List of abnormal psychology disorders


Personality Disorders: MedlinePlus

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Personality disorders are a group of mental illnesses. They involve long-term patterns of thoughts and behaviors that are unhealthy and inflexible. The behaviors cause serious problems with relationships and work. People with personality disorders have trouble dealing with everyday stresses and problems. They often have stormy relationships with other people.

The cause of personality disorders is unknown. However, genes and childhood experiences may play a role.

The symptoms of each personality disorder are different. They can mild or severe. People with personality disorders may have trouble realizing that they have a problem. To them, their thoughts are normal, and they often blame others for their problems. They may try to get help because of their problems with relationships and work. Treatment usually includes talk therapy and sometimes medicine.

  • Personality Disorders (Mental Health America)
  • Borderline Personality Disorder: Psychotherapy (Borderline Personality Disorder Resource Center)
  • Mental Health Medications (National Institute of Mental Health)
  • Psychotherapies (National Institute of Mental Health)
  • Borderline Personality Disorder (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Borderline Personality Disorder (National Institute of Mental Health)
  • Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Paranoia and Delusional Disorders (Mental Health America)
  • Schizoid Personality Disorder (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Schizotypal Personality Disorder (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Personality Disorders (National Institute of Mental Health)
  • ClinicalTrials. gov: Antisocial Personality Disorder (National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Borderline Personality Disorder (National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials. gov: Personality Disorders (National Institutes of Health)
  • Article: Six-month stability and predictive validity of the personality inventory for ICD-11.
  • Article: Neuroticism and adverse life events are important determinants in functional somatic...
  • Article: Modelling Identity Disturbance: A Network Analysis of the Personality Structure Questionnaire. ..
  • Personality Disorders -- see more articles
  • APA District Branch / State Association Directory (American Psychiatric Association)
  • Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
  • Help for Mental Illnesses (National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish
  • NAMI
  • National Institute of Mental Health Also in Spanish

Psychotic Disorders: MedlinePlus

Also called: Psychoses

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Psychotic disorders are severe mental disorders that cause abnormal thinking and perceptions. People with psychoses lose touch with reality. Two of the main symptoms are delusions and hallucinations. Delusions are false beliefs, such as thinking that someone is plotting against you or that the TV is sending you secret messages. Hallucinations are false perceptions, such as hearing, seeing, or feeling something that is not there.

Schizophrenia is one type of psychotic disorder. People with bipolar disorder may also have psychotic symptoms. Other problems that can cause psychosis include alcohol and some drugs, brain tumors, brain infections, and stroke.

Treatment depends on the cause of the psychosis. It might involve drugs to control symptoms and talk therapy. Hospitalization is an option for serious cases where a person might be dangerous to himself or others.

  • Psychosis (NAMI)
  • Understanding Psychosis (National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish
  • Brain Stimulation Therapies (National Institute of Mental Health)
  • Mental Health Medications (National Institute of Mental Health)
  • Psychotherapies (National Institute of Mental Health)
  • What Is Psychiatry? (American Psychiatric Association)
  • Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
  • Postpartum Psychosis (Postpartum Support International)
  • Schizoaffective Disorder (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Schizophrenia: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • ClinicalTrials. gov: Psychotic Disorders (National Institutes of Health)
  • Article: Estimating the Economic Value of Automated Virtual Reality Cognitive Therapy for. ..
  • Article: Caring for Carers (C4C): Results from a feasibility randomised controlled trial...
  • Article: Sublingual Dexmedetomidine for the Treatment of Acute Agitation in Adults With. ..
  • Psychotic Disorders -- see more articles
  • American Psychiatric Association
  • Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
  • NAMI
  • National Institute of Mental Health Also in Spanish
  • Hearing Voices and Seeing Things (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)

What mental illnesses are inherited - Atlant, medical center

Are mental illnesses hereditary? This question worries many parents. After all, it is very scary to “reward” your child with a mental disorder.

How mental illness is transmitted

The fact that mental illness can be inherited has been noticed for a long time. Today, geneticists confirm: indeed, mental disorders are more likely to appear in a child in a family where a relative suffered from a similar illness. And the reason for this are violations in the structure of genes.

There is such a thing as the coefficient of hereditary risk. The higher this coefficient, the higher the likelihood that the child will inherit the disease of relatives.

Only some mental illnesses are directly related to breakdowns in the genes, for example, Huntington's chorea, the hereditary risk coefficient of which is 5000. For comparison, for such a mental illness as schizophrenia, it is 9.

How does the degree of relationship affect hereditary diseases?

The risk of developing a mental illness depends on the degree of relationship with a sick family member and on the number of sick relatives.

The highest probability of transmission of the disease in identical twins, followed by 1st degree relationship (parents, children, brothers, sisters). In 2nd degree relatives, the risk is significantly reduced

So, with schizophrenia, which is present in the mother and father, the probability of its occurrence in children is 46%, if one parent is sick - about 13%, if the grandfather or grandmother is sick - 5%.

Which mental illnesses are most often inherited

1. Disorders of the mental development of children

  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is manifested by impulsivity, difficulty concentrating, increased physical activity. Often this disorder is combined with depression, behavioral disorders.
  • Dyslexia - the inability to read, compare what is written with speech in some cases is hereditary.
  • Autism is a severe mental disorder, expressed in violation of social adaptation. An autistic child is closed, he does not want to communicate with the outside world, he exists in his personal space. He does not tolerate any change, he has his own rituals, which he strictly observes. He constantly repeats stereotypical movements (rocking, bouncing) or the same phrases.

Autism is usually diagnosed in the first three years of a child's life.

It is believed that the role of heredity in the occurrence of this disease is great.

2. Schizophrenia

This is a mental illness, which is characterized by disturbances in thinking, perception of the world, inappropriate behavior and an abnormal reaction to stimuli. The disease may be accompanied by agitation, delusions, hallucinations. Patients are prone to depression and suicidal.

As a rule, the onset of the disease falls on the age of 20-22 to 30 years.

Heredity plays a significant role in the occurrence of this disease, but other factors are no less important: complications during gestation, difficult childbirth in the mother, infections, difficult psycho-emotional situations, and even birth in winter.

3. Affective bipolar disorder

Otherwise, this mental illness is called manic-depressive psychosis. It proceeds with an alternation of phases: depression and excitement, sometimes with aggression. There may be gaps between these phases.

4. Alzheimer's disease

This disease develops after the age of 65 and is expressed first in forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating. Then there is confusion, loss of orientation in space. Irritability, unmotivated aggression appear, speech is disturbed. Dementia develops.

Rarely enough, the disease begins earlier, and here the hereditary factor, the pathological gene, plays a significant role.

Other hereditary mental illnesses:

  • epilepsy;
  • psychopathy;
  • alcohol dependence;
  • dementia;
  • Down syndrome;
  • Huntington's chorea;
  • "cat cry" syndrome;
  • Klinefelter's syndrome.

All of these mental illnesses can be inherited. At the same time, they can appear in a family where no one has suffered from such disorders. True, the risk of disease in this case is less, but it exists. So, you can get schizophrenia in a completely “healthy” family with a probability of 1%.

If there is a risk

Many people are afraid of passing on hereditary diseases to their children (even if distant relatives suffered from them), especially mental disorders, and therefore prefer not to have a child. Is such an approach correct?

A hereditary disease does not mean at all that a child will definitely have it. Yes, there is such a risk, but it is also present in children from "hereditarily safe" families. Moreover, the chance of passing on a hereditary disease can be very low. It all depends on what kind of genetic disease exists in the family history, which of the relatives had a pathology, how severe the deviation was, and many other factors.

You can understand how big the risk is after passing a medical genetic examination. Therefore, in case of doubts and fears of “bad heredity”, the most correct approach would be to contact a geneticist.

SIGNS OF MENTAL DISORDERS (WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR)

Signs of mental disorders, and also the frequency of their occurrence is a common question, exciting people in recent years. This is especially true in connection with the fact that the pace of life is steadily growing, and the resources of human nervous system remain unchanged. Very often mental violations develop gradually, stepwise, introducing features into the psyche a person who was previously not peculiar to him, respectively, there are good chances to notice them in time and provide proper medical care.

According to the latest data, mental disorders are detected in 25-30% of the population, that is, one in four in the world. However, it is noteworthy that while 75-80% are sick non-psychotic, mild mental disorders. serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia occur in 6-17% cases. Alcoholism - in 60%.

It must be remembered that mental disorder is not a sentence, because with sufficient and timely treatment by a specialist, as well as a responsible attitude and attention to their condition, the symptoms of mental disorders can be stopped, (and often the disorder itself can be completely cured), which will help to maintain the former social, professional status and quality of life.

SIGNS

Asthenic syndrome.

This condition may accompany any mental disorders and many of the somatic diseases. Asthenia expressed in weakness, low performance, mood swings, increased sensitivity. A person starts crying easily, instantly gets irritated and loses his temper. Often asthenia is accompanied sleep disturbances, feeling of weakness, increased fatigue, inability to cope with the usual workload, study.

Obsessive states.

A wide range of obsessions includes many manifestations: from constant doubts, unpleasant thoughts, "stuck, spinning in the head", fears with which a person does not able to cope, to an irresistible desire for purity or performing certain unusual actions. Under the control of the obsessive state, a person can return home several times in order to check whether he turned off the iron, gas, water, whether he closed the door with a key. An obsessive fear of an accident can force the patient to perform some rituals that, according to the sufferer, can avert trouble. If you notice that your friend or relative washes his hands for hours, became overly squeamish and is always afraid of getting infected with something - this also obsession. The desire not to step on cracks in the asphalt, joints tiles, avoidance of certain modes of transport or people in clothing a certain color or type is also an obsessive state.

Mood changes.

It is especially important to pay attention not to how much for short-term changes under the influence of momentary factors, how much for mood changes that were not previously characteristic a person, long-term, from 2 weeks or more.

  • Longing, depression, longing for self-accusations, talk about their own worthlessness, sinfulness, about death, lack of future, hope for the best, etc.
  • Unnatural frivolity, carelessness.
  • Stupidity, not characteristic of age and character.
  • Euphoric state, optimism without any basis.
  • Apathy, painful feeling of lack of emotions.
  • Fussiness, talkativeness, inability to concentrate, confused thinking.
  • Irritability, anger, aggressiveness
  • Inability to restrain emotions, tearfulness, slight breakdowns in conversation
  • natural bashfulness, inability to restrain sexual desires or vice versa, the disappearance of libido, the absence of a morning erection in men

Unusual sensations in the body.

Stinging, burning in the skin, sensations burning, “twisting” pressure in the body, stirring “something inside”, "rustling in the head", the presence of foreign objects in the body - can signal disturbances in the nervous system.

Hypochondria.

Expressed in an obsessive, obsessive search for themselves of serious illnesses and disorders, painful "listening" to the slightest change in the state of your body. At the same time, the patient often does not trust doctors, requires repeated and deeper research, completely focused on finding difficult diseases, requires to be treated as a patient.

Appetite disorders.

It is important to note how sudden increased appetite - "wolfish appetite", and its sharp decrease and perversion of taste preferences. The reason may be as in the disease gastrointestinal tract, and in the general depression of the state, or painful conviction of excessive fullness in its absence. Also it is important if previously tasty food has lost its taste, has become bland, tasteless, "like cardboard."

Illusions

Do not confuse illusions with hallucinations. Illusions force a person to perceive real objects and phenomena in distorted form, while in hallucinations a person feels something that in reality does not exist.

Examples of illusions:

  • the pattern on the wallpaper seems to be an interweaving of snakes or worms;
  • sizes of objects are perceived in a distorted form;
  • the sound of raindrops on the windowsill seems to be the cautious steps of someone terrible;
  • the shadows of the trees turn into terrible creatures crawling up with frightening intentions, etc.

hallucinations not guess, then susceptibility to hallucinations can manifest itself more noticeable. Hallucinations can affect all the senses, that is be visual and auditory, tactile and gustatory, olfactory and common, as well as combined in any combination. To the sick all he is sees, hears and feels, seems completely real. He may not believe that all this is not felt, not heard, not seen by others. Them he can perceive bewilderment as a conspiracy, deceit, mockery, get irritated at not being understood.

  • Auditory hallucinations human hears various kinds of noise, fragments of words or coherent phrases. Voices can give commands or comment on every action of the patient, laugh at him or discuss his thoughts.
  • Taste and smell hallucinations often cause a sensation of an unpleasant quality: a disgusting taste or smell.
  • For tactile hallucinations to the patient it seems that someone is biting him, touching him, strangling him, that they are crawling on him insects that some creatures are introduced into his body and there move or eat the body from the inside.
  • Outwardly susceptibility to hallucinations expressed in conversations with an invisible interlocutor, sudden laughter or constant intense listening to something. The patient can always to shake off something, to cry out, to examine oneself with preoccupied look or ask others if they see something on his body or in the surrounding space.

Changes in thinking

Previously uncharacteristic overestimation own abilities or abilities, confidence in one's own exclusivity, passion for esotericism, magic, suddenly appeared belief in the supernatural. The rate at which thoughts flow in the head can also change, or become uncomfortably slow, or so fast that sometimes it is very difficult to concentrate on one thought.

Delusional thoughts.

Delusional states often accompany psychoses. Delusion is based on erroneous judgments, and the patient stubbornly maintains its false belief, even if there are obvious contradictions with reality. Crazy ideas acquire significance that determines everything behavior. Delusional disorders can be expressed in an erotic form, or in the conviction of one's great mission, in descent from a noble kind or aliens. It may seem to the patient that someone is trying to kill or poison, rob or kidnap. Sometimes the development of delusional state is preceded by a feeling of unreality of the surrounding world or own personality.

Desocialization.

There are people who are unsociable and unsociable in strength of his character. This is normal and should not arouse suspicion. mental disorders. But if a born merry fellow, the soul company, a family man and a good friend suddenly begins to destroy social connections, becomes unsociable, shows coldness towards those who have recently was dear to him - this is a reason to worry about his mental health. A person becomes sloppy, stops taking care of himself, maybe quit your job for no good reason, abandon your career, former goals and interests, in society can begin to behave shockingly - commit acts that are considered indecent and unacceptable.


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