Forms and degrees of mental disorders - Medical blog MedBooking.com

Genius – the norm or deviation?

Mental disorder syndromes were characteristic of the overwhelming majority of geniuses. Often, behind unusual behavior, which seemed original and expressive in society, there was a deep human drama or the initial form of mental disorder. The fame of a "strange person", uncontrollable, rebellious, withdrawn or aggressive, accompanied geniuses until the end of their lives. The fate of many great people was tragic. Van Gogh began painting at the age of 27, sold only one painting during his lifetime. The artist suffered from deep depression. It is known that in a fit of insanity, he cut off his ear, and later shot himself. Leonardo da Vinci and Beethoven died without a family. The genius Mozart did not have the money to provide himself with a decent life, and was buried in a common grave.

It is curious that the inclinations of genius in Mozart, Pushkin, Picasso and most other talented individuals manifested themselves at a very early age. This suggests that a unique gift was given to them from above, and a difficult life path full of ups and downs was predetermined.

Causes of mental disorders

The term "mental disorder" can be attributed to a large number of diseases associated with an abnormal state of the psyche. An experienced psychologist, having conducted a small analysis and talked with his patient, can make a correct diagnosis of the disease. If a person is in a certain degree of mental disorder, only a consultation with a psychotherapist can help him.

Mental illnesses are the result of disruptions in the functioning of various parts of the brain. Such failures affect the activity of all body systems. Therefore, the appointment of treatment methods should be based on data on the patient's overall health.

As causes of mental disorders, doctors distinguish external and internal factors. External factors include various types of infections, intoxications, traumatic brain injuries, cerebral hypoxia, etc. Internal causes include failures in the endocrine system, severe emotional shock and genetic predisposition. It is important to note that some forms of mental disorders, for example, those caused by experiences, alcoholic psychosis or infection, are completely curable and may never recur.

The most common causes of mental disorders include:

• pathological heredity (diseases: oligophrenia, less often schizophrenia);
• negative impact on the brain of the developing fetus during intrauterine development (mental retardation);
• infectious diseases, acute or chronic poisoning with poisons, drugs, household chemicals, alcoholic or narcotic substances (psychopathy, delusional disorder, delirium tremens);
• self-poisoning of the body (autointoxication against the background of some serious diseases - oncology, diabetes);
• head injuries (bruise, concussion);
• severe mental trauma of various natures (shock, acute, long-term), associated with the honor, dignity of the individual, his social prestige or directly with a threat to life.

Star stress: forms of mental disorders in celebrities

Famous and famous people are no less susceptible to the risk of developing certain mental disorders. For example, the famous American actress Catherine Zeta Jones suffered from bipolar affective disorder (manic-depressive psychosis) after caring for her husband, actor Michael Douglas, who had laryngeal cancer. The woman's psyche could not cope with such a serious test.

In 2011, the actress was hospitalized and, thanks to a mild mental disorder, quickly regained her health. Other celebrities have also openly spoken about their periodic mental health problems: actress and singer Demi Lovato (bipolar disorder due to bulimia and anorexia), actress and designer Mary-Kate Olsen (anorexia nervosa), Winona Ryder (kleptomania). So if the "stars" are not ashamed to talk about their ailments to the whole world, ordinary people should not be afraid of a consultation with a psychotherapist either.

Symptoms and syndromes of mental disorders

General psychopathology studies signs of illness, symptoms and syndromes of mental disorders. Let's start by defining these terms.

A symptom is a clinical criterion, a sign of a certain characteristic of the body (perception, thinking, memory), indicating pathology and abnormal activity.

A syndrome is a complex of similar symptoms that are interconnected. Syndromes of mental disorders are a form of expression of a specific disease, and the successive change of syndromes gives a complete picture of the course of the disease.

People suffering from mental disorders may be susceptible to the following symptoms and syndromes:

• asthenia (increased fatigue, sensitivity, tearfulness);
• obsessive state (the emergence of uncontrollable thoughts, fears, doubts);
• affective syndrome (persistent deterioration of mood, transition to mania or depression);
• senestopathy (manifestation of unusual sensations in the form of tingling, burning, etc.);
• hypochondriacal syndrome (excessive concern for one's health, suspicion of diseases);
• illusions (erroneous perception of reality and events);
• allucinations (the patient sees, hears and feels things that are not really there);
• delirium (incorrect conclusions, false conviction, lack of meaning);
• catatonic syndromes (motor impairment - stupor, immobility, refusal to speak);
• clouding of the mind (detachment, memory and thinking impairments, problems with orientation in time);
• dementia (decrease in all intellectual functions).

Since people suffering from mental illnesses are not aware of what is happening and cannot always seek help, responsibility for their treatment falls on their loved ones. Their task is to make an appointment with a psychotherapist when the symptoms of the sick person's behavior begin to go beyond the mental norm.