A mental disorder, also referred to as a psychiatric disorder, is a condition that affects a person's behavior, mood, and thinking pattern. The word “disorder” applies when the condition degrades the patient's ability to function correctly and relate to others. Mental disorders may be chronic or intermittent.
Well-known disorders include Depression, Schizophrenia, and Bipolar Disorder. However, there are many other severe disorders which get far less attention but still require care.
For example, there is Stendhal Syndrome, associated with panic attacks, confusion, and hallucinations, often triggered when a patient is exposed to beautiful art or a large concentration of it, as in a museum. Likewise, Capgras Syndrome is characterized by the belief that an impostor has replaced a loved one. It usually occurs in patients with Traumatic Brain Injury, Dementia, and Schizophrenia.
