A psychological disorder, which can also be referred to as a psychiatric disorder or even a mental disorder, refers to a set of conditions and disorders of very different origins leading to difficulties in an individual’s life, suffering and disorders. of behavior. Mental disorders affect all populations, regardless of sex or age. These disorders can be chronic or permanent.
Depression, addictions and disorders linked to drug or alcohol consumption, anxiety and phobias, eating disorders, schizophrenic, bipolar or borderline disorders are examples of psychological disorders.
Mental health , an essential component of health, is a state of well-being, an ability of the mind to function normally and respond appropriately to environmental stimuli. We then speak of mental disorders when this state of well-being is disrupted by psychiatric conditions. The individual is then unable to adapt to difficult or even painful situations and to maintain his psychological balance.
Psychiatric disorders affect approximately 27% of the French population.
75% of psychiatric illnesses begin before the age of 25.
The appearance of disorders
Mental disorders can manifest in many ways and at different ages.
In the majority of cases, it is during adolescence, between 15 and 20 years of age, that these disorders manifest themselves, most often acutely.
Sometimes between the ages of 20 and 30 , when entering working life, a behavioral disorder appears, disrupting the person’s life.
The onset of disorders may be gradual. Changes in attitude, strange comments, withdrawal from the family group, distance from friends, loss of interest in usual activities.
First, we don’t understand or we don’t want to understand – we give these behaviors an external cause: adolescent crisis, heartbreak, failure at school, fear of exams, or taking drugs.
It also happens that the onset of the disorders is sudden (this is particularly the case with schizophrenia) and entails a real risk for the person and those around them: suicide attempt, extreme agitation, violence, running away.
A psychiatrist who was asked “but why does he take drugs
The abuse of drugs or hypnotics of all kinds affects many people with mental disorders . These drinks are intended as much to calm the anxiety caused by psychotic symptoms as to experience a certain pleasure. They can lead to habituation and dependence.
Cannabis consumed significantly significantly reduces the effect of medications.
Alcohol, depending on the patient, aggravates his depressive state or makes him aggressive.
The specialist will judge the reality and seriousness of the addiction and possibly suggest ways to help the patient moderate their consumption.
It also appears that the stabilization of the disease reduces the consumption of toxic substances.
For people with mental illness, money management is often problematic.
Due to a lack of anticipation, the vast majority of these people are incapable of managing their resources: chronic overdraft which can reach very large sums, perhaps a banking ban, debt with friends or relations, etc.
If the situation persists, it will be necessary to admit that the person concerned is not capable of coping and that they may need to be subject to legal protection.
To make such a decision, it is preferable to seek advice from professionals : social and/or legal services as well as from a Unafam delegation in the regions.
The “crisis” is the culmination of psychological illness. The crisis can manifest itself in a suicide attempt.
The crisis often results in hospitalization . This hospitalization, even if you experience it as a new “confinement”, can allow the patient to take a step towards stabilizati
Borderline personality, personality disorder
Borderline personality disorder is also known as the “borderline state” or “borderline state”. Understanding this illness is complex because it is difficult to know whether it is a full-fledged mental illness or a personality disorder. Sometimes it is only the first manifestation of a psychotic disorder.
Borderline personality is characterized by great instability in interpersonal relationships, emotional instability, poor appreciation of self-image, marked impulsivity.
Impulsivity manifests itself in all its forms: sexuality, food, addictions. Poor personality organization associated with the preceding symptoms leads to aggression, self-harm, suicide attempts.
The alternation of pathological periods and stability is rapid and disconcerting for its environment. The patient is not at odds with reality as in other psychological disorders but he is seriously maladjusted to reality.
