Depressive disorders are health conditions that affect an individual’s mood, thinking, behavior, and feeling. It is estimated that one in every five adults in the United States lives with a mental illness. The most common depressive disorders include anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), personality disorders, dementia, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), and clinical depression. The above mental disorders are caused by various factors, including family genes, a chemical imbalance in the brain, traumatic brain injury, mother’s exposure to toxic substances while pregnant, loneliness, and prolonged use of alcohol and other substances. However, the mental illnesses vary in degree of severity, ranging from mild to moderate to severe. This paper aims to provide an in-depth discussion of each of the mental disorders mentioned above, their causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

Anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders are mental illnesses associated with a strong feeling of worry, fear, or anxiety, which interfere with vidual’s daily activities (Celano et al., 2016). Anxiety disorders include panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorders. Celano et al. (2016) argue that anxiety disorders are caused by trauma, excess stress, alcohol, drug abuse, or family background. Individuals suffering from anxiety disorders may experience restlessness, fatigue, fast breathing, sweating, insomnia, nausea, lack of concentration, racing thoughts, and palpitations. The diagnosis of anxiety disorders is based on symptoms such as lack of sleep, irritability, restlessness, being easily fatigued, and muscle attention. The treatment of anxiety disorders may include physiotherapy, medication, or lifestyle management. The commonly used therapies include cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation, and talk therapy. The medication used includes antidepressant drugs such as SSRIs, sedative drugs, and anxiolytic drugs (Celano et al., 2016).

Bipolar

Bipolar is a mental condition characterized by mood swings ranging from mild to extreme. Other symptoms of bipolar include low energy, low motivation, loss of touch with reality, and high energy sometimes (Ruderfer et al., 2018). Bipolar is caused by periods of high stress, family history, prolonged use of alcohol, and other drugs. People diagnosed with bipolar often report feeling sad, hopeless, or losing interest in many things. The most common types of bipolar include bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymic disorder (Ruderfer et al., 2018). Medical practitioners require that individual experiences at least one of the mentioned symptoms before a diagnostic test is conducted. Diagnosis of the type of bipolar is done using diagnostic and manual of mental disorders (DSM). However, doctors may do a physical test or order a laboratory test. The treatment of bipolar can either be through mood stabilizers, anti-anxiety medications, and antidepressants.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD is a mental condition that is triggered by either experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. The condition is characterized by nightmares, sweating, insomnia, nausea, flashbacks, and uncontrollable thoughts about the terrifying event (American Psychiatric Association, 2015). The symptoms of PTSD may last for months or even years if events that cause trauma keep repeating. The diagnosis of PTSD is commonly done through physical examination. The condition is treated through medications such as SSRIs or physiotherapy sessions. To prevent the development of PTSD after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event, individuals should practice relaxation techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, and yoga.

Personality disorder

A personality disorder is a mental illness that prompts people to behave, feel, or think in a manner that deviates from cultural expectations. Personality disorders are caused by experiencing childhood trauma, abuse, violence, and parental neglect. According to the American Psychiatric Association (2015), the common types of personality disorders include paranoid, borderline, schizoid, schizotypal, and compulsive personality disorders. The symptoms of personality disorders include suicidal behaviors, unstable self-image, binge eating, and mood swings. The diagnosis of this condition is done by a specialist and involves analyzing the long-term patterns of the symptoms. However, it is not done to individuals below 18 years because their personality is still developing before this age. There are no known ways to treat personality disorders. However, antidepressants, mood-stabilizing, and anti-anxiety medication are used to reduce some symptoms. Physiotherapies are also used, whether in place of or together with medication.

Dementia

Quiroz et al. (2020) define dementia as a mental illness characterized by loss of memory, language, or inability to solve problems, which interfere with a patient’s daily life. Other symptoms of dementia condition include difficulty concentrating, mood swings, forgetfulness, hallucination, and inability to recognize common things. The mental disorder is associated with prolonged abuse of alcohol, vascular disorders, traumatic brain injury, and infections in the central nervous system (Quiroz et al., 2020). The most prevalent causes of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease and genetic factors. The diagnosis of dementia involved physical examination, medical history analysis, brain scan, genetic tests, and a series of laboratory tests. Although dementia is an irreversible condition, medications and therapies are used to manage severe symptoms. Prevention of dementia involves avoiding smoking, exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, and stay involved in social activities. Read more

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a serious mental condition associated with the abnormal interpretation of reality. In other words, schizophrenia affects an individual’s thinking, feeling, and behavior (Ruderfer et al., 2018). The exact cause of this condition is unknown, but it is suspected to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors that interfere with the brain structure and chemistry. Other characteristics of schizophrenia include disorganized speech, disorganized thinking, delusion, and hallucination (Ruderfer et al., 2018). The diagnosis of schizophrenia involves a physical examination, blood tests, and MRI scan. Schizophrenia is not curable but involves a lifelong process of managing symptoms. The symptoms can be managed through the use of medications such as antipsychotic and anti-tremor and therapies such as behavioral therapy, family therapy, cognitive therapy, and use of support groups. Schizophrenia can be prevented by not using drugs and avoiding social isolation.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

The obsessive-compulsive disorder is a chronic condition in which individual experiences uncontrollable and repetitive thoughts or behaviors that they have an urge to repeat over and over again. The condition is associated with a panic attack, repetition of words, social isolation, hypervigilance, and repetitive movements. The diagnosis of OCD involves psychological evaluation, which evaluates thoughts, feelings, and behavior patterns (American Psychiatric Association, 2015). Like all other depressive disorders, are treated using medications, including SSRIs, anxiolytic, and antidepressants. It may also be treated using therapies such as support groups, cognitive behavioral therapy, and psychotherapy.

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD)

DMDD is a condition prevalent among children, causing prolonged irritation and frequent temper outbursts even without provocation (American Psychiatric Association, 2015). The temper outburst among children with this condition is experienced, on average, about three times per week. The diagnosis of DMDD involves the physical examination of symptoms. The most important thing is that this condition is treatable through medication, behavioral therapies, or a combination of both.

Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD)

According to Cortese and Tessari (2017), attention deficit hyperactive disorder is a chronic condition that begins in childhood and is associated with hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, and difficulty sustaining attention. Other symptoms of ADHD include constant fidgeting, excessive talking, interrupting conversations, and excessive physical movements (American Psychiatric Association, 2015). This condition’s diagnosis is not done unless an individual exhibits the symptoms for more than six months. It cannot also be diagnosed among children aged 12 years and below. The treatment of ADHD involves the use of medications such as cognition-enhancing medication and antihypertensive drugs. It can also be treated using therapies such as support groups, anger management, family therapy, and cognitive behavior therapy (Cortese & Tessari, 2017: American Psychiatric Association, 2015). ADHD can be prevented by maintaining a healthy diet and avoiding the use of substances such as alcohol.

Clinical depression or major depression

Clinical depression or major depression is a mental health condition associated with loss of interest in activities and persistently depressed moods (Otte et al., 2016). Clinical depression is caused by a combination of biological, social, and psychological sources of distress. Diagnosis of clinical depression is only done when individual experiences more than five symptoms constantly for not less than two weeks (Otte et al., 2016). Clinical depression is treated through the use of medication, therapies, or a combination of both. It can be prevented by getting enough sleep, regular exercise, and maintaining a good diet.

In conclusion, depressive conditions are health illnesses that affect mood, thinking, behavior, and feeling. The most common depressive disorders include anxiety disorders, bipolar, PTSD, personality disorders, dementia, schizophrenia, OCD, DMDD, ADHD, and clinical depression. Most of these conditions are diagnosed through physical observation of symptoms. Additionally, they exhibit similar symptoms, including mood swings, inability to concentrate, forgetfulness, and insomnia. Moreover, most of these conditions have similar causes, including genetics, prolonged substance abuse, and stress. All the depressive disorders are treated using medication, therapies, or a combination of both.