Depression runs rampant through our society. It seems like it’s the “common cold” of mental illness.
Depression is often a progressive and debilitating disorder.
It is like having a ‘bruised brain’ that refuses to heal. There is an substantial list of psychological disorders. Technically depression is a mood disorder that has a series of symptoms. These symptoms are the evidence that something is definitely wrong.
Depressed mood (such as feelings of sadness or emptiness).
Reduced interest in activities that used to be enjoyed.
Change in appetite or weight increase/decrease.
Sleep disturbances (either not being able to sleep well or sleeping too much).
Feeling agitated or slowed down.
Fatigue or loss of energy. Feeling exhausted, even when you wake up.
Feeling worthless or excessive guilt.
Difficulty thinking, concentrating or troubles making decisions.
Suicidal thoughts or intentions.
The above list is a summary of something called the DSM-IV which doctors use to diagnose the mental disorder of depression. Spinning off this, you will discover some other disorders, like:
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
Panic disorder, panic attacks
Social withdrawal, isolating from others
Depersonalization/derealization
OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder)
Psychosis and paranoia, hallucinations
PTSD (post traumatic stress syndrome)
Specific Phobias (fears of something)
SAD (social anxiety disorder)
Schizophrenia, or, schizoaffective disorder
Eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia)
One in four.
Even though mental illness is widespread in the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion-about 6 percent, or 1 in 17 Americans-who live with a serious mental illness. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that one in four adults–approximately 57.7 million Americans–experience a mental health disorder in a given year.
Unfortunately, there is a great deal of misunderstanding and stigma for those who have these disorders. I suppose people often compare it to having VD (venereal disease) or AIDS. It seems that our culture is pretty quick at labeling people as deviant or undesirable.
I hope this helps somehow. I can see a 100 holes in it, and alas, it is a meager attempt. But perhaps it will be of some value. Both NAMI.org, Psychcentral.com, and WebMD.com all have excellent info on Mental Illness.
Broken Believers 