According to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General, mental disorders are "health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or impaired functioning." About 15 percent of the U.S. adult population use some form of mental health service in any year. Having a psychological disorder does not necessarily mean a person has a disability, yet in many cases the condition is severe enough to be disabling.
Depression is one of the most common and most serious mental health problems facing people today. This year, more than 19 million American adults (9.5% of the population) will suffer from this disorder. Major depression is manifested by a combination of symptoms that interfere with the ability to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable activities. While the severity and number of symptoms vary from person to person, they can include the following: a persistent sad mood; loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed; significant change in appetite or body weight; difficulty sleeping or oversleeping; physical slowing or agitation; loss of energy; feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt; difficulty thinking or concentrating; and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.
English: Dermatophagia - extreme nail biting / bit...
Person washing his hands
English: Cases of PTSD and Severe Depression Among...Anxiety disorders, as a group, are the most common mental illness in America. More than 19 million American adults are affected by these debilitating illnesses each year. Unlike the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event such as a business presentation or a first date, anxiety disorders are chronic, relentless, and can grow progressively worse if not treated. There are a number of different types of anxiety disorders:Panic Disorder involves repeated episodes of intense fear that strike often and without warning. Physical symptoms include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, abdominal distress, feelings of...