TIMEasia Magazine: It's in Your Mind: "It's in Your Mind
An estimated 450 million people worldwide�200 million in Asia alone�suffer from a mental or behavioral illness. The major disorders include:
Posted Monday, November 3, 2003; 21:00 HKT
Depression (Unipolar Depressive Disorder)
� What it is: An illness characterized by lackluster energy and a general lack of interest in life. Often recurrent or even chronic
� Symptoms: Poor self-esteem; a sense of sadness, dejection or hopelessness without any clear cause; suicidal thoughts
� How it's treated: With antidepressant medications such as Prozac and/or psychotherapy, through which patients can learn to overcome�among other things�their negative self-image
Manic Depression (Bipolar Affective Disorder)
� What it is: Alternating bouts of mania and depression
� Symptoms: Feeling dramatically more active, confident and sociable, then depressed or intensely irritable; delusions
� How it's treated: Mainly by mood-stabilizing drugs such as lithium or anticonvulsants such as sodium valproate (Depakote) and carbamazepine (Tegretol)
Schizophrenia
� What it is: A psychotic disorder that severely alters the way a person usually thinks and behaves
� Symptoms: Hallucinations; delusions; confusion; withdrawal; agitation; emotional numbness
� How it's treated: Therapy, along with antipsychotic drugs. Success rate is fairly high�about 50% of patients can expect a full and lasting recovery
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
� What it is: A delayed psychological reaction after witnessing or experiencing a highly traumatic event, like a war, natural disaster or a violent physical assault
� Symptoms: Anxiety; flashba"