is mental health? page.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

Obsessive compulsive disorder, often shortened to OCD, is a form of anxiety disorder. An obsession is an unwelcome thought or idea, a compulsion is a repetitive action that people with OCD feel like they have to do.

In the same way as we all feel low or depressed sometimes, we all have slight irrational obsessions, like did we lock the door this morning or compulsions, such as not stepping on cracks in the pavement, but in people with OCD these obsessions and compulsions have a significant impact on people’s lives. Some people with OCD have obsessions without compulsions, but others suffer from a mixture of both.

The causes of OCD are still unknown but as with most mental health problems seem to develop for a number of different reasons. One common theory is that people with OCD have developed the condition to cope with their anxieties possibly surrounding a traumatic incident or that people with OCD have a heightened sense of their own responsibility for situations.

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) has had a positive impact for a number of people with OCD, for more information on CBT visit our what is mental health? page.

Phobias

Certain phobias, such as the fear of spiders, are very common but most people find that these phobias do not impact their everyday lives even if they provoke an extreme reaction when faced with the phobia itself. However, some people find that their phobias affect the way they behave, for example people who may choose not to go on an exotic holiday because they feel they cannot cope with the flight to get there.

These fears are described as simple or specific phobias which in certain cases, such as fear of snakes, can easily be avoided, however, some specific phobias like the fear of injections can cause serious problems for people.

Other types of phobia are categorized as complex phobias; these impact a huge proportion of a person’s life and include phobias such as agoraphobia.

If either type of phobia is causing an individual distress and affecting how they behave it may be worth seeking professional support or using self help techniques such as relaxation or self help books. Professional support can be accessed through a person’s GP.

Eating disorders

Predominantly seen as conditions that affect women, eating disorders are thought to be under diagnosed in men producing incorrect data. Eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia (there are others) can affect both men and women at any point in their lives though it is more common during adolescence or early adulthood.

Thought to develop as a means of having control over at least one part of a person’s life, eating disorders are often linked to other mental health problems such as depression. It is thought this is because eating disorders are used as a coping mechanism for these associated conditions but they can also be heavily influenced by social factors.

Eating disorders can cause a large number of serious physical health complications including heart conditions and kidney failure.

Anyone who is concerned about having an eating disorder should contact their GP or a support group like Anorexia and Bulimia Care.

Conclusion

There are many different types of mental health problem, often with a number of diagnoses within them, how these affect people changes dramatically dependent on their circumstances but there is always support and advice available for anyone who is concerned that they, a friend or a family member may have a mental health problem.

For more information on the support Craegmoor services can offer contact us, or consult our sister company The Priory Group who offer services specifically for the treatment of eating disorders as well as other mental health problems.