Search results for: disorders

Common Characteristics Personality Disorders are mental illnesses that share several unique qualities. They contain symptoms that are enduring and play a major role in most, if not all, aspects of the person’s life. While many disorders vacillate in terms of symptom presence and intensity, personality disorders typically remain relatively constant. To be diagnosed with a…

Common Characteristics The two disorders in this category refer to either the abuse or dependence on a substance. A substance can be anything that is ingested in order to produce a high, alter one’s senses, or otherwise affect functioning. The most common substance thought of in this category is alcohol although other drugs, such as…

Common Characteristics Disorders in this category include those where the symptoms suggest a medical condition but where no medical condition can be found by a physician. In other words, a person with a somatoform disorder might experience significant pain without a medical or biological cause, or they may constantly experience minor aches and pains without…

Common Characteristics The major symptom of these disorders is psychosis, or delusions and hallucinations. Delusions are false beliefs that significantly hinder a person’s ability to function. For example, believing that people are trying to hurt you when there is no evidence of this, or believing that you are somebody else, such as Jesus Christ or…

Common Characteristics Primary Sleep disorders are divided into two subcategories: Dyssomnias are those disorders relating to the amount, quality, and timing of sleep. Parasomnias relate to abnormal behavior or physiological events that occur during the process of sleep or sleep-wake transitions. We use the perm primary to differentiate these sleep disorders from other sleep disorders…

Common Characteristics The primary characteristic in this category is the impairment in normal sexual functioning. This can refer to an inability to perform or reach an orgasm, painful sexual intercourse, a strong repulsion of sexual activity, or an exaggerated sexual response cycle or sexual interest. A medical cause must be ruled out prior to making…

Common Characteristics The disorders in this category include those where the primary symptom is a disturbance in mood. In other words, inappropriate, exaggerated, or limited range of feelings. Everybody gets down sometimes, and everybody experiences a sense of excitement and emotional pleasure. To be diagnosed with a mood disorder, your feelings must be to the…

Common Characteristics Disorders in this category include the failure or extreme difficulty in controlling impulses despite the negative consequences. This includes the failure to stop gambling even if you realize that losing would result in significant negative consequences. This failure to control impulses also refers to the impulse to engage in violent behavior (e.g., road…

Common Characteristics Eating disorders are characterized by disturbances in eating behavior. This can mean eating too much, not eating enough, or eating in an extremely unhealthy manner (such as binging or stuffing yourself over and over). Many people argue that simple overeating should be considered a disorder, but at this time it is not in…

Common Characteristics All of the disorders in this category relate to a significantly more difficult adjustment to a life situation than would normally be expected considering the circumstances. While it is common to need months and perhaps even years to feel normal again after the loss of a long time spouse, for instance, when this…