Despite a rough basis being set in part one of "The Evaluation," there continues to be a bit of information that must be introduced. Prior to moving towards society’s view on mental health and its stigma, I want to provide and outline of the world of mental health and inform the reader about the mental illnesses often unheard of in common conversation.

When a majority of society hears the term mental health, there is often an assumption of the term being in reference to depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsion or bipolar disorder. I think that what society fails to realize is that while those are all largely present in daily life, there are over 200 classified forms of a mental illness.

Before I list out this shorter, yet still long dictionary of mental health, let's start with information concerning what categorizes a mental disorder with the three D's; deviant (against social norms), distressful (unwanted or harmful), and dysfunctional (interferes with daily function). Harmful forms of dysfunction include MUDA, or a maladaptive exaggeration of normal behavior, an unjustifiable or irrational form of daily function, a disturbing aspect of daily function that causes hopelessness or guilt, and atypical daily function that is not normal in terms of social standards.

Understanding the platform of how a mental illnesses are diagnosed, you can then move forward in comprehending the variety of shapes of mental health.

*Quick disclosure - The intention of this article is not to act as a booklet for individuals as self-diagnosis, but to solely be informative about mental health and provide insight for symptoms of a given mental illness.*

Somatic Disorders

A somatic disorder is a mental illness defined by a personal experience of a psychological problem through a physiological symptom, relating to the way in which a living organism or bodily part functions.

Conversion Disorder

A mental condition characterized by blindness, paralysis, or other neurological symptoms that cannot be explained by medical evaluation. The symptoms of this disorder typically appear at times of extreme psychological stress and result from emotional conflict or need.

Somatic Symptom Disorder

A preoccupation with a persistent and irrational fear that one has an illness due to a personal focus on a physical symptom such as fatigue or pain.

Illness Anxiety Disorder

A mental condition in which a person is overly preoccupied with having or receiving a disease. Illness Anxiety Disorder differs from Somatic Symptom Disorder in that the condition may have no physical symptoms, such as pain and assume that regular bodily functions, like sweating, are a sign of a serious illness.

Factitious Disorder

Factitious Disorder is a condition that occurs as a patient intentionally acts physically or mentally ill without obvious benefits. The actions of the individual center around the ideal role of a patient so that they will then feign or exaggerate a symptom to fit such a role.

Dissociative Disorders

A Dissociative Disorder is a category of mental illness defined by a disruption in an individual's awareness, memory, or perception. Dissociative Disorders often result in an individual who suffers from the condition becoming unaware of some aspect of their identity or history.

Dissociative Amnesia

There are five patterns that tie into Dissociative Amnesia Disorder.

Localized - The patient cannot recall events of a limited period of time, whether that be several hours or several days, in response to a traumatic event.

Selective - The patient may remember some, but not the entirety of what occurred within a limited period of time.

Generalized - The patient is unable to recall anything from the entirety of their past and present.

Continuous - The patient experiences Dissociative Amnesia without the occurrence of a traumatic event in the past or present.

Systematized - The patient experiences memory loss in relation to specific information, such as a given person or place.

Depersonalization Disorder

A mental disorder in which an individual experiences a sensation of being disconnected from one’s body, thoughts, and emotions. Depersonalization Disorder may be caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain as well as a traumatic event, such as extreme violence.

Dissociative Identity Disorder

Formerly referred to as multiple personalities, Dissociative Identity Disorder is a condition that a person experiences as they subconsciously manifest more two or more distinct personalities. As one identity is able to alternately take control of the individual, a symptom of the disorder includes memory loss that cannot be explained by natural forgetfulness.

Personality Disorders

A Personality Disorder is a mental condition in which a person experiences inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning.

Cluster A

Cluster A Personality Disorders are characterized by odd or eccentric behaviors from an individual.

Paranoid Personality Disorder

Paranoid Personality Disorder is categorized as a chronic sense of paranoia or being observed and persecuted, resulting in the long-term mistrust of others.

Schizoid Personality Disorder

An individual suffering from the mental condition experiences an enduring pattern of perception that influences the way one thinks, relates to and understands themselves along with others. Schizoid Personality Disorder often results in the detachment from social relationships by an individual.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

A condition categorized by an individual's need for social isolation due to social anxiety, and often incorporates unconventional beliefs or hallucinations, such as possessing a "super" and inhuman power.

Cluster B

Cluster B Personality Disorders are characterized by dramatic, overly emotional, unpredictable and impulsive behaviors.

Borderline Personality Disorder

A mental disorder defined by unstable emotions, self-image, behavior, and relationships. An individual with Borderline Personality Disorder may participate in risky behavior and possess extreme emotional reactions. Borderline Personality Disorder is a female dominant mental health condition in comparison to Antisocial Personality Disorder that is male dominant.

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Histrionic Personality Disorder is characterized by an excess of emotions in an attempt to gain attention and approval. Histrionic Personality Disorder includes the incorporation of bizarre appearance and speech with individuals who have the condition often acting lively, dramatic, enthusiastic and vivacious.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

An individual with Narcissistic Personality Disorder typically acts in a manner that is superior to others. The condition can result from an excessive need for admiration and can lead to an individual being intolerant of others as well as a lack of understanding of another's feelings.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Antisocial Personality Disorder is a male-dominated mental health condition that showcases a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, with an individual expressing no signs of guilt or remorse. Although it is uncertain what exactly causes Antisocial Personality Disorder, it is estimated that the condition is a result of genetics and changes in brain development, such as an abnormally low amount of mirror neurons that allows the individual to feel empathy for another.

Cluster C

Cluster C Personality Disorders are characterized by a high level of anxiety.

Avoidant Personality Disorder

Avoidant Personality Disorder is characterized by a sensitivity towards rejection, feelings of inadequacy and self-consciousness due to social situations that result in a tension or strain within a relationship.

Dependent Personality Disorder

Individuals with Dependent Personality Disorder tend to behave in clingy and submissive ways while displaying a strong need for nurturing from another and a fear of separation.

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder is characterized by a general psychological inflexibility, rigid conformity to rules or procedures, and perfectionism. An individual with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder often experience unwanted repetitive thoughts, the obsessions, followed by an action in response to the thoughts, the compulsions.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety Disorders are characterized by a heightened autonomic nervous system.

Generalized Anxiety

Generalized Anxiety is a condition consisting of disruptive levels of persistent and unexplained feelings of apprehension as well as tenseness towards events or activities in daily functioning.

Panic Disorder

Panic Disorder is characterized by sudden bouts of intense, unexplained anxiety that often results in fear or discomfort. An individual who suffers from Panic Disorder may experience symptoms, such as sweating, heart palpitations, shaking, shortness of breath, numbness, paranoia or dizziness, during a panic attack.

Phobias

A phobia is a kind of anxiety disorder caused by a disruptive, persistent, and irrational fear of specific objects or situations. Phobias typically result in an individual going to an extreme as a means of avoiding such object or situation.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social Anxiety Disorder is characterized by fear or nervousness in social situations, leading to the individual often experiencing distress and an inability to function. Physical symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder range from sweating, stammering, nausea, trembling, possible panic attacks and more.

Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia is defined by an individual who begins to avoid spaces or situations associated with anxiety, resulting in a fear of going anywhere or doing anything where panic has occurred prior.

PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental condition consisting of persistent mental and emotional stress as a result of injury or severe psychological shock. Symptoms of the disorder may include flashbacks, severe anxiety, nightmares, and uncontrollable thoughts.

Depressive Disorders

Depressive Disorders are characterized by severe changes in daily functions, impacting possible weight loss/gain, feelings of hopelessness, irritability, thoughts of harm or suicide, fatigue, loss of focus, aches or pains, and more. It is important to note that Depressive Disorders do not occur in the same manner for every individual with there being different degrees as well as forms of depression. Contrary to popular belief, depression is not solely feeling sad but is often the absence of all emotions resulting in a sensation of numbness.

Major Depressive Disorder

Major Depressive Disorder occurs when signs of depression last two weeks or more and are not caused by drugs or medical conditions. Major Depressive Disorder cannot be explained by a single stimulus and impacts the way an individual thinks, feels and behaves in daily function.

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Persistent Depressive Disorder is characterized by similar symptoms to Major Depressive Disorder, however, such symptoms occur less frequently or severely.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder is similar to Persistent and Major Depressive Disorder but is triggered by a change in light or season, such as switching from warm to cold weather.

Postpartum Depression

The birth of a baby can occasionally result in a mental condition called Postpartum Depression in which a mother experiences a feeling of detachment from a baby and others. If the depression goes untreated, it can lead to a more severe form of Postpartum Depression known as Postpartum Psychosis.

Postpartum Psychosis

Postpartum Psychosis is a severe form of hallucinations, involving scent, sight, touch, sound, and thoughts. As a result of such hallucinations, Postpartum Psychosis can lead to the urges of a mother to kill oneself and/or baby.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder is characterized by an alternation between emotional highs, mania and hypomania, and lows, depression.

Bipolar I - Characterized by at least one manic episode, or mixed episode, and at least one episode of depression.

Bipolar II - Characterized by episodes of hypomania, a mood state of persistent disinhibition and elevation, and severe depression.

Cyclothymia - Characterized by less severe symptoms, in comparison to full-blown mania or depression, and clinical mood swings.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder categorized in the two sections of positive and negative symptoms.

Positive symptoms - Inappropriate thoughts and actions, the presence of hallucinations, disorganized thoughts, abnormal behavior.

Negative symptoms - Apathy, loss of contact with reality, irrational ideas, distorted perceptions.

Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders are characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits and often include a distorted perception of self from an individual.

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa, one of the most common forms of an eating disorder, involves the rapid weight loss of an individual due to the severe cutting of food and drink consumption.

Bulimia

Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by the consumption of large amounts of food in a given moment often followed by a period of purging through vomiting, laxative use or extreme exercise.

Binge Eating

Binge eating is characterized by the habit of eating far beyond the point of fullness often incorporating the sensation of a loss of control.

Others

Whereas Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia, and Binge Eating are the most heard of when discussing an eating disorder, there are other forms often undiscussed, such as Orthorexia, or the obsessive behavior in pursuit of a healthy diet that displays a mixed set of symptoms from anxiety disorders and other eating disorders.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Neurodevelopmental Disorders are characterized by the disturbance of the central nervous system, including developmental brain dysfunction, impaired motor functioning, learning or language. There are four levels of intellectual disabilities, including mild, moderate, severe and profound.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder is the name of a group of developmental disorders that incorporate a wide range of persistent deficits in social communication and interaction across multiple contexts. ASD can first be identified in childhood with the two types of displayed behaviors being restricted/repetitive behaviors and social communication/interaction behaviors.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ADHD is categorized into three sections of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that interfere with daily functioning or development.

Inattention - Difficulty sustaining focus, disorganized thoughts, a lack of persistence, wandering from a given task.

Hyperactivity - Excessive fidgeting, tapping, talking, inability to stay still, restlessness, need for constant activity.

Impulsivity - Actions occurring without prior thought/consideration of long-term consequences, inability to delay gratification, socially intrusive.

Tourettes

Tourettes is a Neurodevelopmental Disorder characterized by consistent vocal or motor “tics”, typically preceded by an unwanted urge or sensation in the muscles.

Sources

Grohol, John. "Symptoms & Treatments of Mental Disorders." PsychCentral, https://psychcentral.com/disorders/. Accessed 13 Nov. 2017.

Medline Plus , https://medlineplus.gov/mentaldisorders.html. Accessed 13 Nov. 2017.

NAMI National Alliance on Mental Illness, https://www.nami.org/#. Accessed 13 Nov. 2017.