Schizophrenia

This is a serious disorder that is believed to be caused by chemical imbalance in the brain. The disorder affects how a person thinks, feels and acts. It is characterised by a variety of symptoms including:

• hallucinations (seeing or hearing things)
• delusions (believing that something far-fetched is true)
• withdrawal from social activities
• incoherent speech
• impaired reasoning.

Mood Disorder

Mood disorders include depression and bipolar disorder (previously called manic-depressive disorder). Symptoms include:

• mood swings such as extreme sadness or elation
• sleep and eating disorders
• changes in activity and energy levels.

Patients with these disorders may display suicide or risk taking behaviours.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses. The three main types are:

• phobias
• panic disorders
• obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCDs).

People who suffer from phobias experience extreme fear or dread when exposed to a particular object (eg snakes) or situation (eg being in a closed space). Panic disorders involve sudden, intense feelings of terror for no apparent reason. There may also be physical symptoms such as shaking, elevated heart rates and tight chest. People who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) try to cope with anxiety by engaging in repetitive, ritualistic behaviour, such as constant hand washing, or by repeating words or phrases.

Eating Disorders

The major forms of eating disorders are anorexia, nervosa and bulimia. These are serious, potentially life-threatening illnesses. People with these disorders have a fixation with food and an irrational fear of being fat. With anorexia individuals severely restrict their food intake. With bulimia individuals have cycles of bingeing (consuming large quantities of food) and purging (self induced vomiting or abusing laxatives). Behaviour may also include excessive exercise.

Personality Disorders

This category refers to people who have maladaptive and inflexible patterns of behaviour which impair functioning in their:

• relationships
• work
• social lives.

They cope poorly with the ups and downs of everyday living and can cause much distress to family and friends through their behaviour. Types of personality disorders can range from individuals who are odd and eccentric to those who are dramatic and self-centred; others may be very dependent on others.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Some people experience this anxiety disorder following a traumatic incident in their lives. It is normal to experience negative emotions and symptoms after such events. However, if these reactions are persistent and don’t subside after time, the person may be affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Indicators include:

• flashbacks of the traumatic event
• feeling emotionally numb
• avoiding situations that are reminders of the trauma
• feeling anxious and ‘jumpy’ for no reason.

Psychosis

Psychosis is a severe condition in which the affected person loses contact with reality. They may hear voices, hallucinate or believe there are people ‘out to get them’. This condition may last for only one episode or could be held for a long period of time. It is sometimes brought on through stress or drug use.

Treatments

There are various treatments for different types of mental health disorders. For a comprehensive list of treatment resources including books, DVDs, free factsheets and podcasts link to Sane Australia at Sane Australia Resources.