|
Agoraphobia--fear
of having a panic attack (intense and overwhelming anxiety) in
a place where there is no one who can help you and you cannot
easily escape. This fear often keeps people from leaving home
or traveling.
Anorexia
nervosa--an illness in which a person cannot maintain normal
weight, is very afraid of gaining weight, sees oneself as heavy
or fat even though the person is significantly underweight, and
refuses to eat enough to maintain a normal body weight.
Anxiety
disorder--one in a group of illnesses in which the most important
symptom is anxiety. This group includes Obsessive-Compulsive
Disorder, Panic Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Social
Phobia and Specific Phobia.
Attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)--an illness in which children,
teens or adults cannot pay attention, sit quietly, remember instructions,
wait for a turn or keep from speaking out when it's not time to
speak.
Avoidant
personality disorder--a persistent and rigid pattern of avoiding
social situations, low self-esteem, fear of criticism, fear of
being foolish, and fear of embarrassment.
Bipolar
disorder--another term for manic-depression, an illness in
which there are cycles of depression and mania.
Borderline
personality disorder-- a persistent and rigid pattern of losing
control of feelings and impulses, and extreme instability in relationships
and self-image. Behaviors often include rage, self-mutilation,
suicide attempts or threats, and intense, stormy relationships.
Bulimia
nervosa--an illness in which there is frequent binge-eating
(that is, eating large amounts of high-calorie food in a short
period of time). The binges are followed by attempts to make
up for eating so much by vomiting, using diuretics or laxatives,
strict dieting, fasting or vigorous exercise.
Dementia--a
brain disorder where there is loss of memory and other important
functions of the brain (for example, the ability to speak, the
ability to recognize ordinary things, the ability to plan or organize).
Dependent
personality disorder--a personality problem in which a person
is unable to cope because of extreme lack of self-confidence,
a wish to have others assume responsibility for one's life, and
consistently putting the needs of another person before one's
own needs.
Depression--an
illness in which there is a long-lasting mood of sadness, despair
or discouragement in which a person has trouble functioning at
home, at work or at school. Symptoms may include slowed thinking,
lack of pleasure, guilt, hopelessness, and problems with eating
and sleeping.
Dissociative
disorders--illnesses that involve dissociation (splitting
off of groups of mental processes from consciousness), for example,
amnesia, or multiple personality disorder.
Eating
disorder--severe trouble with eating behaviors. Examples
are anorexia and bulimia.
Factitious
disorders (Munchausen)--an illness in which there are physical
or psychological symptoms that are intentionally produced in order
to assume the sick role.
Generalized
anxiety disorder (GAD)--an illness in which a person has unrealistic
or excessive anxiety about one or more problems.
Insomnia--trouble
falling asleep or staying asleep.
Mood
disorders--psychiatric illnesses in which the most important
symptoms are problems with mood.
Narcissistic
personality disorder--a psychiatric problem in which a person
behaves consistently with an exaggerated sense of self-importance
and specialness, uses other people, and lacks genuine feelings
for other people. People with this disorder often lack self-esteem
and need excessive admiration from others.
Obsessive-compulsive
(OCD)--one of the anxiety disorders in which a person has
obsessions (insistent thoughts, impulses or images that cannot
be dismissed) and/or compulsions (persistent urges to perform
a ritual, such as hand-washing or checking things)
Obsessive-compulsive
personality disorder--a persistent preoccupation with orderliness,
perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense
of flexibility, openness, and efficiency.
Oppositional
defiant disorder--a childhood disorder in which there is uncontrollably
negative and hostile behavior.
Panic
disorder--an illness in which a person has panic attacks (sudden
episodes of intense and overwhelming anxiety)
Paranoia--suspiciousness
caused by misinterpretation of actual events
Pervasive
development disorder (PDD)--one of several disorders that
begin in infancy, childhood or adolescence, causing severe and
pervasive problems in several areas: social interaction, communication,
or the presence of stereotyped behavior, interest and activities.
Includes autism and Asperger's Disorder.
Posstraumatic
stress disorder (PTSD)--an anxiety disorder in which living
through an overwhelming mental or physical stress is followed
by persistent symptoms of reexperiencing the event in the person's
mind, avoiding things that remind the person of the event, numbness,
and severe anxiety or irritability.
Psychotic
disorders--psychiatric disorders that causes loss of touch
with reality
Schizoaffective
disorder--a disorder in which there are problems both with
psychotic symptoms and with mood symptoms (mania or depression).
In
schizoaffective disorder there must be a period of time in which
psychotic symptoms are experienced with an abnormal mood.
Schizophrenia--a
disorder that includes psychotic symptoms such as delusions and
hallucinations which interfere with one's ability to function.
Seasonal
affective disorder--a disorder in which mood is strongly affected
by the season of the year.
Sleep
apnea--a sleep disorder in which a person gets very poor quality
sleep because he or she stops breathing repeatedly during the
night, causing the person to repeatedly wake up gasping for air.
Sleep
disorders--disorders in which people have problems with sleep
Social
phobia--a disorder in which a person experiences severe and
overwhelming fear of all social situations or of specific social
situations, e.g. eating in public or using a public bathroom.
Specific
phobia -- an illness in which there is extreme fear caused
by a specific object or situation, e.g. spiders, dogs, high places,
closed-in places. This happens even though the person knows the
fear is excessive or unreasonable.
Substance
abuse -- using a substance (usually a street drug) excessively,
even when it hurts relationships with other people, prevents doing
well at work or school, ruins a person's health or creates trouble
with the law.
Substance
dependence -- addiction; needing to use a substance (usually
a street drug) so much that if the substance is stopped abruptly,
there are dangerous physical symptoms, like fever, shaking, sweating,
or seizures. Needing to use the substance/drug so much that it
keeps a person from working, going to school, having good relationships
and obeying the law.
Substance
related disorders -- a group of illnesses including problems
with substance (usually street drugs) abuse and dependence.
|
