It is estimated that about 10 million American adults experience depression each year, but that only one-third of these seek treatment. Depression is the most successfully treated of all the major mental illnesses. A person with suicidal thoughts should seek help immediately. Bi-Polar Disorder is also a mood disorder. Someone experiencing some or all of the symptoms of mania, or periods of mania and depression, should seek treatment if the symptoms persist more than 2 weeks, if they are causing impairment in the person's usual functioning.
Schizophrenia is a group of disorders characterized by unusual thoughts, emotions, and behavior.
As with depression and mania, schizophrenia is the result of a biochemical imbalance in the person's brain. Schizophrenia often manifests itself in people between the ages of 17 and 25, although it can occur in childhood, or in persons in their 30's. Anxiety Disorders are characterized by severe and lasting fear or anxiety. However, there are various forms of successful treatment used to help those with anxiety disorders.