Mental disturbance

Mental Disturbance

A Mental Disturbance is a term that encompasses a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. Examples of mental disturbances include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors.

Definition

Mental disturbances are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these). They are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities.

Types of Mental Disturbances

There are several types of mental disturbances, including:

• Mood disorders: These include disorders such as major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder.
• Anxiety disorders: Examples include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder.
• Psychotic disorders: These include disorders such as schizophrenia and delusional disorder.
• Eating disorders: These include disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder.
• Addictive behaviors: These include disorders such as drug addiction, alcohol addiction, and gambling addiction.

Causes

Mental disturbances can be caused by a variety of factors, including:

• Genetics: Some mental disturbances may be passed on from parents to their children.
• Environment: Factors such as stress, abuse, or a traumatic event may contribute to the development of some mental disturbances.
• Brain chemistry: Imbalances in the chemicals that the brain uses to communicate can also cause some mental disturbances.

Treatment

Treatment for mental disturbances usually involves a combination of medication, therapy, and self-care. One or more types of treatment may be recommended, depending on the nature of the mental disturbance.

See Also

• Mental health
• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Psychotherapy