Psychological Disorders and Mental Health Conditions

There are many psychological disorders that people may experience in life, ranging from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to common phobias.

Diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders is an objective procedure that involves prior research as well as experience on the part of the health care provider. Knowledge of psychological disorders has been compiled into a large and comprehensive manual called the, 'DSM-IV,' which is used by health care providers today.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV)

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) is published by the American Psychiatric Association. The book contains all of the known mental health and psychological disorders affecting both adults and children. The DSM-IV lists the names and symptoms of psychological disorders, as well as potential causes, treatments, statistics and research that is being pursued related to these disorders.

The DSM-IV is sometimes referred to as the, 'Psychiatrists Bible,' because it enhances the understanding of persons with these disorders, their treatment options, and even third party insurance payers. Psychological disorders in the DSM-IV are both classified and explained. Within the DSM-IV there are five, 'Axes,' that cover psychological disorders.

Axis 1: Presents Clinical Syndromes, also known as the diagnosis of the psychological disorder.

Axis 2: Presents Developmental Disorders and Personality Disorders. Developmental disorders typically occur in childhood, and can affect physical, intellectual, and emotional development (e.g., autism, Down's syndrome). Personality disorders have long lasting symptoms that affect one's interaction in the world.

Axis 3: Presents Physical Conditions, such as brain injuries or physical impairments. Some psychological disorders spring from physical aspects, others have unknown causes.

Axis 4: Presents Severity of Psychosocial Stressors, including events in the patient's life; deaths, divorces, traumas, celebrations, new beginnings, etc. Lifestyle affects most psychological disorders.

Axis 5: Presents Highest Level of Functioning - describes how well the person functions at present and within the last year, with the psychological disorder.

The DSM-IV is not necessarily used or involved in the diagnostic process or treatment of every psychological disorder. Reference to and us of the DSM-IV depends on the Psychologist, Psychiatrist, or Counselor. Whether or not the DSM-IV was used in the diagnostic process, it is important to get objective support regarding any psychological condition or disorder.

Counseling and Psychological Disorders

There has been an amount of social stigma associated with counseling and psychological disorders, or psychological disorders in general, causing unnecessary burden an people with disabilities, their family members and friends. The counseling process can be trying enough without dealing with any stigmas associated with it. Insurance companies may not cover counseling easily as well.

Overcoming these hurdles related to seeing a psychologist, psychiatrist or a counselor can be extremely valuable to a person as a whole; not just their emotions and mind. A person's physical health is intrinsically connected to their mind and soul; dealing with your mental well-being inevitably benefits your overall health. As with any physical disease, a psychological disorder can affect any person at any time in their life; it does not matter how happy, wealthy, or seemingly well-adjusted they may be.

Types of Psychological Disorders

There are a number of different psychological disorders that may affect a person. These disorders may be organized into different groups by type of disorder. The different types of disorders include Anxiety Disorders, Childhood Disorders, Eating Disorders, Mood Disorders, Cognitive Disorders, Personality Disorders, Schizophrenia & Other Psychotic Disorders, and Substance-Related Disorders.

Anxiety Disorders * Acute Stress Disorder * Panic Disorder * Agoraphobia without History of Panic Disorder * Social Phobia * Specific Phobia (formerly Simple Phobia) * Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder * Post-traumatic Stress Disorder * Generalized Anxiety Disorder Childhood Disorders * Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder * Asperger's Disorder * Autistic Disorder * Conduct Disorder * Oppositional Defiant Disorder * Separation Anxiety Disorder * Tourette's Disorder Eating Disorders * Anorexia Nervosa * Bulimia Nervosa Mood Disorders * Major Depressive Disorder * Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression) * Cyclothymic Disorder * Dysthymic Disorder Cognitive Disorders (Delirium, Dementia, Amnestic Disorders) * Delirium * Multi-Infarct Dementia * Dementia Associated With Alcoholism * Dementia of the Alzheimer Type * Dementia

Personality Disorders * Paranoid Personality Disorder * Schizoid Personality Disorder * Schizotypal Personality Disorder * Antisocial Personality Disorder * Borderline Personality Disorder * Histrionic Personality Disorder * Narcissistic Personality Disorder * Avoidant Personality Disorder * Dependent Personality Disorder * Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder Schizophrenia & Other Psychotic Disorders * Schizophrenia * Delusional Disorder * Brief Psychotic Disorder * Schizophreniform Disorder * Schizoaffective Disorder * Shared Psychotic Disorder Substance-Related Disorders * Alcohol Dependence * Amphetamine Dependence * Cannabis Dependence * Cocaine Dependence * Hallucinogen Dependence * Inhalant Dependence * Nicotine Dependence * Opioid Dependence * Phencyclidine Dependence * Sedative Dependence

Articles

Pub. Date	Topic	Author
2012-02-09	Developmental Coordination Disorder - Diagnosing DCD	University of Haifa
2011-12-07	Stress Relief Tips for the Holidays	Dr. Laura Maciuika
2011-09-23	Mental Health Disability Increases in U.S.	Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
2011-08-28	Stress in the Workplace a Growing Health Hazard	Concordia University
2011-07-12	Improving Mental Health Globally	Global Mental Health
2011-06-09	Online Test for Autism and Mental Health Issues	Dr. Bonny Forrest
2011-05-09	Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Following Orthopaedic Trauma	American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
2011-04-04	Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)	American Friends of Tel Aviv University
2011-03-24	Even Mild Stress is Linked to Long-term Disability	BMJ-British Medical Journal
2011-03-21	Mental Illness and the Struggle for Services	Thomas C. Weiss
2011-03-12	Depression Diagnosis Needs a Second Opinion	Wake Forest University
2011-03-05	Bipolar Disorder Susceptibility Factor	Cell Press
2011-03-01	Symptoms of PTSD That do the Most Damage	University of Southern California
2011-02-24	Genetics of Bipolar Disorder: Piccolo	Elsevier
2011-02-20	Seasonal Affective Disorder - The Winter Blues	Wake Forest University
2011-02-18	Can You Get Disability Benefits for Depression	Disability Group, Inc.
2011-02-09	Turning Off Stress	Weizmann Institute of Science
2011-01-24	Law Broadening Access to Mental Health Treatment	American Psychological Association
2010-12-29	Is Winter Making You Tired?	Pure Research Products LLC
2010-12-28	Make a New Year's Resolution for a Healthy Mind	Screening for Mental Health
2010-12-06	Drug Prevents Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome	Northwestern University
2010-11-24	Students Mad for Madness in America	The University at Buffalo
2010-11-08	Playing with Your Child Helps Their Mental Health	Binghamton University
2010-10-13	1 in 5 Children Meet Criteria for a Mental Disorder Across Their Lifetime	Elsevier
2010-10-07	Childhood Adversity May Lead to Unhealthy Stress Response in Adult Life	Brown University
2010-09-16	Intensive Care Diaries Protect Patients from PTSD	BioMed Central
2010-09-06	Urban Living and Psychotic Disorders	JAMA and Archives Journals
2010-08-29	Schizophrenia and Psychotic Syndromes	European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
2010-07-31	Narcissistic Heterosexual Men Target Hostility at Heterosexual Women	Springer Select
2010-07-22	Antisocial Personality Disorder - Psychiatric Conditions Facts and Information	Thomas C. Weiss
2010-07-19	MDMA (Ecstasy) Assisted Psychotherapy Relieves Treatment Resistant PTSD	SAGE Publications UK
2010-07-19	Higher Risk of Epilepsy for Soldiers with Brain Injuries	American Academy of Neurology
2010-07-05	Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) - Child has Aversion to Authority	Disabled World
2010-07-05	Mental Issues of a Cyberbully	JAMA and Archives Journals
2010-07-03	Conduct Disorder Information and Help Options	Disabled World
2010-01-20	Method to Objectively Identify PTSD	University of Minnesota
2009-11-09	Borderline Personality Disorder - Facts and Information	Thomas C. Weiss
2009-08-26	Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - Facts and Treatment	Thomas C. Weiss
2009-07-28	Trauma Reflects Our Psychological Well-Being	University at Buffalo
2009-07-26	Psychological and Emotional Health	Dr Jenny Tylee

<a href="http://www.disabled-world.com/disability/types/psychological/">Psychological Disorders and Mental Health Conditions</a> - Mental and psychological disorders range from PTSD to Phobias Anxiety and Personality Disorders.