General Mental Illness

Pathological or compulsive gambling is described as gambling that goes beyond the point of normal recreation such that it interferes with the person's life. Pathological gamblers often go to great...

Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are found to be comorbid in children which means that a child with ADHD could also have the diagnosis of...

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a catch-all diagnosis that refers to assorted disorders with symptoms that include difficulty maintaining attention, impulse control problems, and...

Mental illness affects millions of people, many of these are children. These illnesses can lead to suicide, juvenile violence and a life of misery. Programs must be in place to address these...

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), mental illnesses affect one in four adults in the United States each year. These staggering numbers (approximately 57 million people)...

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, chronic mental illnesses begins by the age of 14 in about half of all cases. Some types of mental health issues can be diagnosed as early as...

All kids express anger or talk back at some point. When the behavior becomes increasingly more hostile and consistently lasts for more than 6 months, the child should be taken to a physician and...

The diagnosis of a mental disorder is reserved for those who have adequate training in psychology or psychiatric care. Licensed psychologists and psychiatrists are both able to diagnose a mental...

Mental disorders are prevalent throughout the world today. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that over 150 million people suffer from depression alone. Mental disorders include...

Anxiety and premenopause share a few common symptoms, such as sleeping problems and mood swings. However, many differences exist between the two. Anxiety primarily involves an individual's mental...

Drug abuse among the mentally ill is a common and growing problem, according to E. Fuller Torrey, M.D. in "Surviving Schizophrenia." Torrey states that those with mental illness are twice as...

Bipolar spectrum disorders and Alzheimer's disease are both illnesses that involve brain functioning and activity. Both can greatly restrict the lives of those suffering from the condition as well...

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 25% of the American adult population experiences some form of depression each year. There are multiple types of depression disorders...

Impulse-Control Disorders fall into several categories of behavior. In each case, an individual is unable to resist an urge to act in a way that is harmful to themselves or others.

The Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of mental disorders, often called the DSM, is a compilation of psychiatric illnesses and their diagnostic criteria, or common symptoms inherent to each...

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7 million children in the United States have asthma--that's 9.4 percent of all children. Seeking proper treatment is crucial,...

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is a book that mental health professionals consult for the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.

Personality refers to the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that we exhibit over a long period of time. Personality is not only who we are but determines how we see the world around us. When a...

Though both classified as mental disorders, bipolar and dementia exhibit a wide variety of differences in type, cause, symptoms and treatment, as well as in the progression of the disease. Bipolar...

Mental diagnoses are identified through self-report or observation of patient symptoms. The current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is the Fourth Edition...

A person with a cognitive disorder does not process information correctly within the brain. This results in impaired awareness and judgment, difficulty reasoning and focusing, loss of memory and...

Autism is a developmental disorder that is generally diagnosed in childhood. The diagnostic criteria are outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV, Text Revision...

Narcissism is a term used to describe individuals with an unhealthy preoccupation with themselves, a sense of grandiosity and need for admiration from others. Many narcissists lack empathy as...

Mood and anxiety disorders are often diagnosed together. The symptoms of each differ, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. A physician or mental health clinician...

We all know individuals that are a bit self-centered; however, being excessively egocentric may be a sign of a long-standing behavioral problem known as Narcissistic Personality Disorder. ...

Alcoholism, as with all addictive disorders, can be devastating to an individual. The long-term abuse of alcohol will harm a person on multiple levels. With nearly 15 million adults dependent on...

Pathological gambling is a type of addiction that occurs when a person has little or no control over his gambling habits and his behavior has a negative effect on his relationships, job, mental...

Suicide and mental disorders usually go hand in hand. Studies show that 90 percent of suicides suffered from one or more mental disorders prior to carrying out the act. The most common disorders...

A narcissistic sociopath is a person with multiple personality disorders as defined by the DSM-IV-TR.

Some mental disorders, specifically mood and anxiety disorders, are more common than others. Mental conditions are identified using criteria based on symptom profiles listed in the Diagnostic and...

Narcissism, named after the Greek myth of Narcissus, the striking Greek who was condemned to fall in love with his reflection for refusing the nymph, Echo. Unable to achieve his love, he stayed by...

The National Institutes of Health reports that more than one in four Americans suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder in a given year, but only about one in 17 will experience a disorder...

Children who suffer from seizure disorders are capable of living the life of a normal child performing daily activities. Some children suffer severe seizure disorders and require significant...

Language is a set method that allows individuals to effectively communicate with other individuals through listening, speaking, writing or gestures. Learning language at a proper pace with peers...

Stereotypic movement disorder is a mental-health condition characterized by repetitive movements. Symptoms include---but are in no way limited to---swaying, shaking, tics, picking at skin or even...

Narcissus, an attractive young man in Greek mythology, supposedly fell in love with the water's reflection of his own face, which is where the term "narcissist" comes from. People sometimes use...

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a chronic condition affecting children and characterized by inattention and hyperactivity. ADD was replaced by the term Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder...

Covert antisocial conduct disorder is a blending of two mental health disorders: conduct disorder, diagnosed in childhood and antisocial personality disorder, diagnosed in adulthood. Antisocial...

Everyone experiences an occasional bad mood. Different stages in life and hormonal changes can cause mood swings during puberty and menopause. However, some people experience frequent changes in...

Binge eating or compulsive overeating is an eating disorder characterized by eating excessive amounts of food ,thousands of calories more than you need. Feelings of shame, regret, remorse and...

Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder (BED), are serious threats to both physical and psychological health. Besides the damaging physical effects...

Narcissism and sociopathy (antisocial personality) are personality disorders that affect the way a person views and interacts with society. They share some similar traits and can occur together...

Children can be challenging and difficult at times. This is normal and part of the process of growing up. But what if your child is extremely defiant, has temper tantrums often, will not follow...

There are nearly 400 mental health issues that are listed in the Diagnostic Criteria from the DSM-IV-TR developed by the American Psychiatric Association. The scope of these conditions ranges...

Every year, one in five Americans experiences a mental disorder, 35 of which are severe. More than 15 percent of those who experience mental disorders also have problems with substance abuse. Even...

Treatment for mental disorders can vary depending on the type of disorder and the severity of symptoms. Typically, the first step in intervention is assessment by an outpatient provider. However,...

Symptoms of mental disorders can occur during times of stress and are diagnosed if there is a significant impact on the level of functioning. There are mental disorders that are more common than...

It can be difficult to determine the cause for the development of mental disorders. Obtaining a comprehensive history is responsible in diagnosing any type of mental disorder. Typically, a trained...

There are mental health problems that are more common than others. Mental health problems can range from mild to severe. Recognizing and becoming aware of a problem is the first step in getting...

Mental illness may affect anyone at any time in life. Symptoms of mental illness can occur during times of stress and are diagnosed if there is a significant impact on level of functioning. There...