Sunday, November 2, 2008

How a Mental Health Disorder Can Affect Your Life

How a Mental Health Disorder Can Affect Your Life
By Ian J Spencer

There are many different types of mental health disorders in this world. Mental disorders do not discriminate, they do not care what color of skin you have, how much money you make, where you live, what religion you practice, whether you are young or old, male or female. The impact these mental health disorders can have on your life can be severe. This is why it is important that you pay attention to any symptoms that you have of mental disorders and seek appropriate treatment for them.

Everyone at some point or another will experience anxiety, especially in the face of life changing events. It is also normal to occasional feel down in the dumps. However, when these feelings fill your days and inhibit your ability to function and perform normal daily activities well, it is time for you to seek help from a medical professional. Below is list of some of the most common types of mental disorders faced by people today.

Panic Attacks

A person that is experiencing a panic attack can be overwhelmed with fear and panic. Depending on the severity of the attack, some people may experience heart palpitations, increased breathing, feeling as if they were going to die, that they are all alone and a sense of helplessness. Panic attacks impact your life greatly because they can inhibit the way you function and enjoy life. When you feel that you are going to suffer from a panic attack soon, stop doing everything and take a break instead. You do not want to trigger an attack and put your health at unnecessary risk.

Phobias

These are anxiety disorders that are associated with an extreme fear of an object, a place or a situation. This fear goes above and beyond what is considered as "normal." When it comes to phobias, there are hundreds of different types of them. They range from fear of leaving the house to the fear of bugs, to the fear of heights and everything else in between. A person that suffers from a phobia will do everything they can to avoid the thing or situation. When they do encounter their fear, they will experience intense anxiety which can lead to panic attacks and all the other symptoms associated with a panic attack.

Depression

It is important to note that depression is more than a period of feeling down, feeling sad and discontented with life. Depression takes place when these feelings last for more than two or three weeks. With depression, there is a loss of enjoyment and happiness. You will feel sad, lethargic, have difficulties sleeping, make changes in your diet, and even contemplate death and suicide.

OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

This is another mental health disorder that falls under anxiety disorders. Basically, this is an obsessive or irrational thought that leads to ritualistic behaviors or compulsions. Such as a person who has an obsession with cleanliness will spend an enormous amount of time cleaning and disinfecting. They may even wear gloves, insist that you put on footies over your shoes prior to entering their homes, that if they even let you in. Other examples include constantly checking and rechecking doors to see if they are closed and locked.

As you cans see, suffering from a mental health disorder can affect your life dramatically. This is why you need to be able to identify the problems that you are suffering from and find ways to effectively manage and control them.


source : http://ezinearticles.com/?How-a-Mental-Health-Disorder-Can-Affect-Your-Life&id=1353318

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