Mental disorders will get Poles

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Fears, eating stress, euphoria alternating with depression – it can get any of us. Psychiatrists report that every fourth Pole has or has had mental disorders. During the EZOP study, which analyzes the mental health of Poles, it turned out that 3 million people in our country have disorders related to alcohol abuse. Almost 10 percent has anxiety disorders and phobias, and approximately one million Poles experience affective disorders. The nineteenth century was a century of obsessions and hysteria. Today comes the time of mood disorders and compulsive behavior. Meet the 10 most common.

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1/ 10 Anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders, belonging to the group of neurotic disorders, affect both our behavior, thinking and emotions, as well as our physical health. These are some of the most common diseases of our time. They may appear not only as a result of biological factors, but also be conditioned by individual personal characteristics. These disorders often occur collectively, and sufferers experience more than one type of anxiety. It might seem that each of us is afraid of something sometimes, but people affected by anxiety disorders often complain of constant fear and suffering so strong that it becomes an obstacle to normal functioning. These symptoms may be associated with depression, appetite disorders or dependence. In the treatment of anxiety disorders, the key point is not the use of pharmaceuticals, but therapy aimed at teaching the patient to manage fear independently and to control his somatic symptoms. Most often, these effects are achieved through relaxation training, muscle tension reduction, and breathing techniques.

2/ 10 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder consists of recurring, unwanted, intrusive thoughts and compulsive actions. Many people may experience similar symptoms related only to excessive perfectionism, attention to detail or oversensitivity to specific stimuli. So how can you find out if you are sick? When do innocent habits develop into life-changing disorders? For the diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorders, it is assumed that activities of this nature should take at least an hour a day and interfere with normal functioning. Obsessions can be manifested by recurring images or impulses that penetrate into consciousness. They are often inconsistent, incomprehensible and often getting rid of them is so difficult that it makes it impossible to perform current tasks. Obsessed people recognize their irrationality, but there is nothing he can do about it. It does not help to create different images or keep chasing your thoughts out of the way. Compulsions, on the other hand, are usually reactions to obsessions. They consist in a kind of subjection to them and in response to them, creating rigid rituals aimed at counteracting malaise (e.g. frequent washing of hands in the case of an obsessive fear of bacteria) or preventing unfortunate events (constantly checking the lock on the door for fear of theft). However, compulsions do not provide real protection against threats, but only create the illusion of satisfying the needs created by our brain. Compulsive behaviors often become a factor that prevents normal functioning and causes many unpleasantness, therefore most patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder try to hide their symptoms from their surroundings. At the beginning, patients often manage to hide them from their relatives and refrain from performing “rituals” outside the home, which, however, results in an intensification of symptoms in the privacy of the home. As the disease progresses, the person becomes out of control and behaviors get out of control. When we notice such disorders, intrusive thoughts or repetitive behaviors, we should visit a specialist for help in determining their cause and working on reducing them.

3/ 10 Autism

Autism is a collective term that includes, inter alia, early childhood autism, atypical autism and Asperger’s syndrome. The functioning of the brain plays a very important role in autism, which is a developmental disorder. This disease consists in cutting off the outside world, limiting the exchange of information with the environment and a feeling of isolation. However, these symptoms can result in two different attitudes. Some patients feel loneliness and a huge emptiness. For others, the disease is associated with an extraordinary wealth of internal experiences, as well as an extremely colorful world of imagination. Factors influencing the onset of autism include not only psychological but also biological ones, such as brain damage. The disease is a complication related to hypoxia in the fetal and neonatal period, which results in microdamages of the brain, affecting speech and all spheres of personality. “Psychotropics” are relatively rarely used in the treatment of autism. Most often it is based on special education and the use of behavioral therapy.

4/ 10 Post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder occurs as the result of an event that a person has experienced, witnessed, or otherwise exposed to a threat of death or serious injury. During this situation, she must have experienced intense fear, helplessness, or terror. The person suffering from this condition may relive the traumatic event, think back to it, dream about it, or even hallucinate it, giving the impression that the threat is re-occurring. In addition, as a result of mentioning an event in the patient’s body, there are physiological reactions that symbolize certain aspects of the injury, such as severe tension, suffering, and even pain. Disorders, apart from causing a feeling of discomfort, may also impair social and professional functioning. If we notice such symptoms occurring as a result of a traumatic event, we should immediately see a specialist. It will not only help you choose possible medications, but also determine the course of therapy. If you suspect post-traumatic stress disorder, we can also carry out tests to assess the risk of disease, based on answers to a few simple questions. However, it should be remembered that a self-test does not replace a visit to a professional.

5/ 10 Depression

Many of us experience feelings of sadness or depression at times. However, it is relatively harmless and you shouldn’t worry about it. Sometimes, however, it can turn into a long-term depressed mood called depression. How to recognize her concerns? When should you seek medical advice or treatment? During depression, apart from a worse mood, there are also other symptoms, thanks to which we are able to classify it as such. First of all, we do not have energy, we do not feel joy, often what previously gave us pleasure now does not give any results. We feel helpless and reluctant to live, often reinforced by low self-esteem. Unlike other mental illnesses, depression is often neglected. This may be the result of behaviors such as the phrases common in everyday language: “But I’m depressed!” or “This makes me get depressed!” It seems to us that depression is the domain of the weak and anxious to get attention. However, this is not true. Research conducted on a global scale shows that about 17% of our population suffer from depression throughout their lives. So it poses a serious threat to our health and well-being. Depression is caused by disturbances in the functioning of synaptic transmitters, mainly serotonin and norepinephrine. Most often it is genetically determined, but its disclosure and development are largely influenced by the environment in which we operate. Many people believe that symptoms of depression should be “waited out” because everyone has good times and bad times. However, when it comes to depression, each day is important. If a person feels an irresistible aversion to life, his illness may end in suicide. Although the risk seems low to us and the problem is constantly marginalized, in Poland a similar number of people die as in car accidents due to depression. So when we notice disturbing signs in ourselves or in our loved ones, we should immediately seek help. Sometimes only a psychiatric consultation is enough, but if the condition is more serious, a psychiatrist should be consulted to prescribe any medications. Remember, however, that pharmacological treatment is not everything and in the case of severe, long-term mood disorders, you should also pay attention to factors that aggravate the disease, such as stress or family problems, which psychotherapy may be helpful to combat.

6/10 ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly known as ADHD, is a syndrome of neurodevelopmental mental disorders that manifests itself, inter alia, in attention deficit, hyperactivity, hyperactivity or impulsiveness. Although it is mainly attributed to young children, adults also suffer from it. Contrary to all opinions, it is not a question of “difficult character”, nor a disease caused by poor parenting. These disorders are genetically determined and associated with neurobiological changes in brain function. Their intensity decreases significantly with age, but they are never completely cured. While it might seem that it is enough to simply wait out the adolescent period, scientists are alarming to get treatment as soon as possible, as ADHD symptoms can contribute to low self-esteem, lack of self-acceptance, helplessness and fear of the world around us, which it is an important factor in the development of long-term depression, sleep disorders, and even the creation of addictions or addictions. If the symptoms do not significantly affect our functioning, we can limit ourselves to using psychological counseling consisting in developing ways of coping with everyday duties, as well as controlling and planning time. However, when disorders play a key role in our lives, therapy may be necessary, and in extreme cases even pharmacological treatment.

7/ 10 Insomnia

We live in times when sleep is often equated with laziness and a lazy lifestyle. Not all of us are able to afford 8 hours of sleep, not to mention taking restorative naps during the day. After all, how many times have we heard that time is money? Often, not realizing the importance of sleep in our lives, we give it up in favor of parties until the morning or additional duties. Sometimes, each of us is in a crisis situation and there is no way out, we just have to be at night. But when does our voluntary decision turn into a sleep disorder and we can’t fall asleep even when we try? Insomnia is a disturbance of the correct rhythm of the depth and duration of sleep. Then it does not fulfill its proper function, i.e. it does not regenerate and rest the body. If the disorder lasts more than 3 weeks, it is classified as a disease. The most common causes of insomnia are mental problems such as depression or psychosis, but also the use of various medications or various somatic diseases, such as an enlarged prostate. It occurs more often in elderly people and in women than in men. This disease is not an indication for polysomnographic examinations. However, they are sometimes performed to distinguish insomnia from other disorders that have similar symptoms. This test is performed by recording the entire sleep cycle and its breathing, eye movement, and muscle tone with an electroencephalogram. Insomnia is a serious disorder that can significantly disrupt our functioning and harm our health, so if you suspect a disease, consult a specialist.

8/10 Borderline

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a borderline personality disorder. It is characterized by emotional instability, strong mood swings, an unstable self-image. Relationships of people with BPD tend to be turbulent, and the disturbed person idealizes the partner to humiliate and belittle him in a moment. Even in a period of relationship stability, he is obsessed with fear of being abandoned and makes intense efforts to avoid it. Characteristic for this disorder is the chronic feeling of emptiness and meaninglessness in life, as well as self-destructive behavior. Treatment of BPD involves long-term therapy combined with pharmacology. Unfortunately, after the age of XNUMX, the personality can hardly be modified. The comforting news is that ten years later – in your forties, the intensity of mood swings and self-destructive behavior begins to decline.

9/ 10 Bipolar affective disorder

We all have better days and bad days. Sometimes, however, frequent changes in mood are caused not only by harmless changes in mood, but by bipolar disorder. It usually begins between the ages of 20 and 30, although the first symptoms are noticeable much earlier. It manifests itself in manic episodes and episodes of depression. Due to the type of disorder, there are four basic types. The former is characterized by depression and mania, the latter by depression and hypomania. The third type is distinguished by the rapid change of phases, while the fourth type consists of seasonal changes in mood (winter / summer period). The factors influencing the emergence of “bipolar disorder” are mainly influenced by genetic background, however, environmental factors, such as long-term stress or forced insomnia, also play an important role due to the possibility of contributing to both manic and depressive episodes. In the treatment of bipolar disorders, in addition to mood stabilizers or antidepressants, quite controversial but surprisingly effective electroshock therapy are also used, which are carried out when other forms of treatment are ineffective. Contrary to appearances, they are not only effective, but also painless, because they are performed under complete anesthesia.

10/ 10 Anorexia and bulimia

Anorexia, or anorexia nervosa, is the patient’s feeling a strong fear of gaining weight and the desire to achieve a dream, often unreal figure. To achieve his goal, a person fasts, exercises vigorously, and sometimes also uses laxatives. The disease results in significant weight loss and related health problems. In anorexia, the most important thing is not the external effects of the disease, although in extreme cases they may turn out to be fatal, but its psychological background. Anorexia is the best described and researched disorder in the field of eating disorders. Although it mainly affects women, men are more and more often affected by it. The age of onset of anorexia also changes significantly and decreases, more than once to the age of less than 12 years. In order to treat it, the therapy, which can be distinguished by many varieties, turns out to be particularly effective. One of the most important types of it is family therapy, which allows you to have a proper impact on the patient’s everyday environment and support him in the fight against the disease. Anorexia is one of the most difficult mental disorders to treat. Many people say that, as with alcoholism, the disorder never completely heals, but only mutes. Bulimia is another eating disorder that affects us more and more often today. Binge eating and vomiting, thanks to which the sick person gets rid of food, and thus also calories, and thus the fear of gaining weight, requires treatment by a psychiatrist and psychologist. Long-term therapy (lasting several years) as well as pharmaceutical support.

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