Welcome back to my beginner series on mental health. In the first post, we were able to cover a lot of the basics and paint a general picture as to what mental health means.

In this second post, we delve into five of the relatively common and five of the rarest mental illnesses, shedding light on their causes, Symptoms, and intriguing facts.

Here is the first post Mental Health For Beginners Part 1 Incase you missed it. 

Without any further Delay, Let’s move on to the list I have prepared for today. 

⦁Anxiety Disorder: 

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder [1980], Anxiety is defined as the apprehension, tension or uneasiness that stems from the anticipation of danger, which may be internal or external. 

In a statistics released by Forbes which was updated on 4th of september 2023, Anxiety disorders were estimated to have grown from about 298 million to 374 million people which when you think about it is about a full 25% increase.

Anxiety disorder inevitably makes living so much more difficult as you may respond to normal circumstances with a high amount of dread and fear.  

Causes of Anxiety Disorder

There is never a streamlined basis as to what the cause of anxiety disorders as these causes can be as a result of various circumstances which are peculiar from one individual to the other. For some it could be environmental factors  like stressful or traumatic situations that led to their development of this disorder, for others it could be as a result of personality traits such an timidity, introversion.

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder

Here are some of the symptoms of anxiety; 

• Troubled/ lack of sleep 
• Hyperventilation 
• Increased heart beat
• Feelings of tiredness 
• Irritability
• Feeling of panic or impending danger

Fascinating Fact

Did you know that women are more prone to having anxiety attacks? 

According to the Anxiety Disorder Association of America [ADAA], 

‘An estimated 264 million people worldwide have an anxiety disorder with  women from puberty to 50 are nearly twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in their lifetime’

2. Clinical depression : 

More popularly known as depression is a mood disorder which creates a persistent feeling of sadness and an overall loss of interest in everything.  Depression essentially inhibits your well being as like most mental illnesses it affects how you think, feel, behave and ultimately how you live. 

According to Forbes citing the National institute for mental health, Adult women are more likely to suffer through a major depressive occurrence, as the statistics show it has a 10.5% prevalence in women compared to 6.2% in men.  

Causes of Clinical Depression

There are various reasons why one may experience depression, think of it as all roads leading to one final destination. Some of these causes include; 

• Pregnancy and childbirth which is referred to as postpartum depression 
• Loneliness 
• Alcohol and drug use 
• Stressful life events 
• Childhood experiences 

Symptoms of Clinical Depression.

Symptoms may vary from patient to patient, however the most common symptoms include but are not limited to; 

• Low self esteem/ worth
• Zero motivation and interest in things 
• Always feeling tired 
• Continuous low moods and sadness 
• Feeling of emptiness 
• Struggling to make decisions 

Fascinating Fact:

Did you know  that depression can occur in children ? Not just adults.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 

‘It is estimated that 3.6% of 10–14-year-olds and 4.6% of 15–19-year-olds experience an anxiety disorder. Depression is estimated to occur among 1.1% of adolescents aged 10–14 years, and 2.8% of 15–19-year-olds. ‘ 

3. Bipolar Disorder 

The first thing to know about Bipolar disorder is that it can exist alongside other mental illnesses. Bipolar disorder causes extreme mood swings ranging from emotional highs to emotional lows. It is associated with episodes of varying mood swings  from depressive lows to manic highs. 

Causes of Bipolar Disorder

The exact cause of bipolar disorder is unknown but a combination of altered brain structures, genetics, chemistry and the environment may play a role in causing bipolar disorders.

It is indeed difficult to pinpoint what exactly causes a mental illness as mental illnesses deal with the mind and it is not as easy to diagnose. 

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

The Manic episodes might include symptoms like; 

• Reduced sleep
• Loss of touch with reality 
• High energy. 
• Unusual talkativeness
• Racing thoughts 
• Feeling of Euphoria 

While the Depressive episodes may include 

• Low energy 
• Lack of motivation 
• Loss of interest 

Fascinating Fact

Did you know that Bipolar episodes can last up to months and weeks at a stretch? 

It has been proven that the manic or depressive episodes characterised by bipolar can last longer than a couple of days or hours. And even if it seems like one is ‘cured’, it is still important to take the required medications at the stipulated time. 

Although not confirmed, it has been speculated that the likes of Charles Darwin famous for his evolution theory in science, Isaac Newton and Abraham Lincoln might have suffered from Bipolar disorder. 

4. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) : 

This is a condition that affects people’s behaviour. It is amongst the most common neurodevelopmental disorders that humans experience in childhood. People with ADHD are often controlled by their impulsive tendencies and have trouble paying attention. They can also be overly active and have bouts of unexplainable boosts in their energy levels. 

Causes of ADHD

According to the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, these are some of the causes of ADHD

• Exposure to environmental risks like led during pregnancy and at a young age
• Premature delivery 
• Brain injury 
• Alcohol and tobacco intake during pregnancy 
• Truncated birth weight

Symptoms of ADHD

• Excessive talking 
• Constant fidgeting 
• Acting on impulse 
• Inability to sit still, especially in calm or quiet environments 
• Short attention span 
• Unable to concentrate on tasks 

Fascinating Fact 

Did you know that not everyone with ADHD is Hyperactive? 

While hyperactive is a hallmark symptom of ADHD, not everyone with ADHD has it as there are people out there who have ADHD but do not suffer from hyperactive. As I have stated earlier, when it comes to mental illnesses, there are no streamlined causes or symptoms as they can vary amongst patients. 

5. Schizophrenia: 

Schizophrenia is a complex and often misunderstood mental illness that affects a vast amount of people. 

The dictionary definition of  Schizophrenia is “a serious mental condition of a type involving a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behaviour, leading to faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusion, and a sense of mental fragmentation.”

Causes of Schizophrenia: 

The exact cause of schizophrenia is not yet fully understood, but it is believed to result from a combination of genetic, environmental, and neurochemical factors. Family history of the disorder, exposure to stress or trauma during pregnancy, and abnormal brain development have all been linked to an increased risk.

Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is characterised by a range of symptoms, which can vary in severity and presentation. These may include 

• hallucinations
• delusions 
• disorganised thinking and speech
• reduced emotional expression 
• social withdrawal. 

Fascinating fact

One common misconception is that schizophrenia means having a split or multiple personalities. In reality, schizophrenia is not the same as Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder). It involves distorted thinking and perception, not multiple selves.

6. Cotard’s Syndrome-  Also known as “The Walking Corpse Syndrome”

Cotard’s Syndrome is an exceedingly rare psychiatric disorder characterised by the belief that one is dead, missing body parts, or has lost their soul. This condition might be the rarest because there are only 200 known cases worldwide. Cotard’s syndrome is most common amongst people who have dementia, schizophrenia and severe depression. 

Causes of Cotard’s Syndrome: 

The exact cause of this condition remains unclear, but it is often associated with neurological abnormalities and severe depression.However, the known causes I could find include:

• Stroke
• Dementia
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Epilepsy
• Encephalopathy
• Migraine

Symptoms of Cotard’s Syndrome

Individuals with Cotard’s Syndrome may experience the following symptoms; 

• profound nihilism
• severe depression
• anxiety
• delusions

Fascinating Fact

Cotard’s Syndrome is often referred to as “The Walking Corpse Syndrome” due to the patient’s belief that they are unalive.

Read more about mental health here

7. Capgras Syndrome – Famously referred to as “The Impostor Delusion”

Capgras Syndrome is a rare delusional disorder where individuals believe that a loved one has been replaced by an imposter. The myth that Capgras syndrome has been dunked and it has come to light that it can affect both men and women. 

Although it is sometimes referred to as Imposter syndrome, Capgras syndrome goes deeper than the usual imposter syndrome. 

Causes of Capgras Syndrome

Processes are on going  to understand the cause of this illness. But at the time of writing this post, the exact cause is not well understood, however it is often associated with brain injuries or psychiatric conditions.

An excerpt from the Webmd sheds more light on what might be the cause of Capgras Syndrome

“ Some research shows that it’s more common among people with neurodegenerative conditions like dementia: Up to 16% of those with Lewy body dementia or Alzheimer’s also have Capgras syndrome.

It’s also more likely in people with other brain conditions, such as Parkinson’s or epilepsy, in people who’ve had a stroke or a traumatic brain injury, or those with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. One research estimate is that people with schizophrenia and dementia make up 81% of all cases.

One study about Capgras syndrome used a health database of 250,000 people in the U.K. It found just 84 cases in that large pool. One common thread was that many people with Capgras syndrome also had other types of delusions.”

Symptoms of Capgras Syndrome

• profound sense of detachment from their loved ones. 
• avoid contact or become paranoid about the ‘imposter’s’ [their loved ones] intentions. 

Fascinating Fact:

This disorder is named after Joseph Capgras, a French psychiatrist who first described it in 1923.

8. Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS)

AIWS is a rare neurological condition where individuals perceive objects and their own bodies as distorted or changing in size. It is often linked to migraines, viral infections, or epilepsy. A number of the symptoms relate to body image alteration. This condition impedes the brain from processing and understanding sensory input. 

Causes of Alice in wonderland syndrome

• Infections like Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)
• Migraine 
• Stroke
• Seizure 
• Mental illnesses like Schizophrenia

Symptoms of Alice in wonderland syndrome

Those with AIWS may describe symptoms like 

• growing or shrinking 
• distorted perceptions of time. 
• Migraines
• Derealization
• Distorted perception of body and things
• Depersonalisation

Fascinating Fact: 

The syndrome is named after Lewis Carroll’s famous novel, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” as it is speculated that the author himself may have experienced similar visual disturbances.

9. Truman Show Delusion

Truman Show Delusion is a rare belief that one’s life is a staged reality show being watched by a hidden audience. This condition often occurs in the context of psychotic disorders.

In an interview with WebMD, Joel Gold, who is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, stated, 

“The Truman Show delusion encompasses a patient’s entire life. They believe their family, friends, and co-workers are all reading from scripts and their home, workplace, and hospital are all sets”

Causes of Truman Show Delusion

The causes of Truman show delusion are unknown however Psychiatrists like Philip McGuire, Paolo Fusar-Poli, Lucia Valmaggia, and Oliver Howes, of the Institute of Psychiatry in London described in the British Journal of Psychiatry what they believed to be the cause of Truman show delusion, stating that it stems from the patients’ search for meaning in their perception that the ordinary world has changed in some important but unexplainable way. 

Symptoms of Truman Show Delusion.

The only know symptoms of Truman show delusions are; 

• Paranoia
• Delusions

However, if you want to read an account on Dr Joel Gold’s first encounter with a patient who suffered from this condition in 2003, you can check out this post here. 

Fascinating Fact: 

This delusion gained notoriety after the 1998 film “The Truman Show,” starring Jim Carrey, where the protagonist’s life is unknowingly broadcasted to a global audience.

10. Multiple Personality Disorder or Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): 

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder, is a complex psychological condition characterised by the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states within an individual. This condition can lead to memory loss, depression and delusions. 

Due to the presence of multiple personalities, these personalities can control an individual’s behaviour at certain times with each personality having its own set of habits, likes and dislikes. 

This disorder is so rare that it affects between 0.01 and 1% of the population. 

Causes of Multiple Personality Disorder or Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

The exact cause of DID is often linked to severe childhood trauma, typically occurring before the age of 9. 

It’s believed that this disorder develops as a way for the mind to cope with overwhelming stress or abuse. Please note that It is not a form of malingering or deliberate deception.

The most common cause is as a result of sexual or any form of abuse in childhood. 

Symptoms of Multiple Personality Disorder or Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): 

DID is marked by the presence of “alters,” distinct personality states that may have their own names, ages, genders, and even memories. Individuals with DID may experience it. 

• memory gaps 
• identity confusion 
• shifts between alters
• Anxiety
• Disorientation
• Suicidal thoughts 
• Self harm

Fascinating fact 

Media often sensationalises DID by portraying some alters as dangerous. In reality, alters are typically protective mechanisms, not violent personalities.

Closing Remarks

In conclusion, these mental illnesses expose the intricate complexities of the mental health niche. 

The purpose of this post was to help in understanding and raising awareness about mental illnesses, their causes, symptoms, and unique characteristics which is essential for the broader community. 

Author’s Note 

I just opened my medium account and published my first post titled 

27 of the best ‘Boy Math’ tweets

Give it a read and let me know what you think.

Oc