Common Psychological Disorders Among Young Adults

Mental health in the young population is deteriorating with time. The environmental as well as personal factors are involved in health maintenance. Some individuals may have more positive factors than others whereas others may just be better at coping with the effects of negative factors. But as the world is becoming so progressive in all spheres, the young adults feel the need to catch up with everything and burden themselves. It may become a challenging task to manage everything and thereby leading to several psychological problems.

Some common disorders among young adults are:

 

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Mood Disorders-

Mood disorders are mental health disorders that affect the emotional state of a person for a significant period of time.

Depressive Disorder

Depressive disorders are described by persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest in activities. Individuals with depressive disorders may have trouble in daily functioning and may feel life isn’t worth living.

Some of the symptoms are-

• Insomnia or hypersomnia
• Significant gain or loss in appetite
• Diminished interest in activities that were previously pleasurable to the individual
• Feelings of sadness, hopelessness
• Irritability, frustration, anger outbursts
• Feelings of worthlessness, guilt and self-blame
• Fatigue
• Diminished ability to think, concentrate or any other cognitive tasks

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorders are characterized by episodes of mania and depression alternatively. However, some individuals may have either mania or depression dominant over the other.

Some of the manic symptoms of bipolar disorders are-

• Inflated sense of self-confidence
• Unusually upbeat or energetic
• Reduced need for sleep
• Racing thoughts or flight of ideas
• Poor decision-making
• Participation is activities that have a high potential of painful consequences

Some of the depressive episode symptoms are-

• Insomnia or hypersomnia
• Significant gain or loss in appetite
• Diminished interest in activities that were previously interesting to the individual
• Feelings of sadness, hopelessness
• Fatigue
• Diminished ability to think, concentrate or any other cognitive tasks

Cyclothymic Disorder-

Cyclothymic disorder or cyclothymia is a mood disorder that can be described by episodes of hypomania and mild to moderate depressive episodes which occur in an irregular manner. The disorder is diagnosed when the symptoms are present for more than half the number of days for a period of two years or more.

 

 

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Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is experienced by almost everyone once in a while. However, individuals suffering from anxiety disorders experience a severely intense form of worry and fear about day-to-day situations. These feelings of anxiety interfere with the daily functioning of the individual and are persistent over long periods of time.

The most common anxiety disorders among young adults are-

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

GAD is characterized by constant and excessive worry about multiple things like family, work, health, money or other problems. Individuals with GAD anticipate more danger from a situation that seems normally appropriate. They tend to imagine the worst-case scenarios even when there’s no reason to do so.

Some of the symptoms are-

• Increased heart rate
• Rapid breathing, sweating, shivering
• Excessive worry that is out of proportion
• Difficulty dealing with uncertainty
• Difficulty in concentration
• Inability to let go of the persistent worry cycle
• Feeling nervous, irritable, edgy
• Inability to make decisions and afraid of making wrong decisions.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety or social phobia is characterized by the experience of extreme distress in daily interactions as the individuals fear being judged by everyone around them. This fear and anxiety disrupt the normal functioning of the individual.

Some of the symptoms are-

• Worry about embarrassing oneself
• Fear of being judged
• Fearful of talking to strangers
• Feeling anxious while anticipating a social event
• Avoiding situations where they are the centre like public speaking
• Fear of others noticing the anxiety

Specific Phobia

This is a type of anxiety disorder where the individual has an extreme and irrational fear of a particular object or situation.

Some of the symptoms are-

• Heart palpitations
• Excessive sweating and trembling
• Shortness of breath
• Dry mouth
• Feeling of choking
• Chest pain or tightness
• Feeling overwhelmed by the fear
• Fear of losing control
• Intense desire to escape

 

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Personality Disorders

A personality disorder is a type of mental health disorder which is characterized by a rigid and unhealthy pattern of thinking, feeling and behaving. Individuals with personality disorders have difficulty in perceiving and relating to people and situations.

Some of the common personality disorders among young adults are-

Antisocial Personality Disorder

This disorder is a cluster B (emotional and impulsive) disorder. People with antisocial personality disorder ignore the rights of others as well as the societal norms. They manipulate and treat others in a harsh manner without feeling any guilt or remorse for their behaviour.

Some of the symptoms are-

• Disregard for right and wrong
• Exploitation and violation of others’ rights
• Lack of concern for other people’s distress
• Inability to control anger
• Blaming other people for problems in their personal lives
• Frequently break the law
• Lack of remorse

Paranoid Personality Disorder

This disorder is a cluster A(suspicious) disorder characterized by an odd, eccentric pattern of thinking and behaviour.

Some of the symptoms are-

• Persistent distrust and suspicion regarding people and their motives
• Suspicious that other people are trying to harm or exploit them
• Interpreting hidden meanings from harmless gestures or conversations
• Difficulty confiding in others
• Recurrent suspicion about the partner being unfaithful

Borderline Personality Disorder

This disorder is also a cluster B disorder. People with a borderline personality disorder often feel that they will be abandoned, even when there’s adequate social support.

Some of the symptoms are-

• Self-harm tendencies or suicidal threats
• Fear of abandonment
• Intense and unstable relationships
• Extreme mood swings
• Chronic feelings of emptiness
• Intense and inappropriate feelings of anger or difficulty controlling anger

 

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Eating Disorders

These disorders can be described by irregular patterns of eating and severe distress caused by concerns for body image, weight or shape. Inconsistent eating habits likely cause harm to the physical and emotional well-being of the individual.

The most common forms of eating disorders experienced by young adults are-

Anorexia Nervosa- 

Individuals with anorexia have an irrational fear of gaining weight and unrealistic perception of their body image. They severely limit the intake of food. It

can have major health effects, such as brain damage, multiple organ failure, bone loss, heart problems and infertility.

Some of the symptoms are-

• Excessive weight loss
• Fainting due to fatigue
• Constipation or abdominal pain
• Insomnia
• Excessive physical exercising
• Frequently skipping meals
• Avoiding to eat in public places
• Frequently measuring weight or checking their perceived flaws in the mirror

Bulimia Nervosa-

Individuals with bulimia nervosa are characterized by repetitive habits binge eating which is followed by actions that compensate for the overeating, through forced vomiting, severely excessive physical exercise or using laxatives or diuretics.  The cycle of binge-eating and purging is mostly done in secret and later leading to feelings of shame, guilt and lack of control

Some of the symptoms are-

• Dental problems
• Swollen glands in the neck region
• Fainting or dizziness
• Insomnia
• Irregular menstruation cycles
• Preoccupied with bodyweight
• Lack of control
• Uncontrollable eating habits followed by purging
• Excessive physical exercise
• Abusing laxatives or diuretics

Binge Eating-

This disorder can be described by frequent consumptions of large proportions of meals uncontrollably leading to an excessive gain in weight and subsequent health problems.

Some of the symptoms are-

• Eating an unusually large amount of food in small time differences
• Feeling a lack of control in terms of food consumption
• Eating when not hungry or when full
• Eating alone and avoiding to eat in public places
• Eating until one is uncomfortably full
• Feelings of low self-esteem

 

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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD is a mental disorder that can be described as a condition caused by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. The event terrifies the individual even after a substantial amount of time has passed and affects the daily functioning.

There are four categories of symptoms experienced by the individual suffering from PTSD-

1. Re-experiencing symptoms-

• Flashbacks that involve reliving the traumatic event over and over again
• Nightmares of the terrifying event
• Recurrent or frightening thoughts about the event

2. Avoidance symptoms-

• Trying to avoid thoughts or feelings about the traumatic event
• Avoiding objects, places and events that remind the individual of the trauma

3. Arousal and reactivity symptoms-

• Difficulty in sleeping
• Feeling anxious, tense or on the edge
• Angry outbursts

4. Cognition and mood symptoms-

• Negative thoughts about oneself and the world
• Difficulty enjoying in any activities
• Feelings of numbness
• Forgetting the key features of the event
• Difficulty in maintaining close relationships

 

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Other common issues affecting the young population-

Addiction

Addiction is considered by WHO as dependence, as the continuous use of something for the sake of relief, comfort, or stimulation, which often causes cravings when it is absent. (WHO, 2014) Substance addiction and behavioural addictions are the two major categories of addiction.

Substance addiction is a psychological disorder described by the recurrent desire to consume a substance such as alcohol, caffeine, drugs or any other substance despite its negative consequences.

Behavioural addiction or non-substance addiction is characterized by the recurrent desire to indulge in activity or behaviour like gambling, shopping, gaming, etc. despite its negative consequences.

Suicide

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the young adult population aged between 15-24 years. Individuals in this age group are likely to be occupied with feelings of sadness, confusion, self-doubt, rejection, loss, the pressure to succeed in studies or work. Suicide may be seen as a solution to the problems.

Some warning signs to look out for:

• Changes in eating or sleeping habits
• Frequent or pervasive sadness
• Withdrawal from relationships
• Frequent complaints about physical symptoms such as stomachaches, headaches, fatigue, etc.
• The decline of interest with studies or work
• Preoccupied with thoughts of death and dying

 

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Conclusion

These are some of the common disorders and psychological problems that young adults are facing. The mental health disorders are as difficult to deal with as physiological or biological disorders. You should treat them as equally important, if possible, even more, because your psychological health deeply affects all areas of your life. Seek help!

References

https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/psychiatric-disorders/mood-disorders/depressive-disorders

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eating-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20353603

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/antisocial-personality-disorder/

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/eating-disorders/bulimia-nervosa/mental-health-bulimia-nervosa

https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Teen-Suicide-010.aspx

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml