Mental Health Diagnosis

If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at

1-800-273-TALK (8255) or call 911 immediately.

Mental Health Disorders

Anxiety Disorders are mental disorders that can occur at any age. Everyone feels worried and fearful at times. People with anxiety disorders worry a lot and are fearful and nervous. These feelings cause distress and impair daily life. The person may avoid situations such as work, school, and social activities.

Bipolar Disorder, sometimes called manic-depressive disorder, is a mental disorder that involves unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the way a person thinks. These shifts include periods when the person feels manic (extremely “up,” energized, irritable) and periods when the person feels depressed (“down,” hopeless, irritable, sad, and apathetic).

Co-Occurring Disorders (Dual Diagnosis) is the coexistence of both a mental health and a substance use disorder.  Co-occurring disorders were previously referred to as dual diagnoses. People with mental health disorders are more likely than people without mental health disorders to experience an alcohol or substance use disorder. Co-occurring disorders can be difficult to diagnose due to the complexity of symptoms, as both may vary in severity. In many cases, people receive treatment for one disorder while the other disorder remains untreated. This may occur because both mental and substance use disorders can have biological, psychological, and social components.

Depression is a common and serious mental disorder. It can affect people in different ways. It can change how a person feels, thinks, acts, and handles daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, and working. People with depression may feel sad, hopeless, angry, irritable, and tired. They may have physical symptoms such as stomachaches, headaches, migraines, and muscle pains. They may have suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a common mental disorder. It affects children, adolescents, and adults. A person with OCD has unwanted and upsetting thoughts, images, or urges—obsessions—or repetitive actions or mental acts—compulsions. There are many treatment options to manage OCD.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that can occur when a person has seen or lived through trauma. Most people have a natural response to trauma, called the fight-or-flight response. The response can protect a person from harm by causing changes in the body to help defend against danger (fight) or avoid it (flight). In some cases, a person has a third type of response (freeze) and cannot do anything.

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and acts. People with the disorder may have changes in: thought content, thought processes, emotions or behavior.

Related Conditions

(Source: SAMHSA)