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….
Making a schizophreniform disorder diagnosis can be tricky because its characteristics are identical to those of schizophrenia, considering it is a short-term type of schizophrenia. However, the key to distinguishing the two is looking at the very duration of the episodes. Schizophreniform episodes last for at least 1 month but…
None of us live perfect lives—we make mistakes, we lose our way, and sometimes we’re total victims of unfortunate circumstances. However, life’s blows hit some of us a little harder than others. For example, someone somewhere in the world has just gotten fired. Let’s call him Tom. While it might…
There are several personality disorders that can have a direct and harmful effect on those who suffer with them—a few examples include dependent personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder. These mental illnesses are characterized by strange thinking, feeling, and behavioral patterns, which cause individuals marked distress and/or…
There are several sexual disorders that can have a direct and harmful effect on both males and females—a few examples include hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), sexual aversion disorder (SAD), and male or female orgasmic disorders. These disorders are characterized by specific sexual dysfunctions, such as low sex drive, aversion…
Personality disorders belong to a group of mental illnesses characterized by unhealthy thoughts and behaviors, which can seriously hinder one’s everyday functioning. A few examples include schizoid personality disorder (cluster A), borderline personality disorder (cluster B), and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (cluster C). These clusters are subgroups of personality disorders and…
Genito-pelvic pain or penetration disorder is a fairly new disorder listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), that is characterized by significant pain upon penetration and overall difficulty having intercourse. This pain can range in severity: some individuals are able to easily experience penetration…
We all have a pet peeve that involves disturbing or annoying noises: whether it’s loud, obnoxious chewing, constant foot tapping, or one’s quiet, yet ever-present mumbling. Some of us suck it up and just deal with the noise or drown it out by putting earphones in and others…well, scream. Flashback…
All of a sudden, my playful, adventurous little brother developed an obsession with using hand sanitizer. He had to squirt some into his hands after running outside and before eating dinner. He insisted on using it after touching the dog and before shaking someone’s hand. We didn’t think too much…
Pedophilic disorder pertains to both individuals who freely disclose this paraphilic interest and individuals who deny any sexual attraction to prepubescent children—or those 13 years and younger—despite substantial evidence of the attraction. For example, an individual who openly acknowledges that their sexual interest in children is real and greater than…
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), one may be diagnosed with language disorder if there are difficulties in the attainment and use of language due to comprehension or discourse shortfalls. These deficits can exist in spoken as well as written communication and even…
