Mental disorders are generally characterized by some combination of abnormal thoughts, emotions, behaviour and relationships with others. Most of these disorders can be successfully treated. Mental illness is not the result of personal weakness or a character defect and recovery from a mental illness is not simply a matter of will and self-discipline.
Classification
- Organic
- Acute (delirium)
- Chronic (dementia)
- Substance misuse
- Schizophrenia and delusional disorders
- Affective(mood) disorders
- Depression
- Mania
- Recurrent affective disorders
- Neurotic, stress-related and Somatoform disorder
- Anxiety disorders
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Acute stress disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Adjustment disorder
- Dissociative (conversion disorder)
- Somatoform disorder
- Neurasthenia
- Behavioural syndromes associated with physiological disturbance
- Eating disorder
- Sleep disorder
- Sexual dysfunction
- Puerperal mental disorders
- Personality disorders
Causes of mental disorders
- Heredity (genetics)
Hereditary means that one is more likely to get the condition than if one has an affected family member.
- Biology
Abnormal balance of neurotransmitters (special chemicals in the brain).
- Psychological trauma like-
- Severe emotional, physical or sexual abuse
- Significant early loss( a parent)
- Childhood neglect
- Environmental stressors
- Divorce/dysfunctional family life
- Changing jobs or schools
- Substance abuse
Treatment
As many as 8 in 10 people suffering from a mental illness can effectively return to their normal activities if they receive appropriate treatment.
- Medication
- Meditation
- Chanting mantras
- Psychotherapy
- Group therapy
- Systemic desensitization
- Flooding
- Operant conditioning
- Modelling
- Day treatment or partial hospital treatment
- Cognitive-behaviour therapy
- Behaviour modification
- Alternative therapies
- Water therapy
- Massage
- Biofeedback
- Creative therapies
- Art therapy
- Music therapy
- Play therapy
- Hypnotherapy
- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
- Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS)
Yoga and dhyana are proving very crucial in the treatment of mental disorders. Calming down the patient in aggressive cases is the key to treatment success. Though it is easy to say that let the patient do dhyana. But most of the time mental disorders patients, are reluctant to go deep inside them. They are just fearful. But with yoga techniques, this fear is gradually alleivated.