I.

The different types Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

Emotional disturbance is defines as follows: “…a condition exhibiting one or more of the
following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects
a child’s educational performance:

(A) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.

(B) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and
teachers.

(C) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.

(D) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.

(E) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school
problems.”

II. Anxiety Disorders

We all experience anxiety from time to time, but for many people, including children, anxiety
can be excessive, persistent, seemingly uncontrollable, and overwhelming. An irrational fear of
everyday situations may be involved. This high level of anxiety is a definite warning sign that a
person may have an anxiety disorder.

As with the term emotional disturbance, “anxiety disorder” is an umbrella term that actually
refers to several distinct disabilities that share the core characteristic of irrational fear:
generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder,
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder (also called social phobia), and
specific phobias.

Types of anxiety disorders

A. Panic disorder - Panic disorder is a mental and behavioral disorder, specifically an anxiety
disorder characterized by reoccurring unexpected panic attacks.

B. Specific phobia - Specific phobia is an anxiety disorder, characterized by an extreme,

unreasonable, and irrational fear associated with a specific object, situation, or concept which
poses little or no actual danger.

C. Selective mutism - Some children experience this form of anxiety, in which they cannot
speak in certain places or contexts, even though they may have excellent verbal communication
skills around familiar people.
D. Social anxiety disorder - This is a fear of adverse judgment from others in social situations
or of public embarrassment. Social anxiety disorder includes a range of feelings such as stage
fright, a fear of intimacy, and anxiety around humiliation and rejection.

E. Separation anxiety disorder- High anxiety levels after separation from a person or place that
provides feelings of security or safety characterize separation anxiety disorder. Separation
anxiety is most common in young children but can affect people of all ages.

III. Bipolar Disorder

Also known as manic-depressive illness, bipolar disorder is a serious medical condition that
causes dramatic mood swings from overly “high” and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, and then
back again, often with periods of normal mood in between. Severe changes in energy and
behavior go along with these changes in mood.

For most people with bipolar disorder, these mood swings and related symptoms can be
stabilized over time using an approach that combines medication and psychosocial treatment.

Bipolar disorder category:

A. Bipolar I Disorder - Bipolar I disorder is diagnosed when a person experiences a manic

episode. During a manic episode, people with bipolar I disorder experience an extreme increase
in energy and may feel on top of the world or uncomfortably irritable in mood. Some people with
bipolar I disorder also experience depressive or hypomanic episodes, and most people with
bipolar I disorder also have periods of neutral mood.

B. Bipolar II Disorder - A diagnosis of bipolar II disorder requires someone to have at least one
major depressive episode and at least one hypomanic episode (see above). People return to their
usual functioning between episodes. People with bipolar II disorder often first seek treatment as
a result of their first depressive episode, since hypomanic episodes often feel pleasurable and can
even increase performance at work or school.

C. Cyclothymic Disorder - Cyclothymic disorder is a milder form of bipolar disorder involving

many "mood swings," with hypomania and depressive symptoms that occur frequently. People
with cyclothymia experience emotional ups and downs but with less severe symptoms than
bipolar I or II disorder.

IV. Conduct Disorder

Conduct disorder refers to a group of behavioral and emotional problems in youngsters. Children
and adolescents with this disorder have great difficulty following rules and behaving in a socially
acceptable way.

This may include some of the following behaviors:

 A. aggression to people and animals;
B. destruction of property;
C. deceitfulness, lying, or stealing; or
D. Truancy or other serious violations of rules.

Although conduct disorder is one of the most difficult behavior disorders to treat, young people
often benefit from a range of services that include:

A. training for parents on how to handle child or adolescent behavior;

B. family therapy;
C. training in problem solving skills for children or adolescents; and
D. community-based services that focus on the young person within the context of family
and community influences

V. Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are characterized by extremes in eating behavior—either too much or too little
—or feelings of extreme distress or concern about body weight or shape. Females are much more
likely than males to develop an eating disorder.

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the two most common types of eating disorders.
Anorexia nervosa is characterized by self-starvation and dramatic loss of weight. Bulimia
nervosa involves a cycle of binge eating, then self-induced vomiting or purging. Both of these
disorders are potentially life-threatening.

Binge eating is also considered an eating disorder. It’s characterized by eating excessive amounts
of food, while feeling unable to control how much or what is eaten. Unlike with bulimia, people
who binge eat usually do not purge afterward by vomiting or using laxatives.

VI. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Often referred to as OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder is actually considered an anxiety

disorder (which was discussed earlier in this fact sheet). OCD is characterized by recurrent,
unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

Repetitive behaviors (handwashing, counting, checking, or cleaning) are often performed with
the hope of preventing obsessive thoughts or making them go away. Performing these so-called
“rituals,” however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them markedly increases
anxiety.

VII. Psychotic Disorders

“Psychotic disorders” is another umbrella term used to refer to severe mental disorders that cause
abnor mal thinking and perceptions. Two of the main symptoms are delusions and
hallucinations. Delusions are false beliefs, such as thinking that someone is plotting against you.
Hallucinations are false perceptions, such as hearing, seeing, or feeling something that is not
there. Schizophrenia is one type of psychotic disorder. There are others as well.

Treatment for psychotic disorders will differ from person to person, depending on the specific
disorder involved. Most are treated with a combination of medications and psychotherapy (a type
of counseling).

A. Schizophrenia - Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by reoccurring episodes of

psychosis that are correlated with a general misperception of reality. Other common signs
include hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, social withdrawal, and flat.

B. Schizoaffective Disorder - This condition mixes symptoms of schizophrenia with a mood

disorder -- mania or depression. If you have the depressive type, you often feel sad and
worthless. If you have the bipolar type, you have periods of mania -- racing thoughts and
extreme happiness.

C. Schizophreniform Disorder - It has the same symptoms as schizophrenia, but they're

temporary. Hallucinations and delusions last between 1 and 6 months, although sometimes your
symptoms can return later. This disorder is much less common than schizophrenia. It most often
affects teens and young adults. Schizophreniform disorder can turn into full-blown schizophrenia
even after it's treated.

D. Brief Psychotic Disorder - When someone has it, they suddenly get symptoms like
hallucinations and delusions. One possible trigger is extreme stress after things like an accident
or the death of a loved one. If you're a woman, it can happen after you give birth. Sometimes
there's no obvious cause. Usually, your symptoms go away on their own within a month. In some
people, brief psychotic disorder turns into schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

E. Delusional Disorder - In this condition, you have a false sense of reality about one or more of
your beliefs. For instance, you might think a friend is plotting to kill you, your partner is
cheating, or a celebrity is in love with you. These false beliefs start to affect your everyday life.
For example, if you think someone is going to harm you, you might be afraid to leave the house.

D. Shared Psychotic Disorder - It's a rare condition where two people in a relationship have the
same untrue belief. For example, a mother and son might both think they're about to be abducted
by aliens. The condition is also called folie à deux, which means "madness between two."

F. Substance-Induced Psychotic Disorder - When you start or stop certain drugs, you may get
substance-induced psychotic disorder. The symptoms include hallucinations and delusions.
Drugs that can bring it on include:

Alcohol LSD
Amphetamines Marijuana
Cocaine PCP
Opioids Sedatives
The symptoms should go away once you stop the drug or go through withdrawal. The condition
can return if you take the drug again.