Introduction
Mental illness has been recognized in people dating back to days of Ancient Greece and
Rome. A number of disturbances that were described included feelings of melancholy,
hysteria and phobias. The concept that mental illness must be related to biology was
first considered by Hippocrates. While at this time serious conditions such as
schizophrenia were not yet recognized, the thought that these conditions were related
to the brain was there.
As time passed, several psychiatric theories developed and even crude treatments were
developed to treat individuals. Many of these treatments and theories for mental illness
were developed by Islamic medicine in the Middle East. One of the most notable
doctors of the 8th Century who was noted for his theories and treatments was the
physician Rhazes of the Baghdad Hospital.
At the start of the 20th Century, there were only about a dozen officially recognized
conditions, but by 1952 nearly 192 conditions were known and today the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) lists 374.
This eBook is designed to provide you with a guide to various mental illnesses and to
assist you in understanding the various diagnosis and mental health problems that are
common today. You will also find many remedies to assist you in supporting individuals
who suffer from these conditions.
