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Jacquelyn M. Arthur

Professor Johnson

1201.519 Composition II

5 May 2022

Mental Disorders and How They Affect Us Physically

Can mental illness affect a person not only mentally but physically? Mental health is a

topic that his highly researched but has little light shed onto it when it comes to the general

public. It is time to dig deeper and recognize the many physical symptoms individual’s bodies

suffer through for short and long periods of time due to it, and how the individual can work with

medical professionals to treat it. I am somebody who has struggled with depression and anxiety

the last couple of years due to having a large back surgery in 2021. The surgery really put me

back mentally, physically, and affected my view on life. As a young teenager I knew about

depression but I was not informed on how exactly it would take a toll on me physically. This

research really resonates with me and it is something that everyone should be knowledgeable

about, whether they are diagnosed with a mental illness or not. Any individual is capable of

developing a mental illness or disorder, and should be aware of the symptoms and treatments that

come with it. The mental disorders listed are only some of the mental health issues that exist and

what kind of physical symptoms come with them.

One of the most common mental disorders that dates back hundreds of years is

depression. “”Depression is a common mental disorder and one of the main causes of disability

worldwide. Globally, an estimated 264 million people are affected by depression”” (Section 2.13

Mental Health). Symptoms of depression are obviously sadness, losing interest in things one
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once enjoyed, it can disturb your sleep and affect your appetite as well, and make you extremely

tired. There are a multitude of factors that play a big role in whether or not someone is diagnosed

with depression. One of these factors is genetics but there are other things as well. According to

the PSY 1100 textbook, individual-specific environmental effects like romantic relationships

play an important role as well, and life events also contribute to depression, such as divorce or

unemployment, and other environmental factors such as early adversity like childhood abuse or

neglect and poverty contribute as well (PSY 1100). Many social aspects can affect whether or

not an individual develops depression as stated above. Some reasons may be a failed

relationship, not being able to find work, events that were traumatic during an individual’s

childhood like sexual abuse, living in poverty, and child neglect. There are different options

when it comes to treatment for depression.

As far as treatments go for depression there are a multitude of different therapies and

medications. There are an extreme amount of medications to help suppress the effects of

depression. There are also many types of therapy for depression or depressive disorders. “”Other

biological treatments for people with depression include electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial

magnetic stimulation, and deep brain stimulation”” (Introduction to Phycology, 2015). Also

according to Introduction to Phycology (2015) “”ETC involves inducing a seizure after a patient

takes muscle relaxants and is under general anesthesia, repetitive TMS is a noninvasive

technique administered while a patient is awake. Brief pulsating magnetic fields are delivered to

the cortex, inducing electrical activity”” (Introduction to Phycology, 2015). Interpersonal therapy

focuses on improving personal relationships by focusing on the most problematic issues and

short-term psychodynamic therapy is where the therapist is more involved with the patient in one

on one sessions.
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Other mental disorders that are common are anxiety disorders that range anywhere

between anxiety disorder to panic disorder, OCD, PTSD, and specific phobias. Almost

everybody experiences some type of anxiety, but that is not the same as having an anxiety

disorder. Anxiety disorders affects almost 5.7 percent of the population. Similar to depression,

anxiety disorders have many of the same symptoms. On top of relentless anxiety, people with

generalized anxiety disorder experience a load of physical symptoms. These symptoms include

but are not limited to tension in the body, tiredness, being easily agitated, irritability, difficulties

falling sleep or the opposite, or difficulty concentrating. On top of these symptoms, anxiety

disorders can cause lifelong autoimmune diseases. “”Stress and trauma can also

trigger autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, psoriasis, rheumatic arthritis, and

more”” (Ferguson, Sian).

Branching off of general anxiety disorder is panic disorder. Panic disorder often starts

when someone experiences a traumatic event that has a severe panic attack and starts to associate

those feelings with fear and purposefully avoid being involved with events or people that make

them feel that way again. Unexpected panic attacks from some sort of event or trauma are

believed to be at the core of panic disorder. People with panic disorder have panic attacks that

are out of the blue, experience overwhelming anxiety, and avoid anything related to the attack.

This causes the individual severe distress and interferes with their lives in negative ways. They

also relate normal activities to the event which causes extra anxiety and causes a never ending

cycle of panic. According to the National Institute of Mental Health the “”symptoms of these

panic attacks include but are not limited to a pounding or racing heart, sweating, chills,

trembling, difficulty breathing, dizziness, numbness in the hands, chest pain, and stomach pain or

nausea”” (“Panic Disorder: When”).

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Specific Phobia is also an anxiety disorder. ““It is one of the most common psychological

disorders in the United States, with 12.5% of the population reporting a lifetime history of fears

significant enough to be considered a ‘phobia’” (Introduction to Phycology, 2015). In order to be

diagnosed with specific phobia you have to meet a certain criteria. According to Kearns and Lee

(2015) “”this criteria is that there must be an irrational fear of a specific object or situation that

substantially interferes with the person’s ability to function”” (Kearns and Lee, 2015). There is a

large list of possible phobias but there are four major specific phobia’s that are recognized. These

are blood-injury-injection (Bll) type, situational types like enclosed spaces, natural environment

types like storms or water, and animal type. Some of the symptoms or rather affects from

specific phobia are a surge in activity in the sympathetic nervous system, increased heart rate,

increased blood pressure, and in certain situations panic attacks.

Social anxiety disorder comes second to specific phobia affecting 12.1% of the

population. People with social anxiety disorder avoid public altercations, if avoiding social

situations is not possible or is extremely difficult then the person has an overwhelming feeling of

distress. Since individuals with social anxiety disorder avoid public settings, this can negatively

affect the person’s personal life and relationships. The social situations that trigger anxiety and

fear can include anything between personal interactions such as starting or holding a

conversation to performance type settings such as being on stage in front of a large crowd and

presenting to preforming, and authoritative situations such as asking someone to change their

behavior if it is considered rude or uncomfortable. Social anxiety disorder can be caused by early

childhood punishment for small mistakes, or being bullied at a young age. Everyone has different

reactions to social anxiety disorder, some people may react so strongly to the anxiety from a

public altercation that they have an unexpected panic attack. Do not get it confused though,
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social anxiety disorder cannot be considered panic disorder because the persons fear is focused

on the social aspect and not the panic attack alone.

Second to last of the anxiety disorders is posttraumatic stress disorder, only affecting

about 6.8% of the population. “”To be diagnosed with PTSD the individual must have been

exposed to an event that involves actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence””

(Introduction to Phycology, 2015). For people diagnosed with PTSD, The amount of time

following a trauma whether is it days to years are filled with vivid thoughts of the event that the

individual cannot get out of their head, they are fearful that they could endure a similar event,

they have a habit of isolating themselves, and become emotionally numb. Also, those diagnosed

are constantly watching the environment they are in to avoid danger, they never sit in an area that

they can be considered vulnerable, and they do not go anywhere by themselves. This isn’t the

only way the trauma affects the individual. Those with PTSD will try their hardest to avoid

anything that reminds them of the event. This can include conversations, certain people, and

certain environments. More affects from posttraumatic stress disorder include having recurring

nightmares of the event or something similar, having memory loss, they become jumpy and

easily startled, and are quick to anger. The PTSD from the traumatic event often affects these

individuals for their entire life.

The last anxiety disorder this section will cover is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder which

has only affected about 1.6% of the population. People with OCD have a strong urge to engage

in specific behaviors, this urge can be so strong that it feels impossible for the person not to

complete it. If the task is not completed it can cause the person to have extreme anxiety. If the

person feels as if they have not completed the behavior or task they have the sense that they need

to repeat multiple times before they feel it is perfect. Introduction of Phycology by the Noba
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project (2015) supports that if “”people with OCD become preoccupied with the possibility that

the behavior was not carried out to completion they feel the strong urge to repeat the behavior

multiple times before they feel satisfied”” (Introduction to Phycology, 2015). Some examples of

this include repetitive washing, checking, and reordering or rearranging but those are only a few

on the list. According to Introduction to Phycology (2015) “”individuals with OCD experience

thought-action-confusion. This means that people with OCD often confuse having an intrusive

thought with their potential for carrying out the thought, they may become stuck on the thought

and be severely afraid that they will lose control and act on it”” (Introduction to Phycology,

2015).

Fig 1. This table shows the prevalence rates for major anxiety disorders. (Barlow and Ellard).

It is important to note that if you are experiencing any of these symptoms to go to a

doctor as soon as possible. The first step is to make sure you get blood tests done to rule out any

actual disease or illness. Then it may be time to talk to your doctor about the possibility of

having one of these anxiety disorders. Typically medication is the first step in the process of

getting better and can be extremely beneficial. You can also go to therapy, “”exposure based
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cognitive behavioral therapies are effective psychosocial treatments for anxiety disorders””

(Introduction to Phycology, 2015). Also according to Introduction to Phycology (2015) “”50% to

80% of patients receiving drugs or CBT with show a good initial response”” (Introduction to

Phycology, 2015).

Schizophrenia is another mental disorder that is extremely severe. Schizophrenia affects

20 million people all over the world. Schizophrenia typically begins in early adulthood but can

affect any individual no matter the age, it may just be rare. An article by the Mayo Clinic states

that “”people diagnosed with schizophrenia can experience symptoms as delusions,

hallucinations, disorganized thinking or speech, abnormal motor behavior, and negative

functions like neglecting personal hygiene or lacking emotions”” (“Schizophrenia”). Some

symptoms will not always be present, or as severe, and it is possible that some symptoms could

always be present. Unfourtanetly, individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia experience

discrimination. They have trouble finding access to health and social services and are very likely

to be put in long-term confinement in institutions such as psych wards.

Although here are options for treatment of schizophrenia through medications, it is not

well researched. There are also many options to take care of individuals who suffer severely

from it to make them more comfortable and feel as if they are living a normal life. Treatment

with medication and therapy is very affective. People with schizophrenia can enjoy a productive

life. There are options of assisted living, housing, and supported employment that allows patients

with schizophrenia to feel like a normal part of society.

Dementia is another very unfortunate mental disorder which affects 50 million people

around the globe. Dementia can be described as “”a chronic or progressive nature in which there

is deterioration in cognitive function (the ability to process thought) beyond what might be
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expected from normal ageing”” (Section 2.13 Mental Health). Also according to the Section 2.13

Mental Health, Injuries & Disabilities article “”dementia can affect memory, thinking,

orientation, comprehension, calculation, learning capacity, language, and judgement”” (Section

2.13 Mental Health). The physical symptoms that come with Dementia are more focused around

the brain and affect the memory. Dementia is often caused by head injuries or illnesses like

Alzheimer’s or strokes but can develop on its own as well.

There is no way to cure dementia as of right now, however there are treatment options to

manage symptoms and make patients more comfortable. There is a treatment option called

Cholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA receptors, however they are not well known. ““Both drug

classes have been shown to provide some benefit in improving or stabilizing memory function in

some people with dementia, Cholinesterase inhibitors manage the chemicals in your brain that

allow messages to be sent between brain cells, which is needed for proper brain function,

Memantine works similarly to cholinesterase inhibitors except it works on a different chemical

messenger and helps the nerve cells survive longer, and Aducanumab targets amyloid proteins,

which build up into the plaques seen in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease””

(Dementia). So although this is not a treatment option solely founded for dementia, and is not a

cure by any means, it can be used to slow the effects on the brain from the illness and allow the

individual to feel some sort of relief.

The last mental disorder to be covered is bipolar disorder. This disorder affects around 45

million people all over the world. It typically consists of both manic and depressive episodes and

includes breaks in between that can be labeled as normal moods. There are three different kinds

of bipolar disorder. The first is bipolar disorder I which is characterized by a single manic
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episode. Bipolar II disorder is characterized by single hypomanic and depressive episodes or

cycles. The third is cyclothymic disorder which is characterized by numerous cycles of

hypomania and depression that last at a minimum of two years. Now you may be asking yourself

what a hypomania episode is. “”A manic or hypomanic episode can be described as a distinct

period of abnormally and persistently euphoric, expansive, or irritable mood and persistently

increased goal directed activity or energy”” (PSY 1100). These manic episodes can include

experiencing an irritable mood, rapid speech, inflated self-esteem, and feeling like you do not

need to sleep. “”Manic episodes involve elevated or irritable mood, over-activity, rapid speech,

inflated self-esteem and a decreased need for sleep. People who have manic attacks but do not

experience depressive episodes are also classified as having bipolar disorder”” (Section 2.13

Mental Health). Although these symptoms seem more emotional rather than physical, they do

affect the individual’s body negatively. Irritable mood and choosing to not sleep even though the

body needs it to function properly can cause extreme exhaustion and more.

There are many treatment options for individuals with bipolar disorder. One of these is

interpersonal and social rhythm therapy where the patient and therapist find a balance of activity

and inactivity. According to the PSY 1100 textbook, “”interpersonal and social rhythm therapy is

a psychosocial intervention focused on addressing the mechanism of actions posited in social

zeitgeber theory to predispose patients who have BD to relapse, the therapist and patient work to

develop and maintain a healthy balance of activity and stimulation such that the patient does not

become overly active or inactive”” (“PSY 1100”). However, this is not the only treatment option

for bipolar disorder. It is highly encouraged however to get psychiatric help or be put on

medication to regulate the manic and hypomanic episodes, make sure you talk to your doctor
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about what medication would work best for you as there are some negative effects that come

with certain medications.

In conclusion, every mental disorder comes with at least one symptom that affects the

patient physically. Most mental disorders cause not only emotional and mental problems, but

physical problems in people that are diagnosed as well including but not limited to fatigue, body

aches, changes in appetite, and lifelong autoimmune diseases. Many of these mental disorders

are common and others not so much. However it is extremely important for everyone to be

educated about these mental illnesses and how to treat them because everyone is at risk of

developing a mental illness (even if you think you are not). It’s time to bring more attention to

mental illnesses in society and how much they affect people. This is something that should be

normalized and taught to everybody all over the world because mental illness affects people

worldwide. If you believe that you could be suffering from one of these mental disorders it is

highly encouraged that you talk to your doctor and figure out a treatment plan best fit for you,

and find a therapist that you could go to as well.

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Works Cited

“Dementia: Symptoms, Types, Causes, Treatment & Risk Factors.” Cleveland

Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9170-dementia. Accessed 5 May,
2022

Farreras, Ingrid G. “History of Mental Illness.” Noba, https://nobaproject.com/modules/history-

of-mental-illness#content. Accessed 5 May, 2022

Ferguson, Sian. “Yes, Mental Illness Can Cause Physical Symptoms - Here's Why.” Healthline,
Healthline Media, 30 June
2020, https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/mental-illness-can-cause-
physical-symptoms?scrlybrkr=d9f932b5. Accessed 5 May, 2022

“Introduction to Phycology- The Full Noba Collection” Vdocuments.mx, Mexico Documents, 23

Nov. 2015, https://vdocuments.mx/documents/introduction-to-psychology-the-full-noba-
collection.html?page=1. Accessed 5 May, 2022

Kearns, Tori, and Deborah Lee. “Galileo Open Learning Materials.” Site, GALILEO,
2015, https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/ Accessed 5 May, 2022

“Mental Disorders.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 29 Nov.

2019, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders?
scrlybrkr=c17b1119. Accessed 5 May, 2022

“Panic Disorder: When Fear Overwhelms.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S.

Department of Health and Human
Services, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-when-fear-
overwhelms?scrlybrkr=38245488. Accessed 5 May, 2022

“Schizophrenia.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 7 Jan.
2020, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/symptoms-causes/
syc-20354443?scrlybrkr=1955a980. Accessed 5 May, 2022

“Section 2.13 Mental Health, Injuries & Disabilities” PUBH 110, Global Health and Global
Societies, https://pubh110.digital.uic.edu/section-2-13-mental-health-injuries-disabilities/. 
Accessed 5 May, 2022
Soltysiak, Anne, PSY 1100 General Psychology Sinclair Community College, NOBA, 2021.

Accessed 5 May, 2022

“Table 1. Prevelance rates for major anxiety disorders” (Billard & Ellard)
https://nobaproject.com/modules/anxiety-and-related-disorders Accessed 5 May, 2022