Mental illness can develop due to life circumstances or it can be passed down genetically. It's good to be aware of the most common forms of mental illness so that you can get yourself or a loved one help when needed. The team of experienced professionals at Compassionate Wellness Center in Hagerstown, MD, provide mental health treatments including counseling and medication management for patients.
What Is Mental Illness?
Most people are familiar with what it means when a patient falls ill physically, but are not as familiar with what it means to have a mental illness. It is any condition that affects your mood, the way you think, your behavior, and how you interact with others. In some cases, it develops due to a chemical imbalance in the brain, but anyone can find themselves struggling with mental illness whether it’s due to a life event or a very stressful situation. Just as is the case with a physical illness, intervention steps should be taken as soon as possible for mental illness to avoid adverse results such as a nervous breakdown or manifesting physical symptoms.
Common Mental Illnesses
There are many different, specialized mental illnesses that patients are diagnosed with, but some are more common than others. Commonly discussed and diagnosed mental illnesses include:
- Depression (intense feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and lack of interest in normal life activities that persist for long periods).
- Anxiety disorder (feeling nervous, afraid, worried, or always on high alert in a way that interferes with your normal daily activities).
- Bipolar disorder (characterized by shifts in mood from manic to depressed).
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD (causes patients to display repetitive behaviors because of irrational thought processes).
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD (severe mental stress due to experiencing a very traumatic event).
- Schizophrenia (a genetic mental disorder that often doesn't manifest until the beginning of adulthood).
Mental Illness Treatments
Our Hagerstown, MD, wellness specialist can help you stabilize your mental health. The treatment plan may include:
- Talk counseling.
- Medications are prescribed to ease symptoms.
- Referral to other specialists, possibly to treat other conditions that could be impacting mental health.
Get Help When You Need It
Early intervention is crucial if you or a loved one is dealing with a mental illness. Call (240) 513-6001 today to schedule a mental health consultation with the providers at Compassionate Wellness Center in Hagerstown, MD.v