The patient is unable to think adequately, loses touch with reality, speaks incoherently, and loses orientation in space. He stops enjoying what previously made him happy, stops expressing emotions, feels nothing, becomes disorganized, and inattentive.
The individual begins to hear voices talking to him, telling him news, giving him instructions. He cannot resist them, although he is scared. The connection with real life, the ability to control both behavior and feelings are lost.
The emotional sphere suffers: the patient cries or laughs for no reason. Such “failures” also occur when he becomes inhibited, stares into space, and is silent for a long time. Apathy and depression are also signs of schizophrenia.
Symptoms of this mental disorder may appear for the first time in people of different ages and genders for various reasons, which have not yet been precisely established. This can be a combination of genetic, biological and physiological factors, that is, both genes and living conditions, mental and physical trauma are involved in this case.
The development of schizophrenia leads to a complete collapse of the personality, but with timely diagnosis and properly selected treatment, the disease can be stopped at an early stage. Thanks to this, psychotic and depressive manifestations are reduced, the risk of harm to themselves and others, and suicide disappears.
Therefore, it is so important to consult a specialist in time if you notice the above-mentioned symptoms in yourself or your loved ones. He will prescribe treatment, and, with an early stage of the disease, a favorable course of the disease, and strict adherence to the doctor’s prescriptions (constant use of medications), remission can be achieved. That is, a person will be able to lead a full life, have a normal family and work.
Psychological and mental testing
Tests are part of psychological and psychiatric diagnostics.
They help clarify important aspects of the mental state and understand a person’s personality. Tests are an aid in making a diagnosis. The presented tests were developed by specialists based on the clinical observations of the authors and are widely used in medical practice. At the same time, it is not recommended to diagnose yourself based on the results of psychodiagnostic tests. The tests have diagnostic value when administered by a psychiatrist or psychologist in conjunction with the assessment of a variety of other physiological and mental parameters.
But, if you are concerned about your own mental health, taking a test will not be a bad idea. Questionnaires usually include the main symptoms or complaints. By taking the test, you will be able to look inside yourself, ask the right questions, and analyze the emotions and sensations in the answers. The main advantage of the tests is their versatility and ease of use. And for additional detailed consultation and psychological help, it is better to contact a specialist.
Beck Depression Inventory
As the name suggests, this test assesses how susceptible you are to depression. It takes into account common symptoms and complaints of patients with this disease. When answering each question, you have to choose the closest one from several statements.
Even those who are absolutely sure that they are healthy should take the test. Some statements from the questionnaire will seem strange to you, but many of them are true for a person with a disease. So if you think that depression is when someone is depressed from idleness, it's time to rethink your attitude.
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Test for schizophrenia
Diagnosing schizophrenia is far from simple. The diagnosis is made exclusively by specialists based on a combination of many factors. At the same time, there are a number of symptoms that occur in most patients with schizophrenia and are almost never found in other mental diseases. Back in the 30s of the last century, German psychiatrist Kurt Schneider identified 5 groups of symptoms of schizophrenia that are characteristic of this disease and called them “Symptoms of the 1st rank.” Numerous further studies showed that he was right in the sense that similar symptoms are diagnosed in 80% of patients suffering from schizophrenia. Therefore, they subsequently entered the official diagnostic criteria for the classification of mental disorders. The proposed test contains a description of symptoms that often occur in patients with schizophrenia (including symptoms of the 1st rank according to K. Schneider) and very rarely in other mental disorders.
Any mental disorder, even a relatively mild one, reduces the quality of life much more than many diseases of the body. Simple insomnia ultimately makes a person suffer more than, for example, gastritis. And it would seem that everyone whose psyche is suffering should run to the doctor as soon as possible and ask him for treatment. But in reality this does not happen. Chief Medical Doctor, Psychiatrist, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Felix Banshchikov talks about the misconceptions and fears that prevent you from receiving qualified psychiatrist help even when it is vitally necessary.
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Features of adolescence
Teenager
- this is a person whose emotions are extremely mobile and are not retained for a long time; unfortunately, they can be quite superficial and shallow.
During adolescence, a person experiences a large number of revelations and discoveries. The experience of betrayal is especially difficult for him; adolescents have a very acute and slightly exaggerated attitude towards such important concepts for them at this age as friendship and love. And breaks in friendships and love relationships in adolescence are perceived as mental trauma, quite severe, sometimes catastrophic.
At this age, which is also called puberty
, we psychiatrists quite often encounter the onset of certain mental disorders.
Sexual desire disorders
At this age, the sexual sphere of a teenager
, his gender identity is finally formed. In cases where we are talking about personality disorders, impulse disorders are very common, including sexual desire disorders, and then we can find many different kinds of psychosexual anomalies, which also sometimes border on various kinds of events that have legal consequences. These are the kinds of troubles that teenagers can expect when we talk about psychopathy.
List of psychological diseases
Mental disorders are quite common nowadays. Often they do not have a clear clinical picture. However, you should not neglect them completely. If you make a list of psychological diseases, it will turn out to be quite extensive. Nowadays, the concept of normal is interpreted quite broadly, however, if the symptoms are pronounced, you should not postpone a visit to the doctor, since delaying it over time will only worsen the situation.
In this regard, the list of psychological diseases makes sense for specialists and medical professionals, as a reference book. In everyday life it is not of great value, since without special training it is very easy to get lost in it. From a practical point of view, it makes sense to talk about a list of mental illnesses and their signs for which you should immediately visit a doctor.
Here is a list of the most dangerous and common diseases:
- obsessive-compulsive disorder;
- dementia;
- schizophrenia;
- addiction to drugs and alcohol;
- neurasthenia;
- patient's personality disorder;
- various types of phobias;
- reaction to persistent or severe stress.
It is worth clearly recognizing that the sooner the patient is in the hands of a specialist, the higher the outcome for a successful course of the disease or his full recovery.
Treatment of psychological diseases
A significant proportion of patients are cured or improve their condition thanks to well-developed structured therapeutic programs. As a rule, treatment of psychological diseases is carried out in stages:
- the patient's condition is diagnosed;
- An individual treatment plan is developed that takes into account the presence of other diseases, the patient’s living conditions, and his habits;
- obvious, acute symptoms of the disease are relieved;
- the patient is undergoing rehabilitation;
- the patient is provided with post-treatment support.
Since their first use in the early 1950s, a number of medications have changed significantly. Instead of “simple” aminazine, a long series of names appeared that really improved the lives of people with mental disorders. Nowadays, treatment is not limited to taking medications, no matter how effective they may be. Psychotherapy must be combined with drug treatment. Plus, great importance is given to prevention and preventing the patient from becoming seriously ill.
The combination of medicinal and psychotherapeutic effects beneficially and effectively changes the course of diseases such as depression, obsessive-compulsive and panic disorder, psychosis, and anxiety.
Borderline psychopathology
To begin, I would like to talk about borderline psychopathology, which often does not require any active psychiatric treatment, any drug intervention, or hospitalization.
In this case we are talking about behavioral disorders
, when those very violent emotions in behavior, when that very opportunism turns a person into a prickly creature, categorically refusing to discuss any issues peacefully, acting as a war against everyone.
In such situations, we talk about personality disorders, and this is a diagnostic category that exists in the classification of diseases. However, we still do not consider it a disease, since it is a character condition.
Character is not a disease
, character is what is given to a person by nature from birth. This is something that is being formed one way or another. And this is precisely the final phase of character formation, the very puberty age that we are talking about now. And this pubertal age, which lasts from approximately 11 to 17 years, is the determining age in the final formation of character traits.
After 17 years, the character that has been formed will remain unchanged, and all its pros and cons, positive and negative, strengths and weaknesses, as formed by this time, will remain so until the end of life.
I’m talking about this specifically in order to focus the attention of loved ones, relatives and, above all, parents on the significance of every psychological nuance associated with upbringing, or nuance associated with the attitude towards the problems of a teenager in his future life.
What seems unimportant, insignificant or insignificant to us adults, or what seems to us to be a rather successful pedagogical move, for a teenager can turn out to be an event with fatal consequences.
Suicidal behavior
And one of the fairly common fatal consequences of these personality disorders in adolescence, or psychopathy, as we also call them differently, is suicidal behavior
, aimed not only at leaving life, but also at causing harm to oneself.
This is the so-called self-destructive behavior or non-suicidal self-destruction, when a teenager begins to punish himself with quite serious burns, self-cutting and some other self-harm.
When he embarks on a very slippery criminal road, when, unfortunately, at this age, he develops addictions, both alcohol and psychoactive substances.
When he becomes a gambling addict, he hangs up on the computer, when he disappears, he leaves home in this state of protest to his relatives.
Or when he develops various kinds of somatoform, psychosomatic disorders in the form of a huge number of health complaints that are not confirmed by somatic or neurological examinations.
How to recognize the presence of a mental disorder
To understand if you have a mental disorder, you don’t need to understand their classification or be a professional psychologist. At the first stage, it is enough to realize that there is a problem. At the same time, there is no need to compare yourself with other people who have been diagnosed with a mental disorder - mental disorders can manifest differently even among close relatives.
The presence of a mental disorder may be indicated by:
- rave;
- illusions;
- anxiety;
- hallucinations;
- sleep disorders;
- violations of will;
- apathy and indifference;
- mood changes;
- unreasonable fears;
- emotional disturbances;
- disturbances in thought processes;
- breathing problems, palpitations and headaches;
- absent-mindedness, memory impairment, difficulty in self-care.
Rave
This symptom is divided into four types:
- Jealousy - a person constantly suspects a partner of cheating.
- Damage - a person constantly feels that things are being taken from him or that property is being damaged.
- Presentation - a person tries to confidently explain delusional ideas and convince others of them.
- Relationships - a person thinks that everything around him is done with some intention and purpose especially for him.
The presence of delusions allows us to speak with confidence about a mental disorder.
Illusions
Most often they occur at the onset of delirium tremens, during poisoning or due to infection. Visual, tactile, auditory and taste illusions are distorted perceptions of real objects. For example, the bedside table may appear to be an animal, or the lace on the curtain may appear to be a face.
Anxiety
Anxiety states (especially causeless ones) clearly indicate the presence of a mental disorder. You should consult a doctor if they persist for 1-2 weeks.
Hallucinations
Hallucinations are similar to illusions and are a typical symptom of delirium tremens, schizophrenia, psychotic and other disorders. With them, a person hears, sees or otherwise feels something that does not actually exist. For example, he can hear outside voices, feel touches, although no one touches him, feel the taste of food that he did not eat.
Sleep disorders
For nightmares, insomnia and lack of rest even after a long sleep, it is also recommended to consult a doctor. It is important to understand that self-administration of medications can worsen the problem.
Violations of will
A person's will may be weakened or strengthened due to neurosis, psychosis, depression, dementia or schizophrenia. Examples of such disorders are shopaholism, bulimia and anorexia, suicidomania, lack of response to threats.
Apathy and indifference
Paralysis of emotions indicates deep depression or schizophrenia. In this state, a person is indifferent to everything happening around him, as well as to dear and close people.
Mood changes
Two types of changes may indicate the presence of a mental disorder. Depressive changes are expressed as a prolonged depressed state, a desire to be alone, passivity, hysterics, “soul-searching,” and loss of strength. Excessive energy, carelessness and cheerfulness are the other “pole” of mood changes.
Unfounded fears
This category includes more than 50 types of phobias, for example, fear of death, closed spaces, heights, insects, and other people.
Emotional disturbances
An inappropriate emotional state, such as affect or euphoria, is often a sign of manic-depressive psychosis.
Disorders of thought processes
Thinking disorders can be expressed as:
- Slowness of thinking, in which a person takes a long time to answer a question or is limited to monosyllabic answers.
- Acceleration of thinking, in which a person thinks much faster than he speaks. During a conversation, he “loses” both individual words and entire sentences. The consequence of this is incoherence of speech.
This symptom may indicate the presence of depression, dementia, stupefaction, or depressive-manic psychosis.
Breathing disorders, palpitations and headaches
Headaches, pulse problems, chest tightness and other breathing problems occur in both physical and mental illnesses. If any of the symptoms occur, it is recommended to consult a doctor.
Absent-mindedness, memory impairment, difficulty in self-care
If this condition does not go away after rest, you should seek help from a psychiatrist. If sleep, rest and a change in activity help, it may be due to fatigue of the nervous system.
Psychological diseases in children
No one spends as much time with children as their parents. Therefore, they have the greatest chance of identifying psychological diseases in children. Professional psychologists name the main signs by which one can judge the degree of need for medical care for a child:
- a sharp increase in the number of problem situations at school;
- your child is being abused or bullied by other children;
- the child commits actions that harm himself;
- avoids friends, avoids communication with family;
- frequent and sudden mood swings;
- your child is overcome by very strong emotions, such as anger, panic;
- ensuing apathy, lack of motivation to act;
- the child cannot concentrate on necessary matters;
- insomnia or nightmares;
- constant complaints of poor physical well-being;
- neglect of one's appearance;
- strong feelings about your appearance, a constant feeling of dissatisfaction with your appearance, figure, weight;
- appetite differs significantly from the norm in one direction or another.
If your observations are confirmed by a specialist, you should not lose your composure or panic. Remember, the child sees support in you and therefore you must remain strong in his eyes.
Who has mental disorders
Mental disorders of varying severity and origin have been diagnosed in hundreds of thousands of patients. But many people, even realizing the presence of a disorder, do not seek treatment from a psychiatrist. Sometimes the altered state is not even perceived by the person as a disorder - in this case, you can learn about the problem from the outside.
The International Classification of Diseases divides mental disorders into:
- mood disorders;
- neurotic (provoked by stress);
- incomplete or delayed mental development;
- related to the use of psychoactive substances;
- behavioral and personality disorders in adulthood.
- schizotypal and persistent delusional disorders;
- organic (due to diseases and brain injuries);
- behavioral (due to physiological and physical factors);
- disorders of psychological development (appear at a certain age).
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COST OF TREATMENT
Why mental disorders are difficult to diagnose
There are many mental illnesses, and some of them are very difficult to identify and clearly define. Even experienced doctors may need additional research and time to clarify the diagnosis.
Difficulty in diagnosing is a normal situation. It is also typical for other classes of diseases. The difficulty in making an accurate diagnosis is due to the fact that:
- Mental disorders are easily mistaken for symptoms of other illnesses.
- The same symptoms may indicate several disorders at once.
- Some disorders cannot be identified at an early stage, and they develop very slowly.
- People who are ill do not realize that they have problems, or they hide them from others and refuse to seek help.
The last point is the most common reason for late diagnosis.
What symptoms should you pay attention to?
Any chronic disease involves three stages: early signs, acute condition and remission. There are signs/symptoms that precede an acute condition: for example, sleep disturbances (can’t sleep, sleep too long, often wake up at night and can’t sleep, etc.), lack of appetite, increased sensitivity, increased irritability, depressed mood, sudden attacks of anxiety, Difficulty concentrating, avoiding communication with people - these are early warning signs of an exacerbation of the condition. If at the stage of early signs a person does not receive adequate help, then the manifestations of the disease develop, the condition worsens, and the disease enters the acute stage.
In general, symptoms of an acute condition can be divided into 5 groups:
- Emotional and mood changes: melancholy, anxiety, sudden attacks of fear, agitation, increased irritability, lack of emotions;
- Changes in physical well-being: sleep disorders (lack of sleep or excessive sleepiness), lack of appetite, constant fatigue, stiffness/weakness/tension in muscles, weight loss;
- Changes in behavior: avoidance of communication with people, distrust of people, withdrawal into oneself, departure from the usual daily routine, leaving home, unexpected expression of interest in unusual things (deepening into religion, interest in magic), impaired performance (impaired attention, decreased stability to stress), a sharp decline in activity, a careless attitude towards oneself, lack of energy, lack of initiative;
- Changes in thinking: chaos of thoughts, emptiness in the head, obsessive thoughts, other people’s thoughts in the head, thoughts are read/controlled by others, thoughts “jump”;
- Perception disturbances: noise and color are perceived distorted or amplified, the feeling that you or everything around you has changed, I see things that others do not see, I hear voices inside my head, I smell unusual smells, I have unpleasant sensations in the body, all events or the actions of other people relate to me, a feeling of surveillance, influence (other people have access to my thoughts, can control me), I can control the thoughts of other people.”
These are the main symptoms that may appear at the onset of a mental disorder. Based on the combination of these symptoms, doctors assess the condition and decide on hospitalization or the possibility of outpatient treatment.
How does mental illness develop? At this time, it is believed that many diseases of the psychotic spectrum (that is, severe ones) are chronic. That is, while we cannot completely cure the patient, we can achieve long-term or lifelong remission.
