Depression does not discriminate. As the world’s leading cause of disability, this condition can affect people from all backgrounds and belief systems. Despite depression’s prevalence, the struggles it creates can manifest differently for various people. That’s one reason for the many misconceptions surrounding this mental health issue, which may...
Borderline personality disorder is a mental health issue that causes relationship instability, erratic behavior and fears of abandonment. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1.4% of U.S. adults experience BPD, and 75% of people diagnosed with this disorder are women. The first mental health professionals to identify this...
When someone stiffens up and collapses, begins shaking without visible provocation or stares into space without reacting to outside stimuli, onlookers are likely to assume the person is having an epileptic seizure. And that’s often the case—but not always. Sometimes, a person may be suffering from PNES. Many seizures are...
OCD, also known as obsessive-compulsive disorder, causes severe anxiety in people who have it. When someone has this condition, they experience the same thought repeatedly. This "obsession" can lead to compulsive behaviors ("compulsions"), such as cleaning, doing the same task a specific number of times, and other activities, in...
In medical terms, a mood disorder is any mental illness that disrupts the natural emotional state. Clinical depression affects nearly 24 million adults and adolescents in the United States. Bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder affects more than 1 in 25 people. They can be catalyzed by many factors ranging from genetics...
The emotional effects of mental illness are bad enough, but there are also social effects—including, all too frequently, exposure to insensitive or biased attitudes. Even loved ones who desire to help are often bewildered by, and at a loss for how to respond to, the symptoms of schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive...
The holidays commemorate togetherness and love, but they can also be a bit isolating. If you are new to town, have anxiety in social situations, or feel worn out from everything going on, it is easy to disconnect from others. Are you feeling lonely this holiday season? Here are some...
We’re excited to see that the stigma around mental illness has lessened in recent decades. Indeed, many prominent people are now speaking openly about their own mental-health struggles. Nonetheless, negative stereotypes persist, and fewer than half of people with mental illness seek treatment. Today, we want to clear up...
Most people have heard of borderline personality disorder, if only in passing. BPD is characterized by reckless behavior, mood swings and chronic feelings of emptiness and/or entitlement. Another symptom is alienating others, who frequently see only intolerable behavior and not an illness. Such is the case with most “personality disorders”:...
Anhedonia is the technical term for a lack of ability to take pleasure in daily life. People who experience this condition often lose interest in previously enjoyable activities. While it does not always signify depression, anhedonia is a core symptom of major depressive disorder. How can you tell if...
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