Classification Of Mental Illness

1062 Words3 Pages

Katheryne Kown
Ms. Patterson
British Lit.
24 August 2015
Mental Illnesses “Mental illness is real, mental illness is common, and mental illness is treatable!”(The Five Major). More than 54 million Americans have a mental illness every year, but very few of them seek treatment for their condition (The Five). In the past many people believed many mental illnesses had an unknown cause for starting or how it began. However, new research have found that many mental conditions are caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors (WebMD). In addition, there are over 200 classified forms of mental illnesses. The five major categories for these classifications are anxiety disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia/psychotic …show more content…

The first is panic disorders, a person with a panic disorder will experience panic attacks throughout their life. Panic attacks are overwhelmingly severs episodes of extreme fear that occur repeatedly, without warning and under harmless circumstances. They affect roughly 6 million Americans each year, and women are two times more likely than men to suffer from them. Many people who have had a panic attack think it is a heart attack, respiratory problem, or thyroid irregularity, so they often go to the emergency room. Some of the symptoms include heart palpitation, hot flashes or sudden chills, numbness or tingling sensations, chest pain, chocking sensation, sweating, trembling, dizziness, shortness in breath or hyperventilation, and nausea. The psychological symptoms include powerful feelings of imminent danger, impending doom, paralyzing terror, or an urgent need to escape. Panic attacks are uncomfortable and cause many people who experience them to fear the next one. Out of worry, those people would start to avoid places or circumstances that they believe were involved. (Lurigio, Arthur …show more content…

PTSD is an anxiety disorder caused by an indirect or direct exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence.

Work Cited
"The Five (5) Major Categories of Mental Illness." Mental Health Association In Forsyth County. 2011. Web. 24 Aug. 2015. .
"Anxiety Disorders." NIMH RSS. 1 May 2015. Web. 24 Aug. 2015. .
Piotrowski, Nancy A., Ph.D., and Lillian M., Ph.D. Range. "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder." Magill’S Medical Guide (Online Edition) (2014): Research Starters. Web. 25 Aug. 2015.
Lurigio, Arthur J. "Panic Attacks." Salem Press Encyclopedia Of Health (2014): Research Starters. Web. 25 Aug. 2015.
Baldridge, Iona C., and Nancy A., PhD Piotrowski. "Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder." Magill’S Medical Guide (Online Edition) (2014): Research Starters. Web. 25 Aug. 2015.
"Causes of Mental Illness." WebMD. WebMD, 8 Feb. 2014. Web. 26 Aug. 2015.

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