Professor Dr. Dan Rujescu, a specialist in psychiatry, psychosomatics, and psychotherapy at Wiener Privatklinik, talks about mental disorders today.
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What mental disorders do you most often encounter?
Mental disorders – the most common diagnoses I observe among patients are depression and anxiety. They are among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. In many cases, these conditions can be treated successfully. Therapy may include medication or be based entirely on psychotherapy, depending on the patient's specific needs. Mild forms of depression often respond well to psychotherapy alone. However, in more severe cases, treatment usually requires medication, and sometimes the best approach involves a combination with psychotherapy. This also applies to various types of anxiety disorders, which also require an individual approach.
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Is the number of people suffering from depression or anxiety (mental disorders) increasing?
The human brain, the most complex structure in the universe, is not immune to diseases. Over time, however, our understanding of these conditions changes. Today, we know that the brain can also get sick and requires treatment, just like any other part of the body. The number of people seeking professional help is increasing, but this does not mean that the diseases are more prevalent. More people are undergoing examinations and treatment, thanks to the destigmatization of these conditions.
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What brain conditions can be treated?
Many brain disorders are treatable, especially depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. The condition of people with brain diseases can often significantly improve, with the exception of rarer and more severe cases such as „mad cow“ disease and severe hypoxia, as well as serious brain injuries, for example in accidents. However, many other neurological and psychiatric illnesses are treatable and respond well to modern therapeutic approaches.
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What factors lead to anxiety and depression?
The causes of anxiety and depression can be exogenous and vary from patient to patient, but they have a strong impact on the psyche. The loss of a loved one, parent, or child, for example, can trigger a strong emotional reaction, but distinguishing whether it is depression or a normal physiological reaction is not always easy. In cases of normal reaction, however, a person can recall comforting memories of their loved one, while in depression, everything often seems dark and hopeless.
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Does schizophrenia affect young people?
When it comes to people over the age of 40, they may exhibit a range of symptoms associated with schizophrenia or psychosis. This condition is treatable, and there are numerous medications that have proven effective in treating schizophrenia and related psychoses. Unfortunately, despite effective treatments, a significant number of patients do not undergo therapy, and worldwide, about 1% of the population is affected by schizophrenia.
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What influences the brain?
Everything we experience impacts the brain, which possesses remarkable plasticity. For example, we feel a change even between morning and evening. Past childhood experiences can also have an impact, but this depends on the specific events and the ways the individual managed to cope with them.
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Is there a connection between physical and mental health?
Many people who retire due to back pain may actually have psychosomatic complaints or depressive states. Symptoms such as back pain, headaches, dizziness, as well as gastrointestinal or sexual problems often have a psychological origin.
