Disorders

Every single year, millions of Americans suffer with a mental illness. By definition, a mental illness is a disorder that negatively affects a person’s thoughts, feelings, mood, and/or behavior. Examples include depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Each individual has a unique experience, as far as which symptoms they…

Autism comes with learning and social difficulties—often, these individuals have difficulty focusing and struggle to connect or interact meaningfully with others. While many are aware of the struggles that these individuals face, the obstacles that are presented to family members often go unnoticed or undiscussed. So, how are family members…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that typically appears in the first three years of life. It often impacts a person’s social abilities and interactions and can be accompanied by an assortment of learning problems (though, not always). ASD varies in its severity, and some people develop…

Claustrophobia is the fear of small, enclosed spaces; those who suffer from it often go to extremes to avoid encountering such spaces. Symptoms include a racing heartbeat, dizziness, hyperventilation, shaking, headaches, nausea, and chest tightness. While symptoms are often brought on by simply entering a small space, the actual phobia…

Social phobia is characterized by an intense fear of being negatively assessed or observed by others. This form of anxiety (like most forms) can make everyday tasks difficult, as the fear is excessive and can completely take over one’s life. In addition to worrying about being scrutinized, those with social…

In the fall and winter, we’re especially vulnerable to a form of depression called seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or winter depression, which is related to shorter days and a lack of sunlight. Fortunately, there are several effective treatments for SAD including light therapy, antidepressants, talk therapy, and self-care. With light…

While there isn’t a cure for personality disorders, there are effective treatment methods out there for those who struggle with these conditions, such as therapy. These clients can often be described as “change-resistant” as they have a particularly difficult time making changes, even when those changes will benefit them. That…

Personality disorders are characterized by unhealthy thoughts and behaviors that make everyday functioning significantly difficult. The 10 personality disorders have each been analyzed and defined; however, there is still much to understand, such as how and why these disorders develop. Many experts agree that both genetic and environmental factors are…

When one is hurt by the world—initially by our parents or caretaking environment—it is a natural human reaction to try to control our external environment. Having a controlling personality is not considered to be a personality disorder; however, contemporary psychodynamic theory and practice see DMS-V personality disorders as being environmental…

There are a lot of words we throw around nonchalantly: two of those being sociopath and psychopath. Mr. Daron is a psychopath, he made us dissect frogs in class today. She never talks to anybody, she’s a complete sociopath. As you can see, it’s easy to declare someone a sociopath…

Depression Portrait: Seasonal Affective Disorder Emily’s mood darkened. She lost touch with her closest friends. She mixed up the names of the kids she worked with. And at home, she found herself watching way too much television: not her old favorite smart dramas and Comedy Central programs, but reality shows…

We hear the terms “manic depression” and “bipolar disorder,” and we picture two different things: one, a depressed individual (hence, the word depression) who has trouble enjoying life, and two, an unpredictable person who experiences drastic mood swings and changes in behavior. We compartmentalize them as two different medical conditions….