1. Mental Disorders

2.  May be defined as a mental disorder if the behavior:  causes a person to suffer  is self-destructive  seriously impairs the person’s ability to interact with others  endangers others  Social and cultural deviance does not factor in!

3.  Diagnostic and Statistical Manual  Handbook to classify mental disorders  Specific criteria given  Symptoms  Duration  Cultural and medical considerations  Five part diagnosis  Axis I: Primary clinical problem  Axis II: Personality disorders  Axis III: General medical conditions  Axis IV: Social and environmental stressors  Axis V: Global assessment of overall functioning

4.  The danger of over-diagnosis  “Yes, your son has ADHD”  The power of diagnostic labels  “I am schizophrenic. I am weird.”  Confusion of serious mental disorders with normal problems  “My boyfriend broke up with me. I feel sad. I guess I have Major Depressive Disorder.”  The illusion of objectivity and universality  “This was made by very smart people. Surely it has to be right!”  Explosion of mental diagnoses

5.  Major Depressive Disorder  A mood disorder involving  disturbances in emotion (excessive sadness)  behavior (loss of interest in one’s usual activities)  cognition (thoughts of hopelessness)  body function (fatigue and loss of appetite)  Symptoms  Depressed mood  Reduced interest in almost all activities  Significant weight gain or loss  Sleeping too much or too little  Fatigue  Feelings of worthlessness or guilt  Reduced ability to think, concentrate  Recurrent thoughts of death  DSM IV REQUIRES FIVE OF THESE IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS!

6.  Manic Episode  A period of excessive euphoria, motivation, and racing thoughts  Lasts from a few hours to several weeks  Bipolar Disorder  A mood disorder in which major depressive and mania episodes occur.  General Anxiety Disorder  Continuous state of anxiety marked by  feelings of worry and dread  apprehension  difficulties in concentration

7.  Posttraumatic Stress Disorder  An anxiety disorder in which a person who has  experienced a traumatic or life-threatening event  has symptoms such as  psychic numbing,  reliving the trauma,  increased physiological arousal  Diagnosed only if symptoms persist for six months or longer  May immediately follow event or occur later

8.  Phobias  An exaggerated, unrealistic fear of a specific situation, activity, or object  Agoraphobia  A set of phobias, often set off by a panic attack, involving the basic fear of being away from a safe place or person.  Dependency  Emotional and/or physical reliance on a substance that typical changes mood, emotional state, or condition

9.  Dissociative Identity Disorder  A controversial disorder marked by the appearance within one person of two or more distinct personalities, each with its own name and traits  Better known as Multiple Personality Disorder  Schizophrenia  Can include:  Bizarre delusions  Hallucinations and heightened sensory awareness  Disorganized, incoherent speech  Grossly disorganized and inappropriate behavior  Impaired cognitive abilities

10.  Obsessive-compulsive disorder  An anxiety disorder in which a person feels trapped in  obsessions  repetitive, persistent thoughts and  compulsions  repetitive, ritualized behaviors designed to reduce anxiety  Person understands that the ritual behavior is senseless but guilt mounts if the behavior is not performed.