The most common mental health disorders affect millions of people across the United States every year. As a result, they cause huge amounts of pain for those people and their loved ones. Unlike rarer disorders like schizophrenia, the most common disorders are familiar to most people in the US.
Mood disorders affect emotions. They can include:
Most of these common mental health disorders cause impairments in the ability of the sufferer to feel pleasure or joy. The exception is bipolar disorder, in which the affected person alternates between periods of depression and mania. Basically, mania consists of excessive energy, a high sense of self-esteem, and grandiose thoughts.
Seasonal affective disorder affects a person’s mood during a specific season, usually the winter.
Self-harm results in a person hurting themselves. Cutting oneself is common, as is burning and striking.
Finally, all of these disorders create the risk of suicidal behavior, in which a person attempts to kill themselves.
The World Health Organization reports that anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders worldwide. Basically, these disorders create and cause excessive anxiety in the afflicted. However, the category actually encompasses many illnesses, including:
The disorders can cause symptoms as varied as panic attacks, a constant sense of dread, and even intrusive thoughts.
Anxiety disorders are often “comorbid” with mood disorders. In other words, people often suffer from a mood disorder and an anxiety disorder simultaneously. It’s difficult to untangle whether they arise spontaneously or whether one causes the other. But researchers have discovered that when one sort of disorder occurs, the other sort is more likely to follow.
Substance use disorders involve the use or overuse of drugs of abuse, including legal drugs like alcohol or prescription drugs. Consequently, the person overuses drugs to the point that they ignore their responsibilities. They may also damage their physical and mental health or spend inordinate amounts of money on the drug.
Like anxiety and mood disorders, substance use disorders frequently co-occur with other mental health disorders. When these disorders co-occur, it requires dual diagnosis treatment. Again, it’s difficult to discern whether the disorders arise independently or if there is a causal relationship between different disorders.
At the San Antonio Recovery Center, we understand how difficult it is to deal with substance use disorders. We also know how complicated co-occurring mental health disorders can make things. Therefore, we offer affordable treatment programs that aim to care for the whole person and not just a single issue. We provide the following treatments and programs:
Common mental health disorders are no laughing matter. So if you or a loved one suffer from substance use disorder and another condition, please call us at 866.957.7885. We can help get you on the path to wellness.
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