Some Common Mental Health Conditions

ANXIETY

Everybody experiences anxiety at some time in their lives.  Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It can help you deal with a tense situation, study harder for an exam or keep focused on an important speech.

In general, it helps you cope. But when anxiety becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it has become a disabling disorder. There are some disorders and phobias for which anxiety is the main symptom.

They are:

Generalised Anxiety Disorder

GAD is a long term anxiety disorder that can make you feel anxious about anything and everything rather than focusing on just one issue.  People suffering from this disorder will feel anxious most of the time and will have difficulty relaxing

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety related condition that affects three in every hundred people regardless of age and gender.  People often remain undiagnosed for long periods of time but OCD is curable and responds very well to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

Social Phobia

Social phobia, also called social anxiety disorder, involves overwhelming anxiety and excessive self consciousness in everyday social situations.  People with social phobia have a persistent, intense and chronic fear of being watched and judged by others and being embarrassed or humiliated by their own actions.  Their fear may be so severe that it interferes with work or school, and other ordinary activities.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that can develop following a terrifying event.  Often, people with PTSD have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to.  PTSD was first brought to public attention by war veterans, but it can result from any number of traumatic incidents.

Panic Disorder

People who experience panic attacks have feelings of terror that strike suddenly and repeatedly with no warning.  They cannot predict when an attack will occur, and many develop intense anxiety between episodes, worrying when and where the next one will strike.

Panic Attacks can cause the following symptoms:

Sensation that your heart is beating irregularly (palpitations), Sweating Trembling Hot flushes Chills Shortness of breath Choking sensation Chest pain Nausea Dizziness Feeling faint Numbness or pins and needles Dry mouth Feeling a need to go to the toilet Ringing in your ears A feeling of dread, or a fear of dying.

Depression

Depression is one of the most frequent mental health problems which lead to suicide.  Suicide is likely to occur when people are without hope or empty.  The only answer to their problems as they perceive it is suicide.

Everyone feels ‘down in the dumps’, sad or ‘low’ at some time in their lives. It wouldn’t be normal for everyone to be happy all of the time. Sometimes people describe themselves as having depression when in fact they feel a bit low or fed up.  However, when the symptoms persist for more than a couple of weeks or if you feel suicidal, medical attention should be sought.

Signs and Symptoms of Depression:

Experiencing feelings of overwhelming sadness Feelings of guilt/worthlessness or hopelessness. Have no interest in doing things you would normally enjoy. Become anxious/tense/irritable Lose appetite or eat more than usual Have problems sleeping – especially early morning waking or sleeping more Have no interest in maintaining personal hygiene where this is not usually the case

In severe cases, have thoughts that life is not worth living and consider suicide