What are mental illnesses?
A mental illness, or mental disorder, is a health condition that affects the way a person thinks, feels or behaves, to the point of causing real distress or disrupting their studies, work and relationships. It is an illness like any other: it has causes, it can be diagnosed, and it responds to treatment.
What separates “mental illness” from normal emotions is intensity, duration and impact. Grief after losing a loved one, nerves before an exam, and fear in a dangerous situation are all normal human responses. But when sadness lasts for weeks and takes away the ability to enjoy anything, when anxiety becomes a daily companion that prevents sleep and work, or when thoughts and beliefs appear that pull a person away from reality, we are talking about a disorder that needs a specialist assessment.
The World Health Organization stresses that mental illnesses are very diverse and that each has effective treatments. Yet most people affected around the world do not receive the care they need, either because services are scarce or because of stigma and fear of what people will say.
Genetics, brain chemistry and circuits, hormones, physical illnesses, and certain medications and drugs.
Trauma, the way a person thinks about themselves and the world, and coping skills for dealing with stress.
Poverty, unemployment, violence, isolation, family breakdown and chronic stress.
Almost no mental illness has a single cause. These three sets of factors are intertwined, which is why two people can go through the same circumstances and one becomes ill while the other does not. The causes of each disorder are covered on its own page.
How are mental illnesses classified?
Psychiatrists around the world rely on two main systems for classification and diagnosis. The first is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR), published by the American Psychiatric Association. The second is the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), published by the World Health Organization, which has a full chapter on mental, behavioral and neurodevelopmental disorders.
| Point of comparison | DSM-5-TR | ICD-11 |
|---|---|---|
| Published by | American Psychiatric Association | World Health Organization |
| Scope | Mental disorders only | All diseases, with mental disorders as one chapter |
| Widest use | Research and practice in the US and beyond | Health statistics, insurance and official health systems worldwide |
| Diagnostic approach | Specific criteria for each disorder: number of symptoms, duration and impact | Core clinical descriptions, with more flexibility for the doctor |
The two systems are quite close in the names and groupings of disorders. For example, both place obsessive-compulsive disorder in its own group, separate from anxiety disorders, and both place post-traumatic stress disorder among the stress- and trauma-related disorders.
What are the most common types of mental illness?
Below are the families of mental disorders in the Eradah guide. Each disorder has a full page explaining its symptoms, causes, treatment and relationship to addiction:
- Mood disorders: these include depression and bipolar disorder, where the disturbance lies in mood itself, either low or unstable.
- Anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and trauma-related disorders: these include generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Psychotic disorders: such as schizophrenia and drug-induced psychosis, in which the perception of reality is disturbed.
- Personality disorders: these include borderline personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder.
- Other common disorders: such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, chronic insomnia and eating disorders.
- Common mental states and traits: such as psychological stress, overthinking, burnout, irritability, loneliness and suicidal thoughts. These are mostly not stand-alone diagnoses, but they deserve attention when they become intense.
Mood disorders
A persistent low mood, or swings between low and high moods. These are among the leading causes of disability worldwide, and among the most responsive to treatment.
Depression
DepressionAlso known as: clinical depression
Persistent sadness and loss of pleasure and energy lasting two weeks or more, affecting sleep, appetite, concentration and work.
- Category
- Mood disorders
- How common
- About 5% of adults worldwide
- Typical onset
- At any age, often in adolescence and early adulthood
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: if sadness and loss of pleasure last two weeks or more, and immediately if there are any thoughts about death.
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorderAlso known as: manic depression
Alternating episodes of mania or hypomania and depression, often linked to substance misuse.
- Category
- Mood disorders
- How common
- About 36 million people worldwide
- Typical onset
- Usually late adolescence or early adulthood
- Link to addiction
Very strong
When to seek help: during an episode of excessive activity and unusually little sleep, or depression that was preceded by clear periods of “high” mood.
Postpartum depression
Postpartum DepressionAlso known as: postnatal depression
A true depression that begins during pregnancy or in the first year after birth. It differs from the “baby blues” of the first days, and it can be treated safely.
- Category
- Mood disorders
- How common
- More than 10% of new mothers
- Typical onset
- Pregnancy or the first year after birth
- Link to addiction
Weak
When to seek help: if sadness or exhaustion lasts more than two weeks, and immediately if there are hallucinations or thoughts of harming yourself or the baby.
Anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and trauma-related disorders
Fear, anxiety, repetitive thoughts and the effects of trauma, when they go beyond their normal limits and take over daily life.
Also known as: chronic anxiety
Excessive worry about everyday matters that is hard to control and lasts for months, with tension, sleeplessness and fatigue.
- Category
- Anxiety disorders
- How common
- One of the most common anxiety disorders
- Typical onset
- At any age, usually beginning gradually
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: if worry has become daily for months, is hard to control, and affects your sleep and work.
Panic attacks
Panic disorderAlso known as: panic disorder
Sudden episodes of intense fear with a pounding heart and shortness of breath, which the person often believes is a heart attack.
- Category
- Anxiety disorders
- How common
- Common, and more so in women
- Typical onset
- Usually late adolescence or early adulthood
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: once a heart cause has been ruled out by an examination, if attacks keep recurring and you have come to fear them.
Social phobia
Social anxietyAlso known as: pathological shyness
Intense fear of social situations and of being judged by others, which leads some people to turn to drugs or alcohol to get through them.
- Category
- Anxiety disorders
- How common
- One of the most common anxiety disorders
- Typical onset
- Usually childhood or adolescence
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: if you avoid school, work or social occasions out of fear of embarrassment, or need a substance in order to face people.
Repetitive, distressing thoughts and compulsive acts meant to ease the anxiety they cause, taking up hours of the person's day.
- Category
- Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
- How common
- Less common than anxiety, but not rare
- Typical onset
- Usually between late childhood and early adulthood
- Link to addiction
Moderate
When to seek help: if the thoughts or rituals take up a large part of each day or disrupt your life and relationships.
Also known as: post-traumatic stress
Intrusive memories, nightmares, avoidance and heightened alertness after exposure to a traumatic event.
- Category
- Trauma-related disorders
- How common
- About 3.9% of people over a lifetime
- Typical onset
- Usually within a month of the traumatic event
- Link to addiction
Very strong
When to seek help: if nightmares, intrusive memories and avoidance last more than a month after the trauma.
Phobias
Phobias (Specific Phobia)Also known as: specific phobia
Intense, persistent fear of a specific object or situation that is out of proportion to its real danger and leads to avoidance. It responds well to exposure therapy.
- Category
- Anxiety disorders
- How common
- About 7.4% of people over a lifetime
- Typical onset
- Usually childhood (around age 8)
- Link to addiction
Moderate
When to seek help: if fear makes you turn down a job, travel or important treatment, or you need a sedative to face it.
Illness anxiety
Health AnxietyAlso known as: health anxiety, hypochondria
Persistent fear of having a serious illness despite normal test results, with repeated searching, checking and reassurance-seeking.
- Category
- Anxiety and physical symptoms
- How common
- About 5.7% over a lifetime
- Typical onset
- Usually early adulthood
- Link to addiction
Weak
When to seek help: if the fear persists for six months or more despite normal test results and affects your work and life.
Body dysmorphic disorder
Body Dysmorphic DisorderAlso known as: body dysmorphia
A painful preoccupation, lasting hours, with a flaw in appearance that others cannot see or that looks very minor. It is not vanity.
- Category
- Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
- How common
- Between 2% and 3% of people
- Typical onset
- Usually adolescence
- Link to addiction
Moderate
When to seek help: if thinking about your appearance takes hours each day or keeps you from going out, and immediately if you feel any hopelessness.
Hoarding disorder
Hoarding DisorderAlso known as: compulsive hoarding
Severe difficulty getting rid of belongings, until they pile up and make rooms of the home unusable, with distress when sorting is attempted.
- Category
- Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
- How common
- About 2.5% of adults
- Typical onset
- Adolescence, worsening with age
- Link to addiction
Weak
When to seek help: if clutter stops you from using your home, threatens safety, or causes ongoing conflict with family.
Adjustment disorder
Adjustment DisorderAlso known as: situational depression
A stronger-than-expected emotional reaction to a stressful event or major change, beginning within 3 months of the event.
- Category
- Trauma and stress
- How common
- About 2% of people
- Typical onset
- Any age, within 3 months of the event
- Link to addiction
Moderate
When to seek help: if your reaction to the change disrupts your work or home life, and immediately if you have any thoughts of harming yourself.
Full guide to anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and trauma-related disorders →
Psychotic disorders
Disorders in which a person loses part of their connection with reality. Some are triggered directly by drug use, and all need early intervention.
Schizophrenia
SchizophreniaAlso known as: schizophrenia
A chronic disorder involving hallucinations, delusions and disordered thinking. It requires medication and long-term follow-up.
- Category
- Psychotic disorders
- How common
- About 1 in 300 people worldwide
- Typical onset
- Late adolescence to the early thirties
- Link to addiction
Very strong
When to seek help: if there is hearing of voices, unusual beliefs or sudden withdrawal. Early intervention improves outcomes.
Drug-induced psychosis
Substance-induced psychosisAlso known as: substance-induced psychosis
Hallucinations and delusions that appear during the use of substances such as crystal meth (shabu), Strox (synthetic cannabinoids) and hashish, or after stopping them.
- Category
- Psychotic disorders
- How common
- Not known precisely; more common with stimulants and synthetic cannabinoids
- Typical onset
- During use, intoxication or after stopping
- Link to addiction
Very strong
When to seek help: immediately if there are any hallucinations, intense suspicion or aggression after drug use. This is an emergency.
Psychosis
PsychosisAlso known as: psychotic episode
A partial loss of contact with reality through hallucinations, delusions or disordered thinking. It has many causes and often recovers with early treatment.
- Category
- Psychotic disorders
- How common
- 15 to 100 new cases per 100,000 people per year
- Typical onset
- Late adolescence to the mid-twenties
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: if hallucinations or unusual suspicions appear, if voices command harm, or if sudden psychosis comes with fever or confusion.
Paranoia
ParanoiaAlso known as: persecutory suspicion
Persistent suspicion, without enough evidence, that others mean harm. It ranges from passing thoughts to persecutory delusions.
- Category
- A symptom in psychotic and personality disorders
- How common
- From under 2% to about 30%, depending on the type of thought
- Typical onset
- Any age, increasing with stress and lack of sleep
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: if it appears suddenly with hallucinations or after drug use, if the person refuses to eat for fear of poison, or if they threaten to harm someone.
Hallucinations
HallucinationsAlso known as: hallucinating
Perceiving through the senses something that is not there, most famously hearing voices. It is a symptom, not a diagnosis, and some forms, such as hallucinations before sleep, are normal.
- Category
- A symptom in psychosis and other conditions
- How common
- 5.2% have experienced them at least once
- Typical onset
- Any age; when they appear in older age they call for an examination
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: if they appear suddenly with confusion or fever, after stopping alcohol, or if the voices command harm.
Delusional disorder
Delusional DisorderA firmly held false belief lasting a month or more despite evidence, with a life that otherwise seems normal away from the subject of the delusion.
- Category
- Psychotic disorders
- How common
- Rare (0.05 to 0.1% of adults)
- Typical onset
- Middle age, around 40
- Link to addiction
Moderate
When to seek help: if an idea that cannot be argued with takes over decisions and relationships, and immediately if there is any threat or stalking.
Grandiosity
GrandiosityAlso known as: grandiose delusions
An unrealistic certainty of having exceptional abilities, status or a mission. It is often a symptom of mania, psychosis or stimulant use.
- Category
- A psychotic symptom or personality trait
- How common
- About 28% of psychiatric samples
- Typical onset
- Often sudden, with mania or drug use
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: if unrealistic plans appear along with overspending or little sleep, and immediately if there is aggression or hallucinations.
Schizoaffective disorder
Schizoaffective DisorderAlso known as: affective schizophrenia
Schizophrenia-type symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions occurring together with episodes of depression or mania. Many people become stable with regular treatment.
- Category
- Psychotic disorders
- How common
- About 0.3% over a lifetime
- Typical onset
- Late adolescence and early adulthood
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: if hallucinations or delusions appear with depression or mania, and immediately if there is any talk of death or voices commanding harm.
Personality disorders
Enduring patterns of thinking, feeling and relating to others that begin early and cause distress to the person and those around them.
Also known as: borderline personality
Sharp swings in emotions, relationships and self-image, with impulsivity and an intense fear of abandonment.
- Category
- Personality disorders
- How common
- Affects a small share of people and is often diagnosed in young adults
- Typical onset
- Adolescence or early adulthood
- Link to addiction
Very strong
When to seek help: when sharp swings threaten relationships and work, and immediately in cases of self-harm or threats of it.
Also known as: narcissistic personality, narcissist
An exaggerated sense of self-importance and a constant need for admiration, with poor empathy for others.
- Category
- Personality disorders
- How common
- Uncommon and hard to estimate precisely
- Typical onset
- Early adulthood
- Link to addiction
Moderate
When to seek help: if crises keep recurring at work and in relationships, or are accompanied by depression or substance use.
Also known as: psychopathic personality
A persistent disregard for the rights of others and for the law, with impulsivity and a lack of guilt.
- Category
- Personality disorders
- How common
- Uncommon, and more so in men
- Typical onset
- Conduct problems before age 15; not diagnosed before 18
- Link to addiction
Very strong
When to seek help: when violence, risk-taking or legal trouble keep recurring, especially alongside substance use.
Avoidant personality
Avoidant Personality DisorderAlso known as: avoidant personality disorder
A constant fear of rejection and criticism with feelings of inadequacy, leading the person to keep away from others even though they long for connection.
- Category
- Personality disorders
- How common
- About 2.1% (United States)
- Typical onset
- Early adulthood
- Link to addiction
Moderate
When to seek help: if fear of rejection keeps you from school, work or any relationship, or you have turned to a substance to calm anxiety.
Dependent personality disorder
Dependent Personality DisorderAlso known as: dependent personality
An excessive need to be taken care of by others and to have them make decisions for you, with intense fear of being alone or separated.
- Category
- Personality disorders
- How common
- Less than 1% of people
- Typical onset
- Early adulthood
- Link to addiction
Moderate
When to seek help: if fear of being alone keeps you in a harmful relationship or stops you from making any decision on your own.
Histrionic personality
Histrionic Personality DisorderAlso known as: histrionic personality disorder
A constant need to be the center of attention, with rapidly shifting emotions and dramatic, exaggerated expression.
- Category
- Personality disorders
- How common
- Less than 2% of people
- Typical onset
- Early adulthood
- Link to addiction
Weak
When to seek help: if emotional crises recur or depression appears when attention is absent, and immediately if there is any threat of self-harm.
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality DisorderAlso known as: obsessive personality
A constant preoccupation with order, perfection and control, without flexibility, to the point that checking gets in the way of finishing the work itself.
- Category
- Personality disorders
- How common
- About 4.7% on average
- Typical onset
- Early adulthood
- Link to addiction
Weak
When to seek help: if perfectionism is costing you your job or your marriage, or symptoms of depression appear.
Schizoid personality disorder
Schizoid Personality DisorderAlso known as: schizoid personality
A lasting detachment from close relationships and emotional coldness, without hallucinations or delusions.
- Category
- Personality disorders
- How common
- About 0.9% on average
- Typical onset
- Early adulthood
- Link to addiction
Weak
When to seek help: if signs of depression or severe self-neglect appear, and immediately if hallucinations or unusual thoughts appear.
Other common disorders
Disorders that do not belong to the families above but are closely tied to addiction, as a cause or as a consequence.
Also known as: ADHD
A developmental disorder that begins in childhood and continues into adulthood for many people. It increases the risk of addiction if left untreated.
- Category
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- How common
- One of the most common developmental disorders in children
- Typical onset
- Childhood; symptoms appear before age 12
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: if distractibility and impulsivity keep affecting school, work or relationships.
Chronic insomnia
InsomniaAlso known as: sleep disorder
Persistent difficulty falling or staying asleep for three months or more, and a common route into the misuse of sleeping pills.
- Category
- Sleep disorders
- How common
- Very common, and increasing with age
- Typical onset
- At any age, often after a period of stress
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: if trouble sleeping continues three nights a week for three months, or you have come to depend on a sleeping pill without a doctor.
Eating disorders
Eating disordersAlso known as: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa
Serious disturbances in a person's relationship with food and body image, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating episodes.
- Category
- Feeding and eating disorders
- How common
- About 18 million people worldwide (2023)
- Typical onset
- Usually adolescence and early adulthood, and may begin in childhood
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: if food, weight or body shape dominates your thoughts and life, and immediately if there is fainting, palpitations or thoughts about death.
Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)Also known as: autism spectrum disorder
A difference in brain development that affects communication, behavior and the senses. Early support makes a big difference.
- Category
- Neurodevelopmental disorder
- How common
- About 1 in 127 people worldwide
- Typical onset
- Usually in the first two years
- Link to addiction
Moderate
When to seek help: if a child loses skills they had gained, or has seizures or self-harm, or if a teenager or adult has thoughts about death.
Tourette syndrome
Tourette syndromeAlso known as: Tourette's disorder
Motor and vocal tics that begin in childhood, peak around age ten and often ease in adolescence.
- Category
- Neurodevelopmental disorder (tics)
- How common
- 3 to 9 per 1,000 children
- Typical onset
- Between 4 and 6 years
- Link to addiction
Weak
When to seek help: if tics interfere with school or cause pain, or are accompanied by anxiety, depression or substance use.
Hysteria
Functional neurological disorder (conversion disorder)Also known as: conversion disorder
Real neurological symptoms such as paralysis and seizures without structural damage, caused by a problem in the way the nervous system functions.
- Category
- Functional neurological disorder
- How common
- Among the most common conditions seen in neurology clinics
- Typical onset
- Late childhood to early adulthood
- Link to addiction
Weak
When to seek help: if weakness or a seizure appears for the first time, if symptoms interfere with life, or if depression accompanies them.
Depersonalization
Depersonalization-derealization disorderAlso known as: derealization
A persistent feeling of detachment from oneself or the world, with intact awareness that it is not real. It improves with treatment.
- Category
- Dissociative disorder
- How common
- About 1 to 2% as an ongoing disorder
- Typical onset
- Average age of onset 16
- Link to addiction
Moderate
When to seek help: if the feeling lasts for weeks or disrupts your life, began after substance use, or comes with depression.
Kleptomania
KleptomaniaAlso known as: compulsive stealing
An irresistible urge to steal things the person does not need, followed by guilt and shame. The motive is neither need nor profit.
- Category
- Impulse-control disorders
- How common
- Between 0.3% and 0.6% of people
- Typical onset
- Usually adolescence or early adulthood
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: if stealing keeps happening despite attempts to stop, and immediately if there are any thoughts of harming yourself.
Dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative Identity DisorderAlso known as: multiple personality disorder
Two or more distinct identities with gaps in memory, strongly linked to severe, repeated trauma in childhood.
- Category
- Dissociative disorders
- How common
- About 1.5% in one small study
- Typical onset
- Childhood; diagnosis is often delayed
- Link to addiction
Moderate
When to seek help: if memory gaps or “lost time” keep recurring, and immediately if there is any self-harm.
Psychosomatic disorders
Psychosomatic DisordersAlso known as: psychosomatic illnesses
Real physical symptoms and illnesses in which psychological stress plays a major part in their onset or worsening, such as irritable bowel syndrome.
- Category
- Interaction of mind and body
- How common
- Common, and not counted as a single category
- Typical onset
- Any age, increasing with stress
- Link to addiction
Moderate
When to seek help: if symptoms recur with stress and tests do not explain them, after physical causes have been ruled out first.
Mental states and traits
States, feelings and traits that many people go through. Most are not stand-alone diagnoses, but they can be the beginning of a disorder or a doorway to substance use if they become intense and prolonged.
Psychological stress
Psychological StressAlso known as: mental tension
A natural response to life's demands that, if it continues, becomes a burden on sleep, the heart and mood.
- Category
- A mental state, not a diagnosis
- How common
- Everyone experiences it to varying degrees
- Typical onset
- Any age, with difficult situations
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: if tension continues for weeks and disrupts your sleep or work, or you have begun to rely on a substance to calm yourself.
Overthinking
OverthinkingAlso known as: excessive thinking
Going round and round the same thoughts without reaching a solution, which steals sleep and is linked to anxiety and depression.
- Category
- A thinking pattern, not a diagnosis
- How common
- Very common, with no exact figure
- Typical onset
- Any age, worsening with stress
- Link to addiction
Moderate
When to seek help: if it takes up hours of your day and your sleep for weeks, or comes with persistent sadness or compulsive rituals.
Nervous breakdown
Nervous BreakdownAlso known as: mental health crisis
The moment when stress or mental illness exceeds a person's ability to cope, and daily functioning stops.
- Category
- A mental health crisis, not a diagnosis
- How common
- 26% in a 1996 US survey
- Typical onset
- Any age, after intense stress
- Link to addiction
Moderate
When to seek help: if you cannot manage daily tasks or symptoms last two weeks, and immediately if there are thoughts of self-harm or hallucinations.
Irritability
Anger & IrritabilityAlso known as: angry outbursts
Quick, intense anger out of proportion to the situation, usually with a treatable cause behind it such as stress, lack of sleep or substance use.
- Category
- A mental state that may be a disorder
- How common
- Intermittent explosive disorder 7.3% (US survey)
- Typical onset
- Usually adolescence
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: if outbursts recur and damage your relationships or work, and immediately if they reach threats or violence.
Burnout
BurnoutAlso known as: job burnout
Exhaustion, negativity toward work and reduced effectiveness caused by chronic stress. It can lead to depression and reliance on sedatives.
- Category
- An occupational phenomenon in ICD-11, not a mental illness
- How common
- Common, with estimates varying by profession
- Typical onset
- Gradually, with chronic work stress
- Link to addiction
Moderate
When to seek help: if exhaustion lasts for weeks despite rest, if loss of pleasure spreads to everything, or if thoughts about death appear.
Loneliness and social isolation
Loneliness and social isolationAlso known as: social isolation
A painful feeling that your relationships are fewer or weaker than you need. It is linked to depression and heart disease, and is one of the strongest drivers of substance use.
- Category
- A common mental state, not an illness
- How common
- About 1 in 6 people worldwide
- Typical onset
- At any age, and highest among teenagers
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: if loneliness is accompanied by persistent sadness, if substance use has become a way to fill the emptiness, or if thoughts about death appear.
Pathological jealousy
Pathological jealousyAlso known as: morbid jealousy
Persistent, unjustified suspicion that a partner is unfaithful that reassurance cannot calm. Alcohol and stimulants are well-known causes, and it can turn to violence.
- Category
- A symptom pattern, not a stand-alone diagnosis
- How common
- Delusional jealousy is relatively rare
- Typical onset
- At any age; late onset calls for an examination
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: if suspicion has become daily and restricts the partner's life, and immediately if there is any threat or violence.
Self-harm
Self-harmAlso known as: self-injury
A person deliberately hurting their body to ease unbearable emotional pain. It is a sign of severe distress that deserves help without blame.
- Category
- A behavior of distress, not a stand-alone illness
- How common
- About 17% of adolescents and 5.5% of adults
- Typical onset
- Usually in adolescence
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: It always deserves a mental health assessment, and immediately if there is an injury needing treatment or any talk of death.
Suicidal thoughts
Suicidal thoughtsAlso known as: thinking about suicide
Thoughts of death or ending one's life mean pain has passed what a person can bear, not a final decision. Support and treatment ease them markedly.
- Category
- A sign of emotional pain, not a stand-alone illness
- How common
- More common than people think, and they pass with support
- Typical onset
- At any age, and more among young people
- Link to addiction
Strong
When to seek help: Now, if there are any thoughts of ending your life: call 16328 or 123, and do not stay alone.
Impostor syndrome
Impostor syndromeAlso known as: impostor phenomenon
A constant feeling that you do not deserve your success and will be found out. It is linked to anxiety, depression and burnout.
- Category
- A common psychological phenomenon, not a medical diagnosis
- How common
- Between 9% and 82%, depending on the measurement tool
- Typical onset
- From adolescence to the highest positions
- Link to addiction
Weak
When to seek help: if the feeling of being a fraud comes with persistent sadness, sleeplessness or anxiety attacks, or reliance on stimulants and sedatives.
Stockholm syndrome
Stockholm syndromeAlso known as: trauma bonding with an abuser
Sympathy and attachment from a victim toward the person holding or harming them, as a means of survival. It is treated much like the effects of trauma.
- Category
- A reaction to trauma, not an official diagnosis
- How common
- Rare among victims of captivity and abuse
- Typical onset
- After captivity or ongoing abuse
- Link to addiction
Weak
When to seek help: if there is immediate danger from the abuser, or if trauma effects such as panic, sleeplessness and intrusive memories remain.
Toxic personality
Toxic personalityAlso known as: toxic person
A repeated pattern of manipulation, control and belittling that makes you doubt yourself. It is not a medical diagnosis, but its effect is real.
- Category
- A description of harmful behavior, not a medical diagnosis
- How common
- No scientific figure exists because it is not a diagnosis
- Typical onset
- A repeated pattern at any age
- Link to addiction
Moderate
When to seek help: if anxiety and loss of self-confidence continue after you have distanced yourself, and immediately if there is any threat or violence.
Introverted personality
IntrovertAlso known as: introversion
Someone who recharges in quiet rather than in a crowd. It is a normal trait, different from shyness, social phobia and depression.
- Category
- A normal personality trait, not a disorder
- How common
- Common; people fall along a wide spectrum
- Typical onset
- Relatively stable, and may change with age
- Link to addiction
Weak
When to seek help: if withdrawal comes with fear that disrupts school or work, prolonged sadness, or sudden withdrawal with hopelessness.
Highly sensitive personality
Highly sensitive personAlso known as: highly sensitive person
Someone who is affected more deeply by sounds, crowds and other people's feelings. It is a normal trait that is shaped by the environment, for better or worse.
- Category
- A normal personality trait, not a disorder
- How common
- About 31% were highly sensitive in one study
- Typical onset
- A temperament trait from early childhood
- Link to addiction
Weak
When to seek help: if sensitivity turns into sadness or anxiety that lasts for weeks, or you have started avoiding work and people.
Guides answering common mental health questions
Stand-alone pages explaining conditions and questions that many people search for, to help you understand what you or someone close to you is going through:
Mood swings: when are they normal and when do they point to a mental health problem?
What causes sudden mood swings? The difference between normal and pathological swings, the role of sleep, hormones, the thyroid and drugs, and the link to bipolar…
Details MoodSadness for no reason: why do you suddenly feel low, and what can you do?
Sadness for no reason usually has a cause you have not noticed: lack of sleep, built-up stress, a change of seasons, the thyroid, or ongoing depression. Find out…
Details MoodLoss of passion (anhedonia): why does nothing make you happy any more?
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DetailsPsychiatric medications and treatment methods
Treatment of most mental disorders combines medication and psychotherapy, and the doctor decides the right plan for each case. Here are our detailed guides to the most commonly used medications and treatment methods:
- Names of psychiatric medications: the brand names common in Egypt, their active ingredients and their uses.
- Do psychiatric medications cause addiction?: the truth for each type, and which ones need caution and follow-up.
- Antidepressants: their types, when they start working and their common side effects.
- Antipsychotics: their uses in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other conditions, and their side effects.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy: a talk therapy that changes patterns of thinking and behavior in depression, anxiety and addiction.
- Dialectical behavior therapy: skills for regulating emotions and tolerating distress, used in borderline personality disorder and self-harm.
- Group therapy: sessions led by a therapist in which participants share experience and support.
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation: a non-surgical treatment used in some cases of depression. Our guide explains how it works and who it suits.
- Brain rhythm regulation sessions: what science says about this treatment and when it is used, and the difference between fact and myth.
How many people in the world have a mental illness?
The latest World Health Organization figures show that mental illness is closer to us than we think. It touches almost every family, directly or indirectly:
More serious than the scale of prevalence is the “treatment gap.” According to the same organization, only about one-third of people with depression receive formal mental health care, even in high-income countries, and about one-quarter of those with anxiety disorders. The proportion is lower in middle- and low-income countries. There are no precise, up-to-date, unified figures for the prevalence of each disorder in Egypt, so we limit ourselves here to the documented global figures.
Source: World Health Organization fact sheets on mental disorders, depression and anxiety.
How does Egyptian society view mental illness?
Many people in our society still hesitate to see a psychiatrist, for fear of the word “crazy,” of the effect on marriage and job prospects, or because they regard mental illness as a sign of weak faith or low endurance. This stigma leads some families to hide the patient or to turn first to non-medical solutions, so months and years are lost in which the person could have improved.
The truth is that asking for mental health help takes courage, and that faith, prayer and family support are important supports that go hand in hand with medical treatment and do not conflict with it, just as a person with diabetes prays and takes their treatment at the same time.
| The myth | The truth |
|---|---|
| “Mental illness is weak character or weak faith” | It is a health condition with biological, psychological and social causes, and it can affect the strongest and most devout people. |
| “Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist is crazy” | Most people who see a psychiatrist have anxiety, depression or insomnia, and carry on with their lives and work as normal. |
| “Psychiatric medications all cause addiction” | Most psychiatric medications, such as antidepressants, do not cause addiction. The few that need caution are prescribed and monitored by the doctor. |
| “A person with mental illness is a danger to others” | The great majority of people with mental illness are not inclined to violence. In fact, they are more likely to be the victims of harm. |
| “It will go away on its own if he keeps himself busy” | Staying busy and having support help, but moderate and severe disorders need specialist treatment, and delay makes them harder. |
When do you need to see a psychiatrist?
You do not have to reach a “breakdown” before asking for help. Early assessment shortens suffering and makes treatment easier and shorter. Consider consulting a psychiatrist if you notice in yourself or someone close to you:
- Sadness, loss of pleasure or anxiety lasting two weeks or more without improvement.
- A clear and persistent disturbance in sleep, appetite or energy.
- A marked decline in school or work, or withdrawal from family and friends.
- Sudden attacks of fear, or repeated thoughts and rituals that take up time.
- Strange changes in speech or behavior, intense suspicion, or hearing things others do not hear.
- Relying on alcohol, drugs or sleeping pills to cope with feelings.
- Any thoughts about death or self-harm. These call for seeking help immediately.
What is the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist?
Many people confuse the two specialties, though each has a different role that complements the other. In most cases the best results come when they work together in one team:
| Point of comparison | The psychiatrist | The psychologist |
|---|---|---|
| School | A medical doctor who specialized in psychiatry after medical school | A psychology graduate with clinical training |
| Diagnosis | Diagnoses disorders and rules out physical causes | Conducts interviews, tests and psychological scales |
| Prescribing medication | Yes, and monitors side effects | Does not prescribe medication |
| Talk therapy | May provide it or refer for it | Their main specialty, such as cognitive behavioral therapy |
| When to start with them? | Severe symptoms, psychosis, thoughts of death, and addiction | Stress and mild to moderate problems, after assessment |
If you are not sure where to start, start with the psychiatrist. They can assess the whole picture and decide whether it needs medication, psychotherapy or both.
Can mental illness be treated?
Yes. Most mental illnesses respond to treatment, and many people with them live stable, productive lives. Treatment varies with the disorder and its severity, but it usually rests on three pillars:
- Pillar 1Psychological therapy
Structured sessions such as cognitive behavioral therapy and family therapy that change patterns of thinking and behavior.
- Pillar 2Medication treatment
Antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics and others, by prescription and under the follow-up of a psychiatrist only.
- Pillar 3Support and rehabilitation
Regular sleep, physical activity, family support and a gradual return to work and study.
- When neededHospital stay
In acute cases or when there is a risk to oneself or others, for a limited period.
No psychiatric medication should be started, changed or stopped except on the doctor's decision, even if the patient feels better. In Egypt, the Mental Health Care Law No. 71 of 2009 guarantees patients' rights to confidentiality and dignified treatment, and sets controls for any compulsory admission to hospital. This is general educational information and not legal advice.
What is the relationship between mental illness and addiction?
The relationship between mental illness and addiction is close and two-way, and doctors call it “dual diagnosis”. The US National Institute on Drug Abuse explains that many people with addiction have another mental illness, and the reverse is true, and that the two share risk factors such as genetics, trauma and stress.
Some people with anxiety, depression, insomnia or trauma turn to a substance that eases their suffering for a while, and fall into addiction.
Some substances, such as crystal meth (shabu), Strox (synthetic cannabinoids) and hashish, can cause psychosis or depression or bring out a latent illness.
Each makes the other worse, and raises the risk of relapse and self-harm if only one of them is treated.
That is why effective treatment is integrated treatment, which deals with the mental disorder and the addiction at the same time and with one team, and it is the core of Eradah's work. Read more on the dual diagnosis page, or browse the guide to drugs and their types.
How do you support a person with a mental illness?
The role of family and friends can be the difference between a person whose treatment is delayed for years and one who begins recovery early. Here are practical steps to help:
- Start a calm conversation at a suitable time, and express your concern with phrases like “I've noticed you haven't been comfortable lately” rather than accusation.
- Listen more than you speak, and do not belittle their feelings with phrases like “you're being spoiled” or “others have it worse than you.”
- Encourage them to see a psychiatrist, and offer to book the appointment or go with them.
- Support their commitment to treatment, and do not advise them to stop medication because they have “improved” or out of fear of “getting used to it.”
- Protect their privacy, and do not make their illness a topic of conversation in the wider family.
- Look after your own mental health too. Supporting someone for a long time is exhausting and you need support as well.
- If they talk about death or harming themselves, take what they say completely seriously and seek help immediately.
Suicidal thoughts or an acute mental health crisis? Get help now
- Talk of wanting to die, or of being a “burden” on others
- Severe hopelessness and a sense that there is no way out
- Suddenly saying goodbye to family or giving away important belongings
- Complete withdrawal and stopping eating or speaking
- Severe agitation or going without sleep for days in a row, with impulsive, reckless behavior
- Hearing voices that tell them to harm themselves or others
Stay with the person and do not leave them alone, listen without judgment or blame, and remove any dangerous objects from their reach. Call an ambulance (123) or go to the nearest emergency room, and you can call the mental health support line 16328 around the clock.
Ambulance 123 Mental health support line 16328