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Anxiety disorders include disorders involving extreme fear or
worry about something that is not temporary. They are the most
common mental illness in the US and affect about 18% of adults in
the US (ADAA). For people with anxiety disorders, the anxiety does
not go away and most of the time interferes with daily life. Some
anxiety disorders include, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive
compulsive disorder, panic attacks or panic disorder, and some
phobia related disorders such as extreme agoraphobia or
claustrophobia. Common symptoms of anxiety disorders include
excessive or irrational worrying, feeling out of control, having a
sense of impending danger or doom, and hyperventilation.
Mood disorders are disorders in which the underlying problem
affects a person's emotional state. A person with a mood disorder
can experience inconsistent or distorted emotions or mood that
affects that person’s ability to function. An estimated 21% of US
adults experience any mood disorder at some time in their loves
(NIH). Some mood disorders include depressive disorder, bipolar
disorder, dysthymia, seasonal affective disorder, and depression.
Common symptoms of mood disorders include emotions that interfere
with everyday life and your ability to function, or periods of
depression alternating with mania (excessive happiness).
Depersonalization disorder is a mental disorder where the person
has recurring or persisting feelings of depersonalization or
derealization. The person often feels disconnected or detached
from themself and this often interferes with their ability to
function at school or work. The disorder itself is quite rare,
with it being about 2% of the population (Cleveland Clinic), but
about 50% of the population does experience depersonalization or
derealization experiences. Common symptoms include feeling that
you are outside of yourself, emotional or physical numbness of
your senses, or feeling that you are not in control of your speech
or your movement.
Psychotic disorders are disorders that cause abnormal thinking and
abnormal perceptions. A person with a psychotic disorder may feel
that they lost touch with reality. Approximately 3 out of every
100 people living in the US have a psychotic disorder or
experience a psychotic episode in their lives (The Recovery
Village). Some psychotic disorders include schizophrenia, which is
the most common psychotic disorder, delusional disorder,
paraphrenia, or substance-induced psychotic disorder. Common
symptoms of psychotic disorder include delusions or
hallucinations.
A personality disorder is a mental disorder in which one can have
an unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning, and/or behaving. A
person with a personality disorder has trouble perceiving and
relating to people and situations around them, causing problems in
that person’s life. Approximately 9% of the population has a
personality disorder (NIMH). Personality disorders are separated
into three categories. Some personality disorders include schizoid
personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, borderline
personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder. Common
symptoms are having unjustified beliefs or thinking patterns,
hostile or angry actions, or impulsive behavior.
Eating disorders are mental disorders characterized by irregular
eating habits and distress or concern about body weight or shape.
At least 30 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an
eating disorder in the US (ANAD). Eating disorders include
anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, pica, and rumination
disorder. Common symptoms of eating disorders are refusal to eat
certain foods because, mood swings, frequent dieting, skipping
meals, and behaviors that indicate weight loss, dieting, and
control of food is becoming central in a person’s life up to the
point where it is interfering with that person’s daily life.