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Kirsten Wakefield

Professor Massie

ENGL 1301

23 March 2021

Informative Research Essay

Mental disorders have multiple distinctive forms affecting one’s mood, thinking, and

behavior. Although mental disorders can be exceedingly different, they all affect people’s

perspective of the world around them and can come with an abundant number of symptoms that

individuals find different ways to cope with. Anxiety, depression, and ADHD are all mental

disorders that involve both physical and psychological effects that can be severe or mild

depending on the person and ultimately change someone’s life and way of thinking.

Firstly, anxiety is a mental illness or mood disorder that involves over worrying. While

worrying is a defining symptom, there are quite a few additional ones that are both physical and

psychological. Sweating, nausea, heart palpitations, and shaking are some of the physical signs.

Fear, irritability, overthinking, insomnia, loss or increase in appetite, and a sense of impending

doom are some of the psychological symptoms. Panic attacks can also occur due to anxiety. A

panic attack can last for twenty to thirty minutes and involves an increase in heart rate and an

overwhelming fear that something bad may happen. They typically occur at random times with

no true cause and can also affect breathing significantly. Panic attacks are considered intense

because they can be immobilizing and make someone believe that they are potentially dying or

suffering from a heart problem. There are specific types of anxiety disorders. These include

generalized anxiety, social anxiety, separation anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder
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(PTSD). Occasional anxiety is considered normal and can fade with time. However, some

individuals experience persistent ongoing and uncontrollable anxiety that affects them

throughout their entire life. This is a mental disorder that ultimately influences everyday

activities and experiences. Activities such as going to work, participating in group functions, and

even just getting out of bed can be excruciatingly difficult with individuals that suffer from

anxiety. These tasks may be seemingly normal and easy for some people, but anxiety takes a toll

someone’s social and daily life. Anxiety influences quite a few aspects of someone’s life and is a

mental disorder that makes tasks that some may see as simple much more difficult to overcome.

A couple of treatments for anxiety include medications and therapy. Psychotherapy is commonly

used for treating anxiety. This specific therapy involves psychologist and individuals diagnosed

with anxiety working as a team. During this process both parties identify ways to develop new

coping skills and ways to counteract symptoms. This is done in a way that the patient is

comfortable with because it is deeply personal.

Additionally, depression is a mood disorder that correlates with the feeling of great

sadness. Depression can be either long-term or short-term depending on the person. Symptoms

of depression can include irritability, anxiety, guilt, sadness, hopelessness, changes in weight,

insomnia, or an increase in sleeping, and in severe cases, it can lead to suicidal thoughts or

tendencies. There are an abundant types of depression disorders. These include clinical

depression, persistent depressive disorder, manic depression or better known as bipolar disorder,

and quite a few more. Clinical depression is the most common type of depression and is a more

extreme form. According to Hall-Flavin, “it isn't the same as depression caused by a loss, such as

the death of a loved one, or a medical condition, such as a thyroid disorder.”(Hall-Flavin)

Symptoms for clinical depression last for at least two weeks and are consistent daily. Persistent
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depression, which is also called dysthymia, lasts for over two years. However, it is not as intense

as clinical depression. Manic depression is “a form of major affective disorder, or mood disorder,

defined by manic or hypomanic episodes (changes from one's normal mood accompanied by

high energy states).”(“Bipolar Disorder,” 2020) Manic episodes involve extremely increased

excitement or euphoria. During the mania period someone may not be able to sleep for days and

may experience more psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations. These episodes also range in

seriousness. Some treatments for depression include medication, therapy, and electroconvulsive

therapy.

Lastly, attention-deficit disorder, or also known by its acronym ADHD, is a

neurodevelopment disorder that also involves behavior. Symptoms of attention-deficit disorder

can include hyper fixation, hypersensitivity, difficulty focusing, short attention span, and

impulsive behavior depending on which type of ADHD someone has. There are three types of

attention-deficit disorder, combined, impulsive, and inattentive type. The impulsive type has to

do with a lot of restless and fidgety behavior and hyperactivity. A person with impulsive ADHD

may have difficulty with impatience as well as interrupting people while they are speaking. The

inattentive type is quite different as it has to do with “getting distracted, having poor

concentration and organizational skills,”(Roth) and moving slowly. Furthermore, the combined

type involves having both impulsive and inattentive symptoms. Symptoms such as these affect

individuals on an everyday basis. Impulsive ADHD involves not being able to sit still, high

energy, and talking fast and frequently. This influences everyday activities such as interacting

with other people and even just being at home and feeling restless. Alternatively, inattentive

ADHD involves issues with holding attention during events such as school, work, or even social

activities. Like anxiety and depression, ADHD can also be treated with medications and therapy.
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Stimulants are highly known to be effective with counteracting attention-deficit disorder

symptoms.

Mental disorders affect people’s lives in numerous ways. They influence their mind,

behavior, and personal relationships. Mental disorders range in symptoms, length, and intensity

and ultimately affect individuals differently. Hardships can appear even from tasks such as going

to work, school, or socializing. People find an abundant number of ways to cope with these

disorders ranging from therapy to medications. Living with different mental disorders such as

anxiety, depression, and attention-deficit disorder changes how someone goes about their daily

routines and functions within society.

Works Cited

“Anxiety Disorders.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 4

May 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-

20350961.

“Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Children.” Johns Hopkins Medicine,

www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/adhdadd.

Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D. “Severe, Persistent Depression.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for

Medical Education and Research, 13 May 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-

conditions/depression/expert-answers/clinical-depression/faq-20057770.

“Manic Depression (Manic Depressive Disorder): Symptoms, Causes, Treatment.” WebMD,

www.webmd.com/depression/guide/bipolar-disorder-manic-depression.

“Right to Fail.” Youtube, uploaded by Frontline. PBS Official, 25 Aug. 2020,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B-okvAO1tM.

Roth, Erica. “What Are the Three Types of ADHD?” Healthline, 24 Apr. 2018,

www.healthline.com/health/adhd/three-types-adhd.
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