Psychological disorders are more common than most people would think. This is because there is a stigma when it comes to talking about mental health. If you asked most people what the top 5 psychological disorders are, they wouldn’t be able to tell you. Let’s take a look at what the most common psychological disorders are.

Depression

More people around the world suffer from depression than any other mental health condition. Depression is most commonly characterized by having a general feeling of sadness and a lack of interest in pleasure. Low self-worth and a number of other symptoms also follow along with sadness.

Depression is often mischaracterized as a simple problem with the balance of chemicals in the brain. Besides an in balance of chemicals in the brain, a number of medical conditions and mental health disorders can cause depression. Medications can also cause depression.

You will find that depression comes in many forms. Severity can vary as well as the length of the symptoms. Treatment can also vary greatly.

Anxiety

Behind depression comes anxiety. It is a condition that can be described as a feeling of nervousness for what is coming or fear. There are many different levels of anxiety from small feelings of nervousness to crippling fear.

Like with depression, anxiety varies greatly in causes. For some people it is a symptom of another mental health diagnosis while for others they just experience anxiety.

Bi-polar Disorder

There are several different types of bi-polar disorder. Bi-polar I, bi-polar II, and cyclothymic disorder are three of the most common bi-polar types. In this condition people have periods of normal moods then experience episodes of manic and depressive feelings. The different types of bi-polar correspond to the symptoms and the severity of the symptoms experienced.

Bi-polar disorder is a good example of a mental health condition that causes depression. Those with bi-polar experience episodes of depression that varies in severity. Mania is a condition in which a person experiences heightened moods. The opposite of depression in some ways.

Psychosis

People like to believe that psychosis aren’t as common as they are, but in reality they are the fourth most common type of mental health disorder. When in a state of psychosis you experience a detachment from reality. Your thoughts and emotions are both detached from what is actually happening around you.

Psychosis has a number of different categories. The most common, and most well-known type of psychotic disorder is schizophrenia.

While the first few items on this list may have outward signs and affect your social life, schizophrenia and other psychosis can be some of the most impactful. There has long been a stigma against psychosis and as such there is a lack of support for those who have any of the many different types of psychosis.

Dementia

Dementia may be one of the most well-known mental health conditions because it is also one of the most feared. Dementia is an age related disease in which cognitive function decreases. Along with cognitive function, memories start to become hard to access. Many people around the world suffer from dementia as they start to age.

The most common time to develop dementia is as you start to get into the years of being considered a “senior.” With that being said, there is a type of dementia known as early onset dementia. Early onset dementia is far rarer and starts before the age of 65. Roughly 5% of those people who develop dementia do so before the age of 65.

These psychological disorders often make it difficult for patients to live what is considered to be a normal life. However, more and more treatments are being developed to help combat this. In fact, many cases of depression can be treated so that one can live a healthy life.

Knowing these disorders and the fact that they can have a major impact one one’s life will better equip you to see the world around you. Many of those who suffer from mental health disorders are not easy to spot in a crowd. They are all around you and being aware of that can allow you to help those you care about.