Mental ill health

A mental disorder is a medical term that refers to a diagnosable illness. A mental disorder can impact a person’s thoughts, emotions and behaviour. Sometimes our mental health is put under more strain, and experiencing temporary emotional pain in difficult circumstances is completely normal. However, it is important to recognise mental disorders and get the appropriate treatment for them.

Bipolar disorder is recognized by changes in mood, which are elevated during manic periods and decreased during depressive periods. Drug treatment can prevent illness episodes. The condition often requires treatment in psychiatric specialist care.

Eating disorders are mental disorders in which people’s relationship with food, exercising, body image (the perception of personal appearance) or their general perception of themselves have a negative impact on their health.

We all worry about the future, but if worries dominate the world of thought, it may be a matter of generalized anxiety disorder, which is classified as a mental disorder. Help is available at your own health center.

Compulsive ideas and irrational habits are common, but if they hinder your life, it can be a matter of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Obsessive-compulsive disorder can be successfully treated with psychotherapy and medication, but many are ashamed for no reason for their symptoms and do not seek help.

Panic attacks are common, but if they are repeated and disturb your life, it can be a panic disorder. Panic disorder is treated with psychotherapy and medication, generally at your own primary care health center.

Personality disorder develops during childhood and adolescence and can be identified in a person as a young adult. The person with the disorder rarely self-recognizes the harmfulness of their behavior.

Specific phobia refers to a strong disproportionate and irrational fear related to a particular object or situation. Specific phobias can limit life considerably when trying to avoid the object of fear. Self-management or psychotherapeutic treatment effectively reduce symptoms.

Psychoses are mental disorders with disturbed perceptions of reality. Early treatment is important, and many recover completely after a psychosis. Antipsychotic medications are often an important part of the treatment, which usually takes place in specialist health care.

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder with a disturbed perception of reality and thought disturbances. Early treatment is important, and many recover from their symptoms. Schizophrenia is treated in specialist care.

In social phobia, normal nervousness has turned into a life-limiting fear of being subject to observation. You are embarrassed, ashamed and have fears of being rejected, humiliated, and shunned, and therefore avoid social gatherings and encounters. Effective treatment is available for social phobia.