Abnormality
The psychological disorder that Brooke Shields and Hayden Panettiere both publicly suffered from, helping to remove public stigma attached to mental disorders.
What is postpartum depression?
People with this disorder may find they occasionally check stove burners, count steps, clean homes and offices past the point of normal standards, and wash their hands multiple times in order for it to be "clean."
What is obsessive-compulsive disorder - OCD? Note: it is believed that sufferers of OCD may have brain abnormalities such that they do not experience a satisfaction of task completion.
A characteristic of thought or behavior that indicates a potential mental disorder.
What is a symptom?
People that suffers from this Personality Disorder often have extreme suspicion and distrust of others; they may have feelings of being persecuted by everyone and are immune to disconfirming evidence.
What is Paranoid Personality Disorder?
This is a symptom that reflects an excess or distortion of normal functions, such as delusions or hallucinations.
What is a positive symptom? Note: a negative symptom is that which schizophrenics may not be able to experience, but people of normal functioning can, i.e. emotional happiness, motivation, etc.
The study of disorders of mind, mood, and behavior where symptoms of psychological disorders are evaluated, disorders are diagnosed, and treatment is discussed.
What is psychopathology or abnormal psychology?
A type of anxiety disorder characterized by an intense, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation.
What is a phobia? Note: there are specific phobias and social phobias
Characterized by mood swings alternating between periods of major depression and mania.
What is bipolar disorder?
People with this personality disorder often demonstrate a complete lack of morality or conscience by the age of 15, and they may engage in illegal, manipulative behavior that hurts or destroys property.
What is antisocial personality disorder?
A persistent false belief that a person maintains in the face of evidence to the contrary.
What is a delusion?
This disorder is characterized by physical symptoms that may be VAGUE and affect several different body parts or systems all at the same time, but do not have an identifiable cause.
What is Somatoform Disorder?
When a person feels stress and/or worry without an identifiable reason, feelings of dread and may exhibit symptoms such as excessive worry, difficulty sleeping and occasional stomach problems.
What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder? Note: someone with GAD may have continuous, uncontrollable anxiety and fearful and worrisome thoughts that persist the majority of days over a six month period.
People suffering from these disorders regularly experience extreme emotional states.
What are Mood Disorders? Note: the two main groups of Mood Disorders include Depressive disorders and Bipolar disorders.
These disorders are rigid, maldaptive patterns of behavior that make it difficult for individuals to have normal social relationships.
What are personality disorders? Note: personality disorders are broken down into three main clusters: Odd and Eccentric, Dramatic and Erratic, and Anxious and Fearful.
This is a cause in a person's day-to-day life that may bring on symptoms of a particular disorder.
What is a precipitating cause? Examples can include: trauma, loss of job, or even a windfall. Note: predisposing causes include things like a birth defect, brain damage, or certain genetic predispositions.
This refers to the need to consider the individual characteristics of a culture in which a person with a disorder was raised in order to diagnose and treat the disorder.
What is cultural relativity? Ex: of a tribal African doctor hearing voices or talking to himself vs. schizophrenia in the Western world; or religious fervents nailing themselves to a cross during the Easter season Note: also look at the statistic that anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are rarely diagnosed outside of North America and Western Europe.
Feelings of intense terror that arise abruptly and are often accompanied by heart palpitations, chest pains, and a shortness of breath.
What is a panic attack?
This is a period of euphoria characterized by elevated self-esteem, increased talkativeness, enhanced energy, and a decreased need for sleep.
What is mania?
This personality disorder was named after an individual from Greek mythology who fell in love with his own reflection.
What is Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
False sensory perception that a person believes to be real.
What is a hallucination? Ex: hearing voices or seeing people
Erin has difficulty focusing her concentration and is easily distracted. She often blurts out answers in class before being called on, and she frequently has to be told to go back and sit in her chair. Erin may be suffering from this disorder.
What is attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder - ADHD?
This anxiety disorder is caused by experiencing or witnessing out-of-control events with feelings of helplessness and fear.
What is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder?
The most dangerous symptom of Major Depressive Disorder.
What are thoughts of suicide?
This personality disorder is marked by a pathological need to be the center of attention in nearly every situation.
What is Histrionic Personality Disorder?
The chance of the general population developing schizophrenia at some point in their lives.
What is 1%? Schizophrenia can be marked by delusions, hallucinations, incoherent speech, emotional flatness, and a loss of motivation.