ANXIETY DISORDER

Anxiety is the mind and body's reaction to stressful, dangerous, or unfamiliar situations. It's the sense of
uneasiness, distress, or dread you feel before a significant event. A certain level of Anxiety helps us stay
alert and aware, but for those suffering from an anxiety disorder, it feels far from normal - it can be
completely debilitating
Symptoms
Common anxiety signs and symptoms include:

 Feeling nervous, restless or tense

 Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
 Having an increased heart rate
 Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
 Sweating
 Trembling
 Feeling weak or tired
 Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
 Having trouble sleeping
 Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems
 Having difficulty controlling worry
 Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety
Several types of anxiety disorders exist:

 Agoraphobia (ag-uh-ruh-FOE-be-uh) is a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and often
avoid places or situations that might cause you to panic and make you feel trapped, helpless or
embarrassed.
 Anxiety disorder due to a medical condition includes symptoms of intense anxiety or panic that
are directly caused by a physical health problem.
 Generalized anxiety disorder includes persistent and excessive anxiety and worry about
activities or events — even ordinary, routine issues. The worry is out of proportion to the actual
circumstance, is difficult to control and affects how you feel physically. It often occurs along with
other anxiety disorders or depression.
 Panic disorder involves repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror
that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks). You may have feelings of impending doom,
shortness of breath, chest pain, or a rapid, fluttering or pounding heart (heart palpitations). These
panic attacks may lead to worrying about them happening again or avoiding situations in which
they've occurred.
 Selective mutism is a consistent failure of children to speak in certain situations, such as school,
even when they can speak in other situations, such as at home with close family members. This
can interfere with school, work and social functioning.
 Separation anxiety disorder is a childhood disorder characterized by anxiety that's excessive for
the child's developmental level and related to separation from parents or others who have parental
roles.
  Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) involves high levels of anxiety, fear and avoidance of
social situations due to feelings of embarrassment, self-consciousness and concern about being
judged or viewed negatively by others.
 Specific phobias are characterized by major anxiety when you're exposed to a specific object or
situation and a desire to avoid it. Phobias provoke panic attacks in some people.
 Substance-induced anxiety disorder is characterized by symptoms of intense anxiety or panic
that are a direct result of misusing drugs, taking medications, being exposed to a toxic substance
or withdrawal from drugs.
 Other specified anxiety disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder are terms for anxiety or
phobias that don't meet the exact criteria for any other anxiety disorders but are significant
enough to be distressing and disruptive.
When to see a doctor

See your doctor if:

 You feel like you're worrying too much and it's interfering with your work, relationships or other
parts of your life
 Your fear, worry or anxiety is upsetting to you and difficult to control
 You feel depressed, have trouble with alcohol or drug use, or have other mental health concerns
along with anxiety
 You think your anxiety could be linked to a physical health problem
 You have suicidal thoughts or behaviors — if this is the case, seek emergency treatment
immediately
BIPOLAR DISORDER
a mental condition marked by alternating periods of elation and depression. Also called (especially
formerly) manic depression. Compare with unipolar

Symptoms

 There are several types of bipolar and related disorders. They may include mania or hypomania
and depression. Symptoms can cause unpredictable changes in mood and behavior, resulting in
significant distress and difficulty in life.

 Bipolar I disorder. You've had at least one manic episode that may be preceded or followed by
hypomanic or major depressive episodes. In some cases, mania may trigger a break from reality
(psychosis).
 Bipolar II disorder. You've had at least one major depressive episode and at least one
hypomanic episode, but you've never had a manic episode.
 Cyclothymic disorder. You've had at least two years — or one year in children and teenagers —
of many periods of hypomania symptoms and periods of depressive symptoms (though less
severe than major depression).
 Other types. These include, for example, bipolar and related disorders induced by certain drugs or
alcohol or due to a medical condition, such as Cushing's disease, multiple sclerosis or stroke.
Bipolar II disorder is not a milder form of bipolar I disorder, but a separate diagnosis. While the manic
episodes of bipolar I disorder can be severe and dangerous, individuals with bipolar II disorder can be
depressed for longer periods, which can cause significant impairment.
Although bipolar disorder can occur at any age, typically it's diagnosed in the teenage years or early 20s.
Symptoms can vary from person to person, and symptoms may vary over time.

Mania and hypomania

Mania and hypomania are two distinct types of episodes, but they have the same symptoms. Mania is
more severe than hypomania and causes more noticeable problems at work, school and social activities,
as well as relationship difficulties. Mania may also trigger a break from reality (psychosis) and require
hospitalization.

Both a manic and a hypomanic episode include three or more of these symptoms:

 Abnormally upbeat, jumpy or wired

 Increased activity, energy or agitation
 Exaggerated sense of well-being and self-confidence (euphoria)
 Decreased need for sleep
 Unusual talkativeness
 Racing thoughts
  Distractibility
 Poor decision-making — for example, going on buying sprees, taking sexual risks or making
foolish investments

Major depressive episode

A major depressive episode includes symptoms that are severe enough to cause noticeable
difficulty in day-to-day activities, such as work, school, social activities or relationships. An
episode includes five or more of these symptoms:

 Depressed mood, such as feeling sad, empty, hopeless or tearful (in children and teens, depressed
mood can appear as irritability)
 Marked loss of interest or feeling no pleasure in all — or almost all — activities
 Significant weight loss when not dieting, weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite (in
children, failure to gain weight as expected can be a sign of depression)
 Either insomnia or sleeping too much
 Either restlessness or slowed behavior
 Fatigue or loss of energy
 Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt
 Decreased ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness
 Thinking about, planning or attempting suicide
When to see a doctor

 Despite the mood extremes, people with bipolar disorder often don't recognize how much their
emotional instability disrupts their lives and the lives of their loved ones and don't get the
treatment they need.
 And if you're like some people with bipolar disorder, you may enjoy the feelings of euphoria and
cycles of being more productive. However, this euphoria is always followed by an emotional
crash that can leave you depressed, worn out — and perhaps in financial, legal or relationship
trouble.
 If you have any symptoms of depression or mania, see your doctor or mental health professional.
Bipolar disorder doesn't get better on its own. Getting treatment from a mental health professional
with experience in bipolar disorder can help you get your symptoms under control. Other features
of bipolar disorder

Signs and symptoms of bipolar I and bipolar II disorders may include other features, such as
anxious distress, melancholy, psychosis or others. The timing of symptoms may include
diagnostic labels such as mixed or rapid cycling. In addition, bipolar symptoms may occur during
pregnancy or change with the seasons.

Symptoms in children and teens

 Symptoms of bipolar disorder can be difficult to identify in children and teens. It's often hard to
tell whether these are normal ups and downs, the results of stress or trauma, or signs of a mental
health problem other than bipolar disorder.
 Children and teens may have distinct major depressive or manic or hypomanic episodes, but the
pattern can vary from that of adults with bipolar disorder. And moods can rapidly shift during
episodes. Some children may have periods without mood symptoms between episodes.

 The most prominent signs of bipolar disorder in children and teenagers may include severe mood
swings that are different from their usual mood swings.
CONDUCT DISORDER (CD)
Conduct disorder (CD) is a mental disorder diagnosed in childhood or adolescence that presents itself
through a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that includes theft, lies, physical violence that
may lead to destruction, and reckless breaking of rules in which the basic rights of others or major
age-appropriate norms are violated. These behaviors are often referred to as "antisocial behaviors. It
is often seen as the precursor to antisocial personality disorder, which by definition cannot be
diagnosed until the individual is 18 years old. Conduct disorder may result from parental rejection
and neglect and can be treated with family therapy, as well as behavioral modifications and
pharmacotherapy. Conduct disorder is estimated to affect 51.1 million people globally as of 2013.
Signs and symptoms
One of the symptoms of conduct disorder is a lower level of fear. Research performed on the impact
of toddlers exposed to fear and distress shows that negative emotionality (fear) predicts toddlers'
empathy-related response to distress. The findings support that if a caregiver is able to respond to
infant cues, the toddler has a better ability to respond to fear and distress. If a child does not learn
how to handle fear or distress the child will be more likely to lash out at other children. If the
caregiver is able to provide therapeutic intervention teaching children at risk better empathy skills, the
child will have a lower incident level of conduct disorder.
Increased instances of violent and antisocial behavior are also associated with the condition;examples
may range from pushing, hitting and biting when the child is young, progressing towards beating and
inflicted cruelty as the child becomes older.

Signs and symptoms

 Often bullies, threatens or intimidates others

 Often initiates physical fights
 Has used a weapon that can cause serious physical harm to others (e.g., a bat, brick, broken
bottle, knife, gun)
 Has been physically cruel to people
 Has been physically cruel to animals
 Has stolen while confronting a victim (e.g., mugging, purse snatching, extortion, armed
robbery)
 Has forced someone into sexual activity (rape or molestation)
 Feels no remorse or empathy towards the harm, fear, or pain they may have inflicted on
others
EATING DISORDERS
Eating disorders are serious conditions related to persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact your
health, your emotions and your ability to function in important areas of life. The most common eating
disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder.
Most eating disorders involve focusing too much on your weight, body shape and food, leading to
dangerous eating behaviors. These behaviors can significantly impact your body's ability to get
appropriate nutrition. Eating disorders can harm the heart, digestive system, bones, and teeth and mouth,
and lead to other diseases.
Eating disorders often develop in the teen and young adult years, although they can develop at other ages.
With treatment, you can return to healthier eating habits and sometimes reverse serious complications
caused by the eating disorder.
Symptoms

 Symptoms vary, depending on the type of eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and
binge-eating disorder are the most common eating disorders. Other eating disorders include
rumination disorder and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder.

Anorexia nervosa
 Anorexia (an-o-REK-see-uh) nervosa — often simply called anorexia — is a potentially life-
threatening eating disorder characterized by an abnormally low body weight, intense fear of
gaining weight, and a distorted perception of weight or shape. People with anorexia use extreme
efforts to control their weight and shape, which often significantly interferes with their health and
life activities.
 When you have anorexia, you excessively limit calories or use other methods to lose weight, such
as excessive exercise, using laxatives or diet aids, or vomiting after eating. Efforts to reduce your
weight, even when underweight, can cause severe health problems, sometimes to the point of
deadly self-starvation.

Bulimia nervosa
 Bulimia (boo-LEE-me-uh) nervosa — commonly called bulimia — is a serious, potentially life-
threatening eating disorder. When you have bulimia, you have episodes of bingeing and purging
that involve feeling a lack of control over your eating. Many people with bulimia also restrict
their eating during the day, which often leads to more binge eating and purging.
 During these episodes, you typically eat a large amount of food in a short time, and then try to rid
yourself of the extra calories in an unhealthy way. Because of guilt, shame and an intense fear of
weight gain from overeating, you may force vomiting or you may exercise too much or use other
methods, such as laxatives, to get rid of the calories.
 If you have bulimia, you're probably preoccupied with your weight and body shape, and may
judge yourself severely and harshly for your self-perceived flaws. You may be at a normal weight
or even a bit overweight.

Binge-eating disorder
 When you have binge-eating disorder, you regularly eat too much food (binge) and feel a lack of
control over your eating. You may eat quickly or eat more food than intended, even when you're
not hungry, and you may continue eating even long after you're uncomfortably full.
  After a binge, you may feel guilty, disgusted or ashamed by your behavior and the amount of
food eaten. But you don't try to compensate for this behavior with excessive exercise or purging,
as someone with bulimia or anorexia might. Embarrassment can lead to eating alone to hide your
bingeing.
 A new round of bingeing usually occurs at least once a week. You may be normal weight,
overweight or obese.

Rumination disorder
 Rumination disorder is repeatedly and persistently regurgitating food after eating, but it's not due
to a medical condition or another eating disorder such as anorexia, bulimia or binge-eating
disorder. Food is brought back up into the mouth without nausea or gagging, and regurgitation
may not be intentional. Sometimes regurgitated food is rechewed and swallowed or spit out.
 The disorder may result in malnutrition if the food is spit out or if the person eats significantly
less to prevent the behavior. The occurrence of rumination disorder may be more common in
infancy or in people who have an intellectual disability.

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder

 This disorder is characterized by failing to meet your minimum daily nutrition requirements
because you don't have an interest in eating; you avoid food with certain sensory characteristics,
such as color, texture, smell or taste; or you're concerned about the consequences of eating, such
as fear of choking. Food is not avoided because of fear of gaining weight.
When to see a doctor
An eating disorder can be difficult to manage or overcome by yourself. Eating disorders can virtually take
over your life. If you're experiencing any of these problems, or if you think you may have an eating
disorder, seek medical help.
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD)

 Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) features a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears

(obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive behaviors (compulsions). These obsessions and
compulsions interfere with daily activities and cause significant distress.
 You may try to ignore or stop your obsessions, but that only increases your distress and anxiety.
Ultimately, you feel driven to perform compulsive acts to try to ease your stress. Despite efforts
to ignore or get rid of bothersome thoughts or urges, they keep coming back. This leads to more
ritualistic behavior — the vicious cycle of OCD.
 OCD often centers around certain themes — for example, an excessive fear of getting
contaminated by germs. To ease your contamination fears, you may compulsively wash your
hands until they're sore and chapped.
 If you have OCD, you may be ashamed and embarrassed about the condition, but treatment can
be effective.
Examples of obsession signs and symptoms include:

 Fear of being contaminated by touching objects others have touched

 Doubts that you've locked the door or turned off the stove
 Intense stress when objects aren't orderly or facing a certain way
 Images of driving your car into a crowd of people
 Thoughts about shouting obscenities or acting inappropriately in public
 Unpleasant sexual images
 Avoidance of situations that can trigger obsessions, such as shaking hands
Obsession symptoms
OCD obsessions are repeated, persistent and unwanted thoughts, urges or images that are intrusive and
cause distress or anxiety. You might try to ignore them or get rid of them by performing a compulsive
behavior or ritual. These obsessions typically intrude when you're trying to think of or do other things.

 Obsessions often have themes to them, such as:

 Fear of contamination or dirt
 Doubting and having difficulty tolerating uncertainty
 Needing things orderly and symmetrical
 Aggressive or horrific thoughts about losing control and harming yourself or others
 Unwanted thoughts, including aggression, or sexual or religious subjects
When to see a doctor
There's a difference between being a perfectionist — someone who requires flawless results or
performance, for example — and having OCD. OCD thoughts aren't simply excessive worries about real
problems in your life or liking to have things clean or arranged in a specific way.
Psychotic disorders

Psychotic disorders are mental health illnesses characterized by an impaired relationship with reality,
usually with associated behavioral changes. There are several different psychotic disorders, and they
each have diagnostic criteria described in the fifth edition of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders" (DSM-5).1

Psychotic disorders can be highly distressing, impacting a person’s quality of life and ability to maintain
self-care. However, most of these conditions can be managed with medication and therapy.

If you or a loved one is diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, it’s important that you maintain consistent
psychiatric care to help reduce the effects of your disorder on your life.

Types of Psychotic Disorders

The different types of psychotic disorders are:

 Schizophrenia: Schizophrenia is characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganization,

unusual behavior, and withdrawal.
 Schizoaffective disorder: Schizoaffective disorder is characterized by a combination of
psychotic features and mood symptoms.
 Schizophreniform disorder: Schizophreniform disorder is characterized by symptoms of
schizophrenia lasting for longer than one month and for less than six months.
 Delusional disorder: This condition is characterized by delusions, without the other symptoms
that are seen in schizophrenia.
 Brief psychotic disorder: This condition is characterized by an episode of psychotic behavior
that lasts for less than one month.
 Substance-induced psychotic disorder: The short-term and long-term effects of certain drugs,
such as LSD, can cause symptoms of psychosis.
 Psychotic disorder due to a medical condition: Medical conditions can cause temporary or
prolonged psychosis
Hallucinations
Hallucinations are false sensory experiences. The most common are visual hallucinations (seeing things
that aren’t real) or auditory hallucinations (hearing voices that aren’t real). Other false sensations, such as
smell, taste, or touch are less common with psychotic disorders, but they can occur.
Hallucinations can occur intermittently, and they may follow a theme, such as repeatedly hearing voices
giving commands or seeing a specific type of animal or person that isn't really there.

Delusions
Delusions are fixed false beliefs. Often, with psychotic disorders, the delusions involve a sense of
persecution and a belief that people are involved in sabotaging or harming the person who is experiencing
the delusion.