What is the least common mental illness?

There isn't one single "least common" mental illness, as many are exceptionally rare, but conditions like Cotard Delusion (Walking Corpse Syndrome), Fregoli Syndrome, Alien Hand Syndrome, Stendhal Syndrome, and Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID) are among the most unusual, often involving profound reality distortions or unique body sensations, with reports numbering in the dozens or hundreds globally for some. These contrast with common disorders like depression or anxiety, appearing in tiny fractions of the population.

What are the least common mental illnesses?

• Alice in Wonderland Syndrome. And in many ways, this is really drawing on the fantastical. ...
• Erotomania. AKA de Clerambault Syndrome falls in the category of delusional disorders. ...
• Alien Hand Syndrome. ...
• Factitious Disorder. ...
• Capgras Syndrome. ...
• Apotemnophilia. ...
• Stendhal Syndrome. ...
• Visual Snow Syndrome.

What is the rarest mental illness?

6 Rare Psychological Disorders You Should Know About

• Alice in Wonderland Syndrome. ...
• Alien Hand Syndrome. ...
• Capgras Syndrome. ...
• Fregoli Delusion. ...
• Stendhal Syndrome. ...
• Cotard Delusion.

What are the serious mental illnesses?

SMI includes major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post traumatic stress (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder (VA).

What is poor mental health?

Good mental health means being generally able to think, feel and react in the ways that you need and want to live your life. But if you go through a period of poor mental health you might find the ways you're frequently thinking, feeling or reacting become difficult, or even impossible, to cope with.

10 Common Mental Illnesses Crash Course

What are the 5 D's of mental illness?

A simple framework to intuitively understand what may constitute a mental illness is the 5Ds. Deviation, Duration, Distress, Dysfunction, and Danger.

Is it okay to say poor mental health?

The term 'mental health problem' is acceptable to use, as this acknowledges the negative impact conditions can have on people's lives. However, the term 'illness' is best avoided. Many people experience mental distress and while this may be a problem for them, it does not necessarily mean they are ill.

Can you have 5 mental illnesses at once?

If diagnosis is applied piecemeal, and the patient's total picture is not taken into consideration, four or five separate psychiatric diagnoses could be listed rather than a single "borderline personality disorder" diagnosis. This happens frequently.

What is the top 10 worst mental illness?

There's no official "worst" list, but severe mental illnesses often cited for high disability, mortality, or treatment difficulty include Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Severe Depression (Treatment-Resistant), Eating Disorders (like Anorexia), Personality Disorders (like BPD), PTSD, OCD, and severe Substance Use Disorders, all impacting life significantly. The "worst" depends on individual impact, but conditions like eating disorders have high death rates, while schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are among the most debilitating globally, according to the World Health Organization. 

What is the most feared mental illness?

Anorexia Nervosa. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental health condition, making it particularly dangerous.

What is kufungisisa?

In Zimbabwe, kufungisisa translates to “thinking too much” in Shona and is considered a fundamental aspect of mental illness, with 80% of Zimbabweans with common mental illness experiencing it.

What is the deadliest mental health?

If you think depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder are the mental illnesses most commonly linked to an early death, you're wrong. Eating disorders—including anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating— are the most lethal mental health conditions, according to research in Current Psychiatry Reports.

What is the most overlooked mental illness?

While there's no single "most" overlooked illness, Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) are consistently cited as underdiagnosed due to misdiagnosis with other conditions (like depression/anxiety), difficulty in recognition, and stigma, often leading to delayed or no treatment despite significant societal impact. Eating disorders and trauma-related conditions like PTSD also frequently fly under the radar, often dismissed as something else. 

What is the least understood mental illness?

The 5 Most Misunderstood Mental Illnesses

1. Depression. This might seem an odd one to include in the list because most people will think they've got a reasonably good understanding of what depression is. ...
2. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) ...
3. Bipolar Disorder. ...
4. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) ...
5. Schizophrenia.

What is the easiest mental illness to treat?

Anxiety disorder is the most treatable of all mental illnesses. Anxiety disorder produces unrealistic fears, excessive worry, flashbacks from past trauma leading to easy startling, changes in sleep patterns, intense tension and ritualistic behavior.

What is the rarest anxiety disorder?

There isn't one single "rarest" anxiety disorder, as rarity can vary, but Selective Mutism is often cited as the least common anxiety disorder, affecting under 1% of the population, while specific, culturally-bound syndromes like Khyâl Cap (wind attacks in Cambodian culture) or certain niche phobias (like Arachibutyrophobia) are extremely rare, often falling under broader categories or being highly specific fears, with Illness Anxiety Disorder (Hypochondriasis) also being quite uncommon (around 0.1%).
 

What is the saddest mental illness?

Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.

What are the 5 C's of mental health?

The 5 Cs of mental health are a framework for well-being, but definitions vary, often including Connection, Coping, Compassion, Control, Confidence, Competence, Character, and Care, emphasizing building resilience through healthy relationships, self-belief, effective stress management, ethical behavior, and looking after oneself and others. While some focus on youth development (Competence, Confidence, Character, Connection, Caring), others highlight daily life aspects like Connection, Coping, Compassion, Community, and Care, offering a guide to navigating life's challenges.
 

Is BPD or bipolar worse?

Neither BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) nor Bipolar Disorder is definitively "worse," as both are severe, debilitating conditions, but they manifest differently; BPD involves pervasive instability from stress, with rapid mood shifts (hours) and self-harm, while bipolar involves distinct, longer manic/depressive episodes (days/weeks) that can be more responsive to medication, though BPD often causes greater daily distress and disability due to its intense emotional pain and relationship issues. The severity depends on the individual and symptoms, with BPD often marked by intense internal emptiness and fear of abandonment, and bipolar by clear shifts into elevated (manic/hypomanic) or low (depressive) states. 

How rare is mental illness?

23.4% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2024 (61.5 million people). This represents more than 1 in 5 adults. 5.6% of U.S. adults experienced serious mental illness in 2024 (14.6 million people).

How do I know if I have did?

Knowing if you have Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) involves recognizing signs like distinct identity shifts, memory gaps (amnesia), feeling detached from yourself or reality, and experiencing confusion about who you are, often stemming from severe childhood trauma; however, only a mental health professional can diagnose DID after a thorough evaluation to rule out other conditions. Key signs include having separate "alters," hearing voices, out-of-body feelings, emotional outbursts, and blackouts. 

When to go to the ER for mental health?

Go to the emergency room (ER) if you believe that you are in immediate danger of harming yourself or someone else. Call 911 right away to have someone from emergency medical services respond if you can't drive yourself or your loved one to the nearest ER.

Is it rude to say mentally ill?

Yes, calling someone "mentally ill," or using terms like "crazy," "insane," or "psycho," is generally considered offensive because it perpetuates stigma, dehumanizes individuals, and creates barriers to seeking help, with experts recommending "person-first" language (e.g., "a person with a mental illness") to emphasize their identity beyond their condition.
 

Is depression an excuse to be rude?

Everyone, regardless of their mental health status, has a personal responsibility to strive for self-improvement and to treat others with dignity and respect. If a mental health condition is influencing behaviour, it's a signal that more support and treatment may be needed, it's not an excuse for poor conduct.

Is calling someone bipolar offensive?

Yes, calling someone "bipolar" casually is generally considered offensive and stigmatizing because it trivializes a serious mental illness, reduces a person to their condition, and misuses medical terms to describe normal mood swings or unpredictable behavior. It perpetuates harmful stereotypes, making individuals with bipolar disorder feel misunderstood and shamed, rather than seen as people first.