Bipolar disorder, sometimes known as manic depression, causes serious changes in moods, vitality, and other behaviour going from the heights of mania on one level, to the depths of depression on the other. More than just a momentary good or bad mood, the bi polar disorder cycle last for days, weeks, or even for months and unlike normal mood swings, the mood changes of bi polar disorder are so intense that they affect your ability to function.

If you look closely at the classification of mental disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in its Diagnostic and Statisitical Manual version IV (DSM-IV) the majority of ‘disorders’ listed are actually behavioural and not solely mental. How is ‘mental disorder’ to be defined? When does ‘feeling a bit down’ become depression? When does being excited or elated become ‘manic’.

Formerly known as manic-depression, bipolar affective disorder is characterised by wide mood swings from excitability and insomnia to depression. Both extremes vary in both intensity and length.

According to DSM-IV there are several types of bipolar disorder each with differing diagnostic criteria: for example Bipolar Type I is characterised by ‘the occurrence of one or more Manic Episodes or Mixed Episodes. Often individuals have also had one or more Major Depressive Episodes’. (DSM-IV Categories 296.0x – 296.89)

Who hasn’t experienced either manic or depressive symptoms at some time? Does this mean it is a mental disorder or is it sometimes just a normal reaction to events and situations, whether the cause is known or unknown, obvious or hidden?

The difference between bipolar disorder and mental illness according to the criteria classified by the APA and generally accepted by tradtional mental health professionals is simply that there is a huge range of mental disorders and bipolar is just one of the many.

Alternatively, it could be argued that bipolar disorder is not a discrete disorder, if it is a disorder at all. Instead of trying to neatly classify and pigeonhole a patient into a particular category of disorder, we should look more closely at the individual and their presenting symptoms in a wider personal and social context. It may be that the individual is less sick than an irrational society that seeks to label what in many contexts could be defined as perfectly rational behaviour.

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A very common problem now a day is mental disorder. It is a very general term that covers all the problems that are related to our mind. These problems arise when our mind is hit harshly by external and internal problem. These problems are the facts that are consciously or subconsciously not acceptable to our mind. This unwanted feeling of acceptance of the result of the given problem leads to the creation of psychic disease, which is termed as mental disorder. Our body’s mechanism is such that it tries to come in harmony by it self but if the person is not able to come out of the problem that is prevailing, it leads to mental sickness. This results in imbalance in mind; behavior, attitude, reactions, tolerance, manners, actions and outlook or simply we can say the person becomes abnormal in his day-to-day activities. These conditions can involve any person, of any age, either of the two sexes, of any place and of any socioeconomic background.

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.

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