Category Archives: Disorders

Hypomania and mania are terms that describe periods of unusually high energy, mood, and thinking. While everyone has emotional highs and lows, what distinguishes manic episodes from normal emotions is that they last for several days. They are a departure from normal behavior and are such that other people notice the difference. If you experience […]

Relationships play an important role in emotional well-being, but for a person with a schizotypal personality, forming and maintaining them can be difficult. Understanding this personality disorder is the first step toward getting help for the condition. Let’s take a look at what schizotypal personality disorder (STPD) is and what causes it. It’s also often […]

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a complex mental health condition that can profoundly impact a person’s daily life. In the United States, roughly 6% of the population will suffer from the effects of PTSD at some point in their lives. While every person’s experience with PTSD is unique, the triggers that can spark intense emotional and […]

Manic depression, now more commonly referred to as bipolar disorder, is a common mental health condition marked by extreme shifts in mood, energy and activity levels. According to Johns Hopkins , approximately 9.5% of American adults live with some form of depressive illness, including bipolar disorder. While the term “manic depression” is sometimes used casually […]

Schizophrenia affects about 1 in 300 people worldwide and is associated with a range of troubling symptoms, including persistent delusions and hallucinations, disorganized thinking and extreme agitation. Mental health care professionals find this condition hard to treat for several reasons, with severe side effects from commonly prescribed medications being a significant barrier. One promising new […]

It’s usually not hard to spot the overachieving children – they’re the ones who win the spelling bee every year, skip grade levels, or have never picked up an instrument they didn’t intuitively know how to play. While one might assume those children’s futures couldn’t be anything but bright and full of promise, the unfortunate […]

Fear plays a critical role when it comes to our survival, motivating us to maintain a safe environment and minimize exposure to threats. While a certain dose of fear is healthy and beneficial, occasionally, this emotional response kicks into overdrive and becomes disruptive. In general, the more control over our environment we have, the safer […]

Hypercritical personality types may not receive as much attention as they should, in part because “hypercritical personality disorder” isn’t a standalone diagnosis found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Rather, it’s a collection of traits seen in a variety of other diagnoses, including obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), depression, anxiety and some […]

Healthy boundaries are important in personal relationships because they help you feel safe and respected. The limits you set are different for every relationship, but some people may try to push them to try to exert control. This type of manipulative behavior can be harmful. The term “manipulative personality disorder” is sometimes used to describe […]