“Depression (major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. To be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must be present for at least two weeks.”

Symptoms include increased fatigue, appetite changes, feelings of despair and intense sadness, suicidal ideation and loss of pleasure in previously enjoyable activities, among others.

— From the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

“You might feel anxious when faced with a problem at work, before taking a test, or before making an important decision. But anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, school work, and relationships.

There are several types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and various phobia-related disorders.”

— From the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

“Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. Although autism can be diagnosed at any age, it is said to be a “developmental disorder” because symptoms generally appear in the first two years of life. […] People with ASD have difficulty with social communication and interaction, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors.”

— From the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

“Bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression) is a mental disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, concentration, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.

There are three types of bipolar disorder. All three types involve clear changes in mood, energy, and activity levels. These moods range from periods of extremely “up,” elated, irritable, or energized behavior (known as manic episodes) to very “down,” sad, indifferent, or hopeless periods (known as depressive episodes). Less severe manic periods are known as hypomanic episodes.”

— From the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

“There is a commonly held misconception that eating disorders are a lifestyle choice. Eating disorders are actually serious and often fatal illnesses that are associated with severe disturbances in people’s eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions.

Preoccupation with food, body weight, and shape may also signal an eating disorder. Common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.”

— From the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

“Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event. […]

Nearly everyone will experience a range of reactions after trauma, yet most people recover from initial symptoms naturally. Those who continue to experience problems may be diagnosed with PTSD. People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened, even when they are not in danger.”

— From the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

“Therapists offer many different types of psychotherapy. Some people respond better to one type of therapy than another, so a psychotherapist will take things like the nature of the problem being treated and the person’s personality into account when determining which treatment will be most effective.”

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

• Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

• Exposure Therapy (type of CBT)

• Interpersonal Therapy

• Mentalization-Based Therapy

• Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

• Therapy Pets”

Learn more about each type of therapy at this page by the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

“A traumatic event is a shocking, scary, or dangerous experience that can affect someone emotionally and physically. Experiences like natural disasters (such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods), acts of violence (such as assault, abuse, terrorist attacks, and mass shootings), as well as car crashes and other accidents can all be traumatic. […]

Responses to trauma can be immediate or delayed, brief or prolonged. Most people have intense responses immediately following, and often for several weeks or months after a traumatic event. These responses can include:

• Feeling anxious, sad, or angry

• Trouble concentrating and sleeping

• Continually thinking about what happened”

— National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Anxiety attacks and panic attacks share a lot of symptoms, including dizziness, shortness of breath, a headache, and shaking or trembling. However, they are different in several key ways.

• “Anxiety is usually related to a stressful or threatening event, but panic attacks are not always caused by stressors and most often happen out of the blue.

• Anxiety can be mild, moderate, or severe. On the other hand, panic attacks mostly involve sudden, disruptive, and severe symptoms.

• The body’s fight or flight response takes over during a panic attack, and physical symptoms are much more intense than anxiety symptoms.”

— From Highland Springs Clinic

“A personality disorder is a type of mental disorder in which you have a rigid and unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning and behaving. A person with a personality disorder has trouble perceiving and relating to situations and people. This causes significant problems and limitations in relationships, social activities, work and school.

In some cases, you may not realize that you have a personality disorder because your way of thinking and behaving seems natural to you. And you may blame others for the challenges you face.

Personality disorders usually begin in the teenage years or early adulthood. There are many types of personality disorders. Some types may become less obvious throughout middle age.”

— From the Mayo Clinic

“Many types of mental health care professionals can help you achieve your recovery goals. These professionals work in inpatient facilities, such as general hospitals and psychiatric facilities, and outpatient facilities, such as community mental health clinics, schools and private practices.

• Psychologists (PhD, PsyD)

• Counselors, Clinicians, Therapists (MA, MS, LPC, LMFT, LCADAC)

• Clinical Social Workers (LICSW, LCSW, ACSW)

• Psychiatrists, Primary Care Physicians (MD, DO)

• Psychiatric or Mental Health or Family Nurse Practitioners (MS, PhD)

• Psychiatric Pharmacists (PharmD)”

Learn more about each type of mental health professionals at this page by the National Alliance on Mental Illness.