There are several types of common mental disorders, and each of them has its own characteristics.
And it is that many people think that having to go to the psychologist is “crazy”. However, statistically, most of the population has some of the most common psychological disorders, which does not have to affect the development of a normal life.
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The 10 most common psychological disorders
Each person is unique due to their genetics and life experience , and each person’s personality and psychological disorders are the product of this combination. Evolutionary psychology confirms this, with a wide range of possibilities.
And it is that sometimes having certain virtues and defects are two sides of the same coin, and throughout history it has been good for the species to have individuals with different characteristics. However, these can also give rise to common psychological disorders that can lead to difficulties in modern life.
1. Generalized anxiety disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder affects many people . It is one of the most common psychological disorders, and is essentially characterized by constant fears.
This long-term situation affects both the mental and physical health of the person. In fact, worries invade the mental life of the person, which interferes in all spheres of life (work, personal, social) and somatization occurs.
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2. Depressive disorder
Today depressive disorder is very common . People who suffer from this type of disorder feel a lot of sadness, frustration and disappointment, and their despair makes them not feel like doing anything.
In this way, their rhythm of life is altered, and they have less energy and motivation. Negative thoughts affect their behavior, and they experience insomnia and other types of somatic problems.
3. Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder . The person who suffers from it develops a series of dysfunctional behaviors, known as routines, and these are generated from obsessive thoughts.
There are different types of compulsive behaviors, such as checking to see if a door has been closed many times. This type of behavior temporarily appeases negative thoughts, but greatly conditions the person’s life.
4. Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder . It is one of the most dysfunctional mental disorders on the list, and it is that the person suffers alterations when it comes to perceiving what is real and what is not.
Those who suffer from schizophrenia suffer from hallucinations (visual, auditory, etc.) during the “outbreaks” or acute phases of the disorder, while when these are not expressed, a certain inhibition is produced in the person. Everything greatly affects the development of a normal life.
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5. Delusional disorder
Delusional disorder is somewhat related to schizophrenia , since the person loses contact with reality. However, it is a less serious condition than the previous one, since hallucinations do not occur, but only delusions.
Delusions are products of extreme suspicion. The person develops a series of thoughts linked to the basic idea that someone wants to harm them, giving rise to the generation of certain irrational thoughts and actions.
6. Eating disorders
There are different eating disorders , and the most common are anorexia and bulimia nervosa. In anorexia, a series of food intake restrictions are produced, either at a qualitative or quantitative level.
In bulimia, on the other hand, the person stops eating for hours and then binge eats. Then he can vomit everything he has eaten. Both cases seriously compromise the person’s physical and mental health.
7. Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder in a mood disorder . It has a certain relationship with depressive disorder, and it is that the person suffers moments of great despair. However, there are also moments of “mania” or great exaltation.
It is thus a disorder in which emotional instability is very marked. The person is able to go from great agitation to great appeasement.
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8. Specific phobias
Specific or simple phobias are problems that affect many people . These are irrational fears linked to objects or animals, and it is one of the most common psychological disorders.
However, they do not usually affect the development of a normal life, since these stimuli are not normally present at many times. In addition, of all psychological disorders, they are among the easiest to eliminate through cognitive-behavioral therapy.
9. Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder represents another type of phobia . In fact, it is also known as social phobia, and it is one of the disorders in which the person has an irrational fear of an intangible situation.
The person with social phobia feels a very excessive fear when he has to interact with other people. These people commonly seek to avoid different types of social encounters, and it is a more common psychological disorder than is thought.
10. Substance use disorder
Substance use disorder affects many people . It occurs when there is consumption of narcotic substances, leading to health problems and that end up affecting the normal functioning of the person.
There are many factors involved in the development of this disorder: social pressure, depression, stress, anxiety, etc. It has also been observed that there is more prevalence in people who already have another disorder, especially mood or anxiety.
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Bibliographic references
- American Psychiatric Association (1995). Pierre Pichot, Juan J. López-Ibor Aliño and Manuel Valdés Miyar, ed. DSM-IV. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition). Mason.
- Friedman, H.S. (2001). The Disorders: Specialty Articles from the Encyclopedia of Mental Health. San Diego (California): Academic Press.
- Kessler, R.C., Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jin, R., Merikangas, K.R. y Walters, E.E. (2005). Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 62 (6), 593-602.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.