There are many diseases and disorders that may affect the human mind. Some of these are serious, while others are minor and may not even be noticed. Some of the disorders and diseases to be covered in this report are delirium, dementia, and schizophrenia, also a discussion of specific symptoms and treatments available for the different disorders.A mental illness is defined as any disease that affects a person’s mind, thoughts, emotions, personality, or behavior. For any mental illness, as in a physical illness, there are symptoms that make it possible to identify when a person is suffering from a mental disorder or illness. Some of the more common symptoms of these disorders include extreme moods, sadness, anxiety and the inability to think clearly or remember well. Just because a person may experience some of these symptoms it does not mean that he or she is suffering from an illness. Almost everyone at sometime in their lives will not be able to think clearly or be in a bad mood. These characteristics are just part of human nature and are more than likely than not just a passing mood that will pass in a few moments. A diagnosis of a mental illness may be necessary if the symptoms occur so often that they interfere with the person’s everyday life.An amazingly large number of Americans have mental illnesses, approximately 43% of the entire population of the United States. Although most of these are not serious, about 3% of the American population have a mental illness that can be classified as serious. This small population of the public will require treatment to either relieve or cure them of their illness. Since the 1950’s, treatment for mental illness has greatly improved and has made recovery faster. These improvements will help the majority of the people who seek treatment return to their normal lives faster. There are two basic terms used to describe the seriousness of mental illness that a person h...
