Following are some of the other types of mental disorders:

• Somatic symptom and related disorders

In somatic symptom and related disorders, mental distortions are manifested in the form of physical symptoms. Now, it is normal to have physical reactions to mental problems, but people with this disorder are greatly disturbed by these symptoms, so much that it takes a toll on their wellbeing, and daily life. These disorders are categorised as:

Conversion disorder

In this disorder, physical symptoms that resemble those of a nervous system disorder are developed.

Factitious disorder

In this disorder, people pretend to have symptoms for no apparent external reason (such as to get time off from work).

Illness anxiety disorder

People with illness anxiety disorder are excessively preoccupied and worried about the possibility of having or getting a serious illness.

Psychological factors affecting other medical conditions

Sometimes attitudes or behaviors can have a negative effect on a medical disorder that a person has.

Somatic symptom disorder

In this disorder, people's symptoms concern and preoccupy them, worry them constantly, and/or drive them to see doctors very frequently.

• Eating disorders

Eating disorders are psychological conditions that cause unhealthy eating habits to develop. They generally begin with an obsession with food, body weight, body shape, or body image. If left untreated, eating disorders can become severe and even life threatening. There are 6 common types of eating disorders:

Anorexia nervosa

People with anorexia tend to restrict their food intake in order to lose weight, but they are already underweight. They have a distorted body image, and also denial of being underweight.

Bulimia nervosa

People with bulimia tend to binge eat foods that they would normally avoid, to a point where they are painfully full. They seem to lose control of themselves while eating. This erratic episode is generally followed by forced vomiting, taking laxative, or fasting to relieve oneself of the guilt caused by binge eating.

Binge eating disorder

Binge eating disorder consists of uncontrollable consumption of food in a short period of time followed by excessive guilt, but no compensating behaviours unlike bulimia nervosa.

Pica

Individuals with pica feel an urge for consuming culturally and socially inedible substances, like chalk, dust, soil, paper, hair, cloth, etc. this disorder is usually seen in children, pregnant women, or mentally disturbed patients.

Rumination disorder

Rumination disorder can affect people of all ages. People with this condition generally regurgitate the food they’ve recently swallowed. Then, they chew it again and either swallow it or spit it out.

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder

Individuals with this disorder experience disturbed eating either due to a lack of interest in eating or distaste for certain smells, tastes, colors, textures, or temperatures.

• Psychosis

Psychosis is a mental disorder that may be a side effect of a psychiatric illness such as schizophrenia. In other cases, it may be caused by a health condition, medication or drug use.

Generally, symptoms of psychosis include delusions, hallucinations, talking incoherently and agitation. The person with the condition is usually unaware of his or her behaviour.

Common psychotic disorders

Some of the common psychotic disorders are: schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder, brief psychotic disorder, delusional disorder, etc.

• PTSD

Post traumatic stress disorder is characterised by inability to recover after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Intense emotional and physical reactions are noted after certain triggers that cause flashbacks.

Depression

Depression is a mental disorder categorised by persistent low mood, loss of interest in daily activities, resulting in impaired daily functioning.

Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are categorised by symptoms of strong feelings of worry, anxiousness or stress, that interferes with one’s day-to-day activities, about the future.

Substance use disorder

Substance use disorder occurs when a person’s consumption of alcohol or abuse of drugs leads to health problems and problems at school, home, and/or work.

Gestalt and abnormal psychology

Gestalt therapy understands individual symptoms and human suffering as phenomena emerging from a wider relational field and can offer an original key to understanding, staying with and supporting people who suffer.