The term "chemical imbalances" refers to mental disorders, since many psychological conditions are thought to be due to irregular levels of neurotransmitters. The symptoms of a chemical imbalance vary depending on the specific mental disorder. According to the National Institutes of Health, three of the most common mental disorders that are classified as chemical imbalances are major depression, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia.
Major Depression
According to the National Institutes of Health, "clinical depression is a mood disorder where the feelings of sadness, loss, anger or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended period of time." The symptoms of depression can range from mild to moderate to severe. According to the National Institutes of Health, major depression is a form of depression where patients have five or more symptoms for at least two weeks. Symptoms include thoughts of death and suicide, trouble sleeping or excessive sleeping, feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, self-hate or inappropriate guilt, inactivity, fatigue, agitation, irritability and difficulty concentrating.
Anxiety Disorders
An anxiety disorder is classified as anxiety that severely impairs a patient's quality of life. According to the National Institutes of Health, "generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a pattern of frequent, constant worry and anxiety over many different activities and events." Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder include difficulty with concentration and controlling worry, sleep problems, excessive anxiety, palpitations and excessive sweating, fatigue, muscle tension and irritability.
Schizophrenia
According to the National Institutes of Health, "schizophrenia is a mental disorder that makes it difficult to tell the difference between real and unreal experiences, to think logically, to have normal emotional responses, and to behave normally in social situations." Patients with schizophrenia have severe difficulty performing daily tasks and functioning normally. According to the National Institutes of Health, the symptoms of schizophrenia include a flat affect, hallucination, delusions, disordered thinking, catatonic behavior, agitation, decreased sensitivity, anxiety and incoherence.
