Mental Illness And Suicide
Mental illness and suicide
There is sometimes a stigma associated with the terms “mental illness” and “mental disorder” that causes some people to equate this fairly common condition with being “crazy.” The truth of the matter is that there are many conditions included under those general terms that would surprise even some of the people who unknowingly suffer from a mental illness.
Although some argue that there is a difference between the terms “mental illness” and “mental disorder,” they are generally used interchangeably. A mental illness can be loosely defined as a condition that disrupts a person’s mood, affects their feelings, disrupts their habitual thinking patterns, and impairs their functioning.
It has been noted that around 90 percent of people who died by suicide had some form of mental illness. The term “mental illness” covers a wide range of fairly common problems including: alcohol abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depressive disorder (depression), anorexia, and many others. Although the vast majority of people who die by suicide had some type of mental illness, the opposite is not true: the majority of people who suffer from mental illness do not die by suicide. In many situations, a person with a mental illness can recover and be as normal as any other member of society. Even the most serious mental illnesses can be treated, and doing so can dramatically help a person’s assimilation into normal life. The fact is that professional treatment is essential to the recovery process for someone suffering from a serious mental illness.
List of Mental Illnesses
A
Aboulia
Absence Epilepsy
Acute Stress Disorder
Adjustment Disorder
Age-related Cognitive Decline
Agoraphobia
Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol Dependence
Alcohol Withdrawal
Alcoholic Hallucinosis
Alzheimer’s Disease
Amnestic Disorder
Amphetamine Dependence
Amphetamine Withdrawal Psychosis
Anorexia Nervosa
Anterograde Amnesia
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Anxiety Disorder
Anxiolytic-related Disorders
Attention Deficit Disorder
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Autism
Autophagia
Avoidant Personality Disorder
Atelophobia
Asperger Syndrome
B
Barbiturate Dependence
Benzodiazepine Dependence
Benzodiazepine Misuse
Benzodiazepine Withdrawal
Bereavement
Bibliomania
Binge Eating Disorder
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar I Disorder
Bipolar II Disorder
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Borderline Intellectual Functioning
Borderline Personality Disorder
Brief Psychotic Disorder
Bulimia Nervosa
C
Caffeine-related Disorder
Caffeine-induced Sleep Disorder
Cannabis Dependence
Claustrophobia
Catatonic Disorder
Catatonic Schizophrenia
Childhood Amnesia
Childhood Antisocial Behavior
Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorder
Cocaine Dependence
Cocaine Intoxication
Cognitive Disorder
Communication Disorder
Conduct Disorder
Cotard Delusion
Cyclothymia
D
Delirium Tremens
Depersonalization Disorder
Depressive Disorder
Derealization Disorder
Dermatillomania
Desynchronosis
Developmental Coordination Disorder
Down Syndrome
Diogenes Syndrome
Dispareunia
Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)
Dyslexia
Dysthymia
E
Ednos
Ekbom’s Syndrome (Delusional Parasitosis)
Encopresis
Enuresis
Erotomania
Exhibitionism
F
Factitious Disorder
Fregoli Delusion
Frotteurism
Fugue State
G
Ganser Syndrome
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
General Adaptation Syndrome
Grandiose Delusions
H
Hallucinogen-related Disorder
Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder
Histrionic Personality Disorder
Huntington’s Disease
Hypomanic Episode
Hypochondriasis
K
Kleptomania
Korsakoff’s Syndrome
L
Lacunar Amnesia
M
Major Depressive Disorder
Major Depressive Episode
Maladaptive Daydreaming
Male Erectile Disorder
Malingering
Manic Episode
Mathematics Disorder
Mean World Syndrome
Medication-related Disorder
Melancholia
Minor Depressive Disorder
Minor Depressive Episode
Misophonia
Mixed Episode
Mood Disorder
Mood Episode
Morbid Jealousy
Munchausen’s Syndrome
Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy
N
Narcolepsy
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Neglect of Child
Neuroleptic-related Disorder
Nicotine Withdrawal
Night Eating Syndrome
Nightmare Disorder
Neurocysticercosis
O
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)
Oneirophrenia
Opioid Dependence
Opioid-related Disorder
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
Orthorexia (on)
P
Pain Disorder
Panic Disorder
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Parasomnia
Parkinson’s Disease
Partner Relational Problem
Pathological Gambling
Perfectionism
Persecutory Delusion
Personality Change Due to a Medical Condition
Personality Disorder
Phencyclidine
Phobic Disorder
Phonological Disorder
Physical Abuse
Pica
Polysubstance Dependence
Post-traumatic Embitterment Disorder (PTED)
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Pragmatic Language Disorder
Premature Ejaculation
Primary Hypersomnia
Primary Insomnia
Psychogenic Amnesia
Psychotic Disorder
Pyromania
R
Reactive Attachment Disorder
Reading Disorder
Recurrent Brief Depression
Relational Disorder
Residual Schizophrenia
Retrograde Amnesia
Rumination Syndrome
S
Schizoaffective Disorder
Schizoid Personality Disorder
Schizophrenia
Schizophreniform Disorder
Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Sedative, Hypnotic, or Anxiolytic Use Disorder
Selective Mutism
Separation Anxiety Disorder
Severe Mental Retardation
Shared Psychotic Disorder
Sleep Disorder
Sleep Paralysis
Sleep Terror Disorder
Sleepwalking Disorder
Small Penis Syndrome
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social Phobia
Somatization Disorder
Somatoform Disorder
Specific Phobia
Stendhal Syndrome
Stereotypic Movement Disorder
Stockholm Syndrome
Stuttering
Substance-related Disorder
T
Tardive Dyskinesia
Tourette Syndrome
Transient Tic Disorder
Transient Global Amnesia
Trichotillomania
W
White Coat Hypertension
NB: This list may not contain every mental disorder
Among the most common mental illnesses that can potentially increase the risk of suicide are:
► Major Depression
► Schizophrenia
► Substance Use Disorders
► Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression)
Although these are some of the more common, there are many other mental illnesses that might increase the risk of suicide. It is important to know however, that proper diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses can significantly increase a person’s quality of life and drastically help with reducing the suicide risk.