Most people are familiar with mental disorders; maybe they have experienced a type of mental disorder first hand or know of someone who is suffering from it or has suffered from it.
This abnormal psychology affects people of all ages, from to birth to adulthood, it can onset at any given time. Psychiatric or mental disorders by definition are clusters of psychological, emotional, or behavioral symptoms that cause a person to experience severe distress or significant mental impairment. Most who suffer from mental disorders look completely healthy but inside their mind lives a monster. Mental disorders are invisible monsters.
The idea of monsters in the brain comes from prehistoric humans who believed that evil spirits or other supernatural forces caused mental illness. As Lillian Range explains in “Abnormal Psychology,” the models of abnormality can be divided into three types: medical, psychological, and cultural.
In the psychoanalytic model, people develop psychological problems when they have inner conflicts intense enough to overwhelm their normal defenses. In the conflict model, the conflicts between the the ego, superego, and id lead to unpleasant and anxious feelings, people then develop defense mechanisms to handle these feelings. The behavioral model or social learning is the role that the environment plays in the development or the onset of the abnormal behavior. People acquire abnormal behavior in the same ways they acquire normal behavior, which is by learning from rewards and punishments, also their perception or expectations, and values.
Medical models hold that mental disorders take on psychological appearance, but the real problems are physical in nature. In other words, the sickness or disease is in the brain is a physical one, but the pain it inflicts is an emotional one. Therefore, people who suffer from mental disorders are in a constant battle with monsters in their brain. Metaphorically speaking the type of mental disorder, one suffers from is their “monster” who follows them around like a shadow. Therefore, by using one's imagination and giving the invisible monster some individual characteristics, the disorder becomes more manageable.
Anxiety is a common mental disorder. As defined by Dr. Peter Hartmann in “Anxiety” from the Magills Medical Guide, anxiety is a state of fear or apprehension. Anxiety can vary in range; one can experience anxiety before a job interview or performance. But when anxiety becomes excessive to the point where it starts affecting everyday life it becomes a monster. The anxiety monster sits on their victim's shoulder whispering fearful thoughts and irrational worries into their unconscious mind. The anxiety monster is weak compared to other monsters, but it is the most common one. No one has ever seen the anxiety monster because it wears a mask to hide its identity.
Why does depression feel so bad? What is the “psychological pain” that can make a person lose the joy of living their life? Depression just like anxiety is one of the most common mental disorders. Depression defined by Bryan Boling, RN, DNP, CCRN-CSC in “Depression: An Overview,” as a mood disorder that is characterized by feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness. Serious depression left untreated can lead to suicide. The depression monster is one that floats around endlessly, covering his eyes to hide from the outside world. He attaches to his victim like a shadow, and sometimes the victim doesn't know the monster is even there. But the victim feels sadness that doesn't go away. Not even a joke will make the victim smile or laugh. Meanwhile, the monster is absorbing any positive energy. This monster won't stop until the victim realizes the attack. The victim must get help to get rid of this monster as he's known to have many friends who attack their victims simultaneously.
Bipolar disorder is a severe mental disorder. Just like the name explains- bi (two) polar (opposite sides of the sphere). As Diane Gooding, et al. in “Bipolar Disorder.” from the Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health, describes individuals who suffer bipolar disorder experience extreme mood changes. The bipolar monster is one that has two opposite sides- an excited, active one, and sad, depressed one, these two fighting for control over one body. Only one can dominate the body at a time, but they are in a constant battle trying to take over. The victim will feel the effects from one monster at times and the other immediately after. This monster is hard to detect as it can hide for an extended period.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a disorder that affects people who have had traumatic events in their lives. Veterans are known to have PTSD since they experienced war and devastation. As Piotrowski, Nancy A., Ph.D., et al., states in the article “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Magill’s Medical Guide- “According to the National Center for PTSD at the US Department of Veteran Affairs, the estimated lifetime prevalence of PTSD among American adults is approximately 6.8 percent, and the lifetime prevalence of PTSD was 3.6 percent among men and 9.7 percent among women.” The trauma can be direct or indirect, for example witnessing an earthquake, a car accident or even domestic violence could trigger an onset of PTSD. The post-traumatic stress monster was once a guardian angel that was corrupted by the evil spirits. The once guardian angel now reminds his victims of the “good” life they had before. All the pain and suffering takes away any happiness, the only thing the monster attracts is regret, sorrow, and sadness. The monsters hide in battlefields and near natural disasters feeding off the trauma of the victims. The PTSD monster always reminds his victim of the horrifying event and has them relive it consistently.
Obsessive compulsive disorder is a controlling disorder which makes a person do repetitive actions that impair their normal living. OCD is the result of disruption in the serotonin system of the brain and overactivity of other brain regions, as described by Michele Maines, RN, MSM, MSG, CNL, et al. in the article “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.” CINAHL Nursing Guide. The obsessive compulsive monster is a cruel and manipulating one that uses fear to control its victims. It uses his eyes to hypnotize its victims to inflict intense and frightening obsessions. The victims develop obligations that demand repetitive tasks in order to restrain the monster. This monster is accompanied by other monsters, for example, the anxiety and depression monsters. For which makes it much more difficult for the victim to control it. To fight the OCD monster, the victim must address the anxiety and depression first.
Borderline personality disorder is a disorder that is not fully understood yet. Research indicates as explained by the National Institute of Mental Health; borderline personality disorder causes certain patterns of instability in moods, behavior, self-image, and functioning; often resulting in impulsive actions and unstable relationships. A person with BPD may experience intense episodes of anger, depression, and anxiety that may last from only a few hours to days. Genetics and the environment are factors related to BPD. Depression, anxiety, and mood disorder accompany BPD. The borderline personality monster is one that is gentle but has an evil spirit. This monster sends of pheromones to its victims to attract them, and once it has them all wrapped up in its arms it whispers frightening things to its victims to control their actions. The monster inflicts fear of abandonment, feelings of emptiness, rage, and anger. The BPD monster wants its victims to be completely alone, as it distastes them for family and friends so it can have full control.
Schizophrenia is a severe mental condition which affects the brain and the mind. People with schizophrenia have hallucinations, delusions, and unusual ways of thinking. The NIH has done research on schizophrenia, in which they have categorized it into three groups- positive, negative, and cognitive.
The positive is associated with loss of reality; some symptoms are hallucinations, delusions, thought disorders, and movement disorders. The negative symptoms are reduced feelings of pleasure in everyday life, reduced speaking, and difficulty starting and finishing tasks. The cognitive symptoms are trouble focusing, making simple decisions, and loss of memory. The schizophrenia monster is a manipulating and narcissistic one. This creature injects its victims with a strong hallucinogenic serum to control and influence their mind. The monster has a powerful voice always dictating the victim what to do and think, therefore taking full control of the subconscious.
Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder which makes people who suffer from it see themselves as overweight. The NIH states that people who suffer from anorexia nervosa are more at risk of suicide, especially women. The mortality rate associated with anorexia is the highest out of all the mental disorders. People with anorexia usually die due to complications from starvation. The anorexia nervosa monster is a parasite. This monster eats his victims from the inside out. It first attacks the brain by inflicting negative thoughts about the victim's appearance. It manipulates and controls the victim by convincing them to maintain a minimal body weight by restraining food intake and encouraging excessive exercise to lose what it perceives as “extra” weight. The monster's goal is to make the victim destroy themselves through starvation and other health complications that arise due to its manipulation. It makes its victims hide their condition from family and friends. The victim must seek help to be able to acknowledge the problem and find a cure.
Body dysmorphic disorder is a psychiatric disorder in which a person imagines “ugliness.” Dr. Rachel Zahn explains the symptoms in the article “Body Dysmorphic Disorder,” people with BDD have an excessive concern with one or more parts of their physical appearance, the perceived flaw preoccupies their mind, and they often seek corrective cosmetic surgery in an attempt to fix the flaw. The body dysmorphic disorder monster is a master at deception. It uses the Anxiety and Anorexia monsters to work together to achieve the ultimate goal of eating away the victim's self-esteem. The effects are that the victim becomes increasingly obsessed and worried about a particular part of their body, ultimately seeking ways to change it.
Mental disorders are a horrifying group monsters which live in the brain; it is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed because of how complex the illness is. Data from WebMD states, mental health problems in the U.S are common, an estimated 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Since we have limited knowledge of many of disorders that affect the brain, it is hard for doctors to diagnose patients. The same goes for the people who suffer from the illness; they may not be aware of the problem. To a person, they may feel like themselves, in other words, they are in denial of their illness or condition. Someone who has had anger issues since they were little they may not realize that they suffer from bipolar disorder. They just know that they have a “short fuse.” But at times they go through periods of depression, which come and go.
Mental disorders are intangible monsters, you can not see them, but you can feel them. They become a shadow, a blindfold or a raining cloud which follows your path. If left alone this monster will eat you from the inside out, ultimately causing harm not only to the victim but the victim's loved ones. Monsters don't sleep under one's bed; they sleep inside one's head.