understanding mental health diagnoses
I have my own list that came with specialists, coping skills, and hospital stays. My first diagnosis was ADHD and that one was quite obvious, but I do want to discuss it further because it’s so misunderstood. After that, I was also diagnosed with OCD which is extremely misunderstood across the board. Next was PTSD, which was again, obvious, and finally Bipolar Disorder. But what are the others? How do you get diagnosed? Are the multiple disorders occurring and if so, how do you untangle them? Time and money, baby. Let’s start with a list.
1. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
2. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
3. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
4. Depression
5. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
6. Bipolar Disorder (BP)
7. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
8. Schizophrenia
9. Schizoaffective disorder
10. Eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia)
First, let’s ask, how do you get one of these disorders? Genes and family history play a role which is why you see disorders appear across a family tree. There are also biological factors like a chemical imbalance in the brain. And life experiences can cause these disorders when trauma or abuse has occurred. Some sources also mention traumatic brain injuries as a cause, and I’d like to mention brain tumors as well (they always started with an MRI for me). The use of alcohol and drugs can also cause someone to have these disorders.
These disorders are all labeled either anxiety disorders, mood disorders, personality disorders, etc. Anxiety disorders include OCD, PTSD, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. With these disorders, it’s all about fear and how you respond to it. OCD tells me that I need to do things to fix how I’m feeling or take away the fear, and these are called compulsions. PTSD keeps me on edge and ready for any danger to occur even if there isn’t any danger in that circumstance. Generalized Anxiety Disorder is less specific, but it still ignites your nervous system to respond to situations with fear and anxiety even if the situation doesn’t call for it. And many people get stuck in fight or flight as their body tells them they’re not safe or need to change.
There are also mood disorders and personality disorders. Mood disorders obviously effect your mood while personality disorders deal with personality. Bipolar disorder is the most common mood disorder and it’s my biggest enemy. Except when plagued with bouts of manic depression, mania can cause someone to become delusional and even psychotic. The up and down nature can give you whip lash. Relationships can suffer, all your money spent, believing your Jesus Christ himself. Depression is another mood disorder that consists of a scale of lows that can cause you to not have enough energy to brush your teeth. Everything becomes impossible and it can last for years. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) falls under personality disorders, and it is one of the most difficult mental health diagnoses you can receive. BPD effects the way people view themselves and others, and it makes it difficult to function. Most times self-identity is unstable and therefore makes the individual unstable. There is no medication that specifically treats this disorder and most of the recovery is therapeutic.
Now, schizophrenia, the disorder an incompetent doctor almost diagnosed me with, is also psychotic in nature. It effects how people think, feel, and behave and the most common symptoms are hallucinations. These can be visual, auditory, tactile, and olfactory. There’s also schizoaffective disorder which is basically a combination of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. As I said, because psychosis was part of my condition, these diagnoses were considered for me. Either one of these disorders effects how a person lives tremendously, and many consider themselves to be disabled.
ADHD is probably the most commonly diagnosed mental health condition (on scale with depression and anxiety). Symptoms include impulsiveness, disorganization, poor time management, trouble focusing and multi-tasking, and restlessness. The worst symptom (in my mind) is executive function which stops you from doing WHAT YOU WANT TO DO but ADHD stops you from doing it. I still think that ADHD is not entirely understood, and the commonality limits the public’s attitude toward it.
The last mental health disorder is eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia. Bulimia is when someone eats a large amount of food and then makes themselves sick afterwards. When this happens, the person could feel shame or guilt, but the process still repeats. Anorexia is when people do not eat anything. Point blank. They could also excessively work out or take laxatives. Anorexia in most common in young women, but men cannot be forgotten. It may be obvious to you if you have an eating disorder, but admission and treatment can help you really understand.
Now, there are many more mental health diagnoses and some of these may have more specific or different types. To get diagnosed, a doctor will run tests to rule out a physical problem. This can include blood tests and MRI’s. When cleared, it is time to see a psychiatrist who will run a psychological evaluation. For this evaluation, you will be asked about your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and the psychiatrist will use this information to make a diagnosis. This can be scary, and maybe not what you expect, but it may be clear to someone who studied mental health diagnoses. I do want to say that you can leave a psychiatrist if it’s not for you or you think they’re wrong. I strongly suggest being open minded and not gunning for the disorder you think you have, but you also know your mind and body best so trust your instincts.
Hope this helps.
xoxo
