Mental Disorders

YOU’LL LEARN TO
Ÿ Distinguish types of mental disorders.
Ÿ Identify situations requiring professional mental health services.
Ÿ Identify and describe the types of mental disorders that affect our society.

A lmost everyone experiences periods of sadness, anxiety, and anger. For most
people, these feelings are short-lived. For millions of others, however, these
feelings persist for weeks, months, and even years. If such situations affect a
person’s behavior or daily activities, he or she may be suffering from a mental disorder that
requires professional health services.

What Are Mental Disorders?

A mental disorder is an illness of the mind that can affect the thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors of a person, preventing him or her from leading a happy, healthful, and productive life.
People who suffer from some form of mental disorder are often identified by their inability to
cope in healthy ways with life’s changes, demands, problems, or traumas. Each year, about 20
percent of the U.S. population—54 million people—are affected by some form of mental
disorder. Even though professional help is necessary, few people with mental disorders
actually seek treatment. Of the 20 percent of children and adolescents who suffer from
mental health problems, only one-third receive the help they need.
Some people are reluctant to seek treatment for mental/emotional problems because
they feel embarrassed or ashamed. Another reason is the stigma associated with mental
disorders. A stigma is a negative label or a mark of shame. Misconceptions and stereotypes
may prevent some people from seeing mental disorders as medical conditions. However,
mental disorders require medical attention just as physical illnesses do. In fact, many mental
and emotional disturbances involve imbalances in brain chemistry. The sooner a person
seeks treatment, the sooner he or she will be on the road to recovery.

Types of Mental Disorders

Mental disorders are classified as either organic or functional.
An organic disorder is caused by a physical illness or an injury
that affects the brain. Brain tumors, infections, chemical
imbalances, exposure to drugs and toxins, or injuries
resulting in brain damage may lead to organic mental
disorders.
A functional disorder has a psychological cause and
does not involve brain damage. These disorders may result
from heredity, stress, emotional conflict, fear, ineffective
coping skills, or other conditions. Often, functional disorders
are tied to disturbing events in childhood, such as abuse,
serious illness, or the traumatic death of a close relative. These
disorders may also be tied to recent events, such as divorce,
economic hardships, or natural disasters.
Anxiety Disorders
About 4 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorder, a condition in which real or
imagined fears are difficult to control. An anxiety disorder is characterized by chronic fear.
People with anxiety disorders often arrange their lives to avoid situations that make them feel
anxious or fearful. Anxiety disorders can be classified according to four main types: phobias,
obsessive-compulsive disorders, panic disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorders.

PHOBIA
A phobia is a strong and irrational fear of something
specific, such as high places or dogs. People with phobias do
everything they can to avoid the object of their fear. As a result, a
person with a phobia may be unable to live a normal life. For
example, people with agoraphobia have a fear of open or public
places. Their phobia may make them prisoners in their own
homes. Some mental health professionals believe that certain
phobias are caused by childhood experiences. The fear resulting
from these experiences lasts far past the actual threat.

OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER
A person with obsessive-compulsive disorder is trapped in a pattern of repeated thoughts or
behaviors. The term obsessive refers to persistent, recurrent, and unwanted thoughts that prevent
people from attending to normal daily activities. Compulsive refers to repeated, irresistible
behaviors. A person with obsessive-compulsive disorder might, for example, feel the urge to wash
his or her hands constantly throughout the day.

PANIC DISORDER
A person with a panic disorder has sudden, unexplained
feelings of terror. These “panic attacks” are accompanied by
symptoms such as trembling, a pounding heart, shortness of
breath, or dizziness. Panic disorder is a condition in which
fear and anxiety get in the way of a person’s ability to function
and enjoy life. Panic attacks may occur at any time or place,
but most are triggered by a particular object, condition, or
situation.

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition that may develop after exposure to a
terrifying event that threatened or caused physical harm. This disorder is common after a
personal assault, such as rape; natural or human-made disasters, such as earthquakes or
bombings; accidents, such as plane crashes; or military combat. Symptoms may include
flashbacks (sudden recall of the terrifying event), nightmares, emotional numbness,
sleeplessness, guilt, and problems with concentration. The disorder may arise weeks or
months after the event that caused it.
Mood Disorders
A mood disorder is an illness, often with an organic cause,
that involves mood extremes that interfere with everyday living. These
extremes are not the highs and lows that everyone experiences, nor
are they the mood swings sometimes experienced during
adolescence. The emotional swings of mood disorders are extreme in
both intensity and duration.

CLINICAL DEPRESSION
Most people who say they are depressed are suffering from a
passing case of the blues. For some people, however, depression
doesn’t go away. Their feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or despair last
for more than a few weeks and interfere with daily interests and
activities. This type of depression, known as clinical depression, can
affect a person’s ability to concentrate, sleep, perform at school or
work, or handle everyday decisions and challenges. Clinical
depression results from a chemical imbalance that a person cannot
overcome without professional help. Depression often runs in
families and can be biologically based, but it can also be caused by life
events. Sometimes it may be a symptom of substance abuse or
addiction, because alcohol and other drugs can affect brain

BIPOLAR DISORDER
This disorder, also known as manic-depressive disorder, is marked by extreme mood
changes, energy levels, and behavior. Characteristics of the manic “highs” and depressive
“lows” of this disorder are described in Figure 9.1. Although adults with bipolar disorder
may behave normally between episodes of extreme emotion, teens with the disorder tend to
alternate rapidly between the two extremes with few clear periods of wellness between
episodes.

Eating Disorders
Psychological pressures, possible genetic factors, and an obsession with body image
and thinness can lead to an eating disorder. People with eating disorders such as anorexia and
bulimia suffer from life-threatening disturbances in eating behavior. Eating disorders are not
a failure of will or behavior; they are real, treatable medical illnesses. A person who suffers
from an eating disorder can experience a wide range of physical health complications,
including serious heart conditions and kidney failure, which may lead to death. It is therefore
critical that a person with an eating disorder get help immediately.
Conduct Disorders
Children and adolescents who act out their impulses toward others in destructive
ways may have a , a pattern of behavior in which the rights of others or basic social rules are
violated. Examples include lying, theft, aggression, violence, truancy, arson, and vandalism.
The condition is more common among males than females. Although they may project an
image of toughness, people with this disorder usually have low self-esteem. They may also
have symptoms of other mental disorders including anxiety, depression, and substance
abuse. Without treatment, many teens with this disorder will be unable to adapt to the
demands of adulthood and will continue to have problems relating to others, holding a job,
and behaving in appropriate ways.

Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia (skit-suh-FREE-nee-uh) is a severe mental disorder in which a person
loses contact with reality. Symptoms of schizophrenia include delusions, hallucinations, and
thought disorders. Causes of this condition may be a combination of genetic factors and
chemical and structural changes in the brain. The disease affects about 1 percent of the
population. Schizophrenia affects both men and women and usually first appears between
the ages of 15 and 35.
People who suffer from schizophrenia have difficulty understanding the difference
between real and imaginary events. This inability leads to unpredictable behavior, difficulty
functioning, and lack of good health habits. A common misconception about people who
suffer from this disorder is that all of them are violent, or have multiple or split personalities.
However, schizophrenic people are usually not a threat to others. Professional help and
medication are necessary to successfully treat schizophrenia.
Personality Disorders
The term personality refers to an individual’s unique
traits and behavior patterns. People with healthy
personalities can cope with the day-to-day challenges of life.
However, people afflicted with personality disorders think
and behave in ways that make it difficult for them to get
along with others. Over the course of their lives, usually
beginning in adolescence, they are in constant conflict with
others—family, friends, teachers, coworkers, or supervisors.
About 10 percent of the population has one of the several
types of personality disorder. Counseling, and sometimes
medication, are recommended as treatment.
Ÿ Antisocial personality disorder. People with this disorder
tend to be irritable, aggressive, impulsive, and violent. In
many cases, they are unable to show remorse for their
behavior.

Ÿ Borderline personality disorder. People with this

disorder frequently experience a series of troubled
relationships. They tend to engage in high-risk activities,
and many have poor self-esteem. Although they fear
abandonment, they frequently lash out violently at the
people they need most.

Ÿ Passive-aggressive personality disorder. People with this

disorder are often uncooperative. They resent being told
what to do, yet they rely on others’ direction. Angry over
issues of control, they show their anger, but only
indirectly. For example, a passive-aggressive person who
doesn’t want to take part in a nactivity either may forget
to show up or may arrive late and leave early.

As with all mental and emotional problems, it is important

to recognize the signs of personality disorders and seek
professional help.