The Guide to Disorders

By theguideto

The human body, as a marvel of engineering, is not perfect. You are still susceptible to many things, such as microorganisms that invade your body. Most of the time, these infections are combated by the body’s immune system, sometimes with the help of medicines and other forms of treatment; however, there are times when you’re afflicted by certain conditions that are not really viral or bacterial based. These are called human medical disorders and in most cases, they are far more complicated and complex than your usual sniffles or fever.

Disorder In The Court

A disorder is generally described as something that causes an abnormality or disturbance to an otherwise healthy body. Most people interchange the term with diseases or illnesses, and it’s generally acceptable to do so.

The causes for human disorders vary, depending on the exact disorder a person has. Each disorder can have many probable causes as well. A disorder is considered more complex than a common disease. Diagnoses for disorders are usually done in reference to a patient’s medical history. Treatments also vary according to the specific disorder a patient has.

In the medical world, disorders are generally classified into two:

Mental disorder. Mental disorders are psychological or behavioral patterns that occur in an individual. These may cause a person mental distress and discomfort and may not be a part of his or her normal development. Over time, the recognition and understanding of mental disorders have changed since culture has been tagged as a major factor in identifying them. In classifying and assessing mental disorders, there is a significant variation, but the guidelines and criteria listed in the ICD and DSM manuals, among others, are widely accepted by medical health professionals.

The term mental disorder can be very broad, covering mental retardation, substance dependence, and personality disorders. The criteria used in order to define whether a person has a mental disorder vary depending on the social, legal, and political context. Generally, a person with a mental disorder shows some clinically significant behavioral and psychological pattern that eventually causes them to suffer distress, instability or increased suffering.

Currently, there are two organizations that are the authorities in classifying mental disorders. These two organizations have their own systems used in the classification. World Health Organization (WHO) has Chapter V of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Both of these systems list and categorize the disorders and most medical practitioners use them as standardized criteria for their diagnosis.

The most common examples of mental disorders include:

Dissociative disorders – are mental disorders that are characterized by disruptions or breakdowns of memory, identity or awareness and perception. Examples include schizophrenia and dissociative amnesia.
Eating disorder – is a compulsion of some people to eat excessively or avoid eating, that usually negatively affects the person’s health and well-being. (Learn how to get rid of eating disorders)
Mood disorders – are any disorders where the underlying feature of the disturbance is the person’s emotional mood. Major clinical depression and bipolar disorder are examples of this.

Physical disorder. The term physical disorder is usually used to contrast mental disorder, where there is an available objective mechanical test such as brains scans and chemical tests. Physical disorders are usually those that are not purely mental in nature.

There is marked difficulty in differentiating between physical and mental disorders especially in medicine and law, mostly because some issues delve into deep discussions, most of which involve religion and philosophy. For example, some psychiatrists believe that some or all mental disorders are associated with physical changes in the brain. Some religious and metaphysical views also maintain that mental disorders have nothing to do with physical disorders, as the brain acts only as a conduit between the human spirit and the physical world.

Examples of physical disorder are:

Skin disorders – are disorders that affect the physical appearance of the skin. Examples include dermatitis, acne, and rashes.
Cardiovascular disorders – are disorders that affect the heart and the lungs. They are usually very serious and must be dealt with as soon as possible.
Blood disorders – are disorders that are associated with the blood. Examples include anemia and leukemia.

In order to properly treat a disorder, physicians must be able to properly diagnose it first. Since there are so many disorders that a person can potentially have, proper examination must first be done before treatment can even be considered. One thing is certain though — whether you have a mental or physical disorder, it is always best to have yourself checked by a professional the soonest time possible. If you learn from this article, you’ll surely learn more by reading how to treat OCD.

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The Guide to Disorders

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