By being here, we assume that you've willingly taken the first step in being a compassionate person to those going through mental illnes by understanding and learning what they go through and we thank you for that If on the other hand, you are one who is or thinks you are going through mental illness, we hope that the information provided here would be equally useful to you.

Mental illness can happen to anyone, regardless of age, race, gender. Depression, schizophrenia, eating disorders such as anorexia and bullimia, they can happen to anyone. To better help oneself and help those who's going through or might be going through mental ilness, it is important we educate ourselves on the condition itself, to better understand it. Knowledge is power after all.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder more commonly known as DSM-IV, is the reference guide to the current known neurobiological disorders or mental illnesses in the world. We have thus categorised them according to the DSM-IV's way and have also provided a short overview and the diagnostic critera based again from the DSM-IV for readers to have an idea what each condition is like.

The symptoms of mental illnesses are not easily visible unlike physical illnesses. It is thus difficult to identify and also difficult to imagine what it is like for them to go through it.

We thus here urge our readers that in your reading and learning, to try and understand that what they're going through and what they feel is very real ot them. A person going through schizophrenia for instance, the voices he/she hears is very real to them even if we obviously do not hear it.

I have compiled a list of links to provide better information on the more commonly known mental illnesses, and would expand the list further in time to come.

Lastly, we urge our readers to understand that the only certain way to know whether or not they are going through a mental illness is to bring the person to see a doctor to get an official diagnosis.

(Categories are listed alphabetically)

Anxiety Disorders

* Agoraphobia

* Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

* Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Dissociative Disorders

* Dissociative Identity Disorder a.k.a. Multiple Personality Disorder

Eating Disorders

* Anorexia Nervosa

* Bullimia

Mood Disorders

* Major Depression

* Bipolar Disorder aka Manic Depression

Personality Disorders

* Borderline Personality Disorder

* Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Psychiatric Disorders

* Schizophrenia

Last updated on: 23rd July 2007