Complete Guide to Mental Illness

The term “Mental Illness” can mean many things to different people. We often use the phrase to discuss illnesses treated by Psychiatrists and other Mental Health Providers. It comes from older concepts that there is a difference between illnesses caused by the body and illnesses caused by the mind.

As the leading providers of psychiatric care in Fargo, we at Saint Sophie’s are sharing our conjoined years of experience and proven medical knowledge to better educate our clients and community about common disorders and how to treat them. This guide is useful if it’s suspected that either you or a loved one might currently be suffering from an undiagnosed mental illness.

What Are the 9 Most Common Types of Mental Illness?

1. ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which a a person has difficulties with paying attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. It is typically observed to begin in childhood, but there is an increasing amount of adults being diagnosed later in life. It often impacts your performance at school, work, and in personal relationships. Anxiety Disorders include a range of differing conditions like generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety, and other phobias. Anxiety causes you to feel excessive worry, heightened fear, and other psychological responses that can cause a serious impact on daily life.
2. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a condition that affects each person differently, hence it being a spectrum. Autism impacts how a person might handle social interactions, communication, and their behavior, compared to the average person. The level at which someone is impaired or strengthened by it varies.
3. Bipolar Disorder (previously manic depression) is a disorder that causes extreme swings between manic and depressive episodes. The changing states of mind can make you feel elevated and energized to low and sluggish, each state causing changes in your thoughts, behavior and ability to function in a healthy manner.
4. Depression is common, most of us will feel depressed at one time or another in our lives. Depression causes a feeling of persistent sadness, a loss of interest in what brings you joy, and many other cognitive and physical symptoms. Left untreated, it can seriously impact your daily life.
5. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by intrusive, distressing, and obsessive thoughts and actions that are difficult (if not impossible) to control on your own. Obsessive rituals (behaviors and habits) can cause real and harmful impairments in daily life and your relationships without professional intervention.
6. Psychotic Disorders cause an intrusive experience of hallucinations, delusions, abnormal thinking, and a loss of connection from reality. These disorders can cause severe disruptions to your everyday life and require psychiatric evaluation for adequate treatment.
7. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) occurs after a traumatic event and causes recurring memories, flashbacks, nightmares and the tendency to avoid any situation that reminds you of the incident. The severity of PTSD can differ between people who witnessed the same situation, but it can greatly affect your daily life until it’s addressed by a psychiatrist.
8. Eating Disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating are disorders that affect a person's perception of body image and causes unhealthy eating habits. They can cascade into more complicated physical and psychological issues.