| Psychiatry is a medical science that studies and treats mental disorders in people. The term was first introduced by German physician Johann Christian Reil in 1808.
Many mental illnesses are treated by a psychiatrist.
Mental health specialists work around the world. They help people to handle depression, treat sleeplessness etc. There are many mental disorders and phobias that require specialist medical aid.
Common mental disorders include anorexia, delusion, depression, fatigue, anxiety, confusion, erratic behaviour etc.
ANOREXIA is a common mental disorder, especially in young women. It starts when a person, normally a young girl starves deliberately or consumes less to become slimmer. Yet, starving leads to a loss of appetite and serious health problems, for instance infertility in women.
SCHIZOPHRENIA is another serious mental illness. It has been studied by psychiatrists for ages. It is an abnormal perception of reality badly affecting all five human senses. Hallucinations, abnormality in speech, disorganized thinking pattern, paranoia are characteristic of schizophrenic patients. People with schizophrenia normally suffer from major depressions and anxiety disorders. People with schizophrenia have a shorter lifespan than mentally healthy people. One of the reasons is a high suicidal rate among patients suffering from the disorder. Though it is not passed from a parent to a child, Schizophrenia tends to affect family members.
Harmful substance abuse is a common problem to be treated by psychiatrists. Social problems, for instance unemployment, poverty and homelessness, are common, too.
Psychiatry deals with mental illnesses that are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. The way people think, percept the reality, their beliefs and many other things form their psyche which might be severely challenged because of circumstances. A professional through a psychiatric aid and prescription medicine try to revive the balance in the brain. This process requires a lot of effort and time. |
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