Hippocrates believed mental illnesses could be treated as any other disorder and focused on the underlying pathology. Also important was Greek philosopher, Plato (429-347 B.C.), who said that the mentally ill were not responsible for their own actions and so should not be punished.

By all accounts, serious mental illnesses include “schizophrenia-spectrum disorders,” “severe bipolar disorder,” and “severe major depression” as specifically and narrowly defined in DSM. People with those disorders comprise the bulk of those with serious mental illness.

Sanist Myths “Mentally ill people are: 1. Different than normal people 2. Dangerous and frightening 3. Incompetent to participate in "normal" activities, to make autonomous decisions about their lives (especially in areas involving medical care), and to participate in the political arena” (p.

The Top Five Most Common Mental Illnesses Depression. Impacting an estimated 300 million people, depression is the most-common mental disorder and generally affects women more often than men. ... Anxiety. ... Bipolar Affective Disorder. ... Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses. ... Dementia.

Of those, the three most common diagnoses are anxiety disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These three conditions make up around 30 percent of all diagnoses of mental illness in America.

Philosophers critical of the concept of mental illness argue that it is not possible to give a value-neutral specification of mental illnesses. They argue that that our concept of mental illnesses is often used to disguise the ways in which mental illness categories enforce pre-existing norms and power relations.

Below are the five most common mental health disorders in America and their related symptoms: Anxiety Disorders. The most common category of mental health disorders in America impacts approximately 40 million adults 18 and older. ... Mood Disorders. ... Psychotic Disorders. ... Dementia. ... Eating disorders.