Explaining Some Misunderstood Mental Disorders/Illnesses

Instructions

I've seen a lot of people say that they've had a certain condition, but do not act like it. So I'm going to smooth some things out about mental disorders/illnesses. I did extensive research on these, using .org, .edu, .gov, and other trusted sites. I also talked to people who are in the field of helping people with disorders (psychiatrists, neurodivergent therapists, etc etc) I have ADHD, autism, and Unspecified Mood Disorder (diagnosed by a professional). So I also used some of my own personal experiences with those mental disorders. Please note, this is to diagnose or treat any mental disorders/illnesses. This is to just help spread information about some commonly misunderstood disorders/mental illnesses. If you think you may have a mental disorder, get diagnosed by a professional. TW with some of the disorders. they talk about 4bvse and such =========================================== -AD(H)D and what it is- ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Usually, people with ADHD have autism, but it is not guaranteed. People who have ADHD usually can't focus very well, and also have very impulsive and hyperactive behavior. Both their mind and body are hyper, and a lot of the time, people with ADHD will overthink everything. However, everyone's experience is different. ADD is like ADHD, but without the physical hyperactivity, ADD isn't actually a thing, but it's kinda like a "sub-category" (that's the only way I can put it, sorry) of ADHD. Your brain, however, is very hyper and tends to overthink everything. People usually take medications in order to dull the effects of ADHD and let them function =========================================== -Bipolar and what people confuse it with- TW of abv5e mentions Bipolar is where you have major mood swings, energy shifts, and behavior. You have maniac and depressive episodes. Maniac episodes where you have elevated mood, increased energy and activity, irritability or aggression, grandiosity or delusions, decreased need for sleep and reckless behavior. Depressive episodes are where you have a depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, changes in appetite or sleep and thoughts of oofing. A lot of people use bipolar to excuse their actions. However, that does not mean anything. A mental disorder that possibly could be what's happening is Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), or if you're old (as a joke), Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD). This is where you have multiple identities, and you switch between them. This is a serious mental health issue, and is not done by choice. Usually DID is caused by severe tr4uma. You were either physically or emotionally 4bv5ed, or witnessing tr4umatic events, or by natural disasters. =========================================== -People with Autism are not less- When people hear the word "autism" they think of someone who is not able to speak or move their body. This is not the case. Autism is a mental disorder that affects one's ability to communicate, interact with others, and understand the world around them. There is a "spectrum" with autism. There are 12 different parts of the spectrum. People who are on the higher side of the spectrum aren't able to speak or move, while people on the lower side have more "mellower side-effects". People with autism, the majority of the time have ADHD, but it is not guaranteed of someone having both. =========================================== -Anxiety and Depression- Anxiety is very common in day-to-day life. But when it becomes excessive, persistent, and disrupts your average life, it can be categorized as an anxiety disorder. People with anxiety usually deal with excessive worry/fear, always on edge or tense, difficulty making decisions, restlessness or irritability, rapid heartbeat (because your always on edge), sweating and/or trembling, insomnia, or having problems with the digestive system (nausea, diarrhea, etc etc). Anxiety is the majority of the time genetic or from tr4uma. But it could also be from biological imbalances or from medical conditions. Usually therapy helps with anxiety, but doing simple meditation or breathing exercises, which you can find videos on YT, helps a lot. Even if you don't have anxiety, but are really stressed, you can still use calming videos on YT to help. Depression is similar to anxiety, but you have persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest. Some things people with depression deal with is persistent low mood or sadness, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, changes in appetite or weight, sleep disturbances (insomnia or excessive sleeping), fatigue or loss of energy, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, or feelings of worthlessness or guilt. Depression is caused by genetics, brain chemistry imbalances, tr4uma, stress or medical conditions. Therapy is great in helping with depression. (cont in N+C)