This thread is dedicated to the world and mysteries of Psychology and the Human Mind. EDIT: By request, this is also going to be a Pharmacology / Medical Science thread too, but im not going to update OP because I dont have the time
PSYCHOLOGY
The term means "The Study of the mental functions and behaviors of the human brain"
Psychology predates all the way back to Ancient Greece, being considered a branch of Philosophy until the 1870's where it was developed into a branch of Medicine.
MENTAL DISORDERS
A Mental disorder is an anomaly of mental functioning, which is reflected by odd behavior and disability. These disorders change the way a person feels, thinks, acts, or percieves.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOLOGY
The difference is set on what both jobs do and their educational background.
Psychiatry is the assessment, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Mental illnesses and also prescribe medication to a patient/ They are required to have completed atleast 4 years of Post graduate Training and have a Doctorate or Masters degree. They are allowed to give full physical examinations.
Psychology is the understanding and diagnosis of mental illness as well as learning a patients background. They may have PhDs in clinical care or counseling or the equivalent and have training in Psychological research.
TYPES OF MENTAL ILLNESS
1. Anxiety Disorders. Response to certain stimulus with fear and dread, as well as physical symptoms such as a rapid heartbeat and profuse sweating. These conditions are diagnosed if the patients response is not appropriate to the current situation, if the response cannot be controlled, or if the disorder interferes with every day life. Examples are Generalized Anxiety Disorder, PTSD, Obsessive - Compulsive Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and most phobias.
2. Mood Disorders. Mood Disorders (Also Called Affective Disorders) involve persistent feelings of sadness or periods of feeling overly happy, or switching between the 2. The most common disorders is Depression, Mania, and Bipolar Disorder
3. Psychotic Disorders. Psychotic Disorders involve distorted awareness and thinking. Two of the most common symptoms are Hallucinations (The experience of stimulus that is not real and cant be observed by others) and Delusions (False beliefs that the ill person accepts as true despite evidence to the contrary). The major diagnosis for Psychotic Disorders is Schizophrenia
4. Eating Disorders involve extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviours involving weight and food. Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa and binge eating disorder are the most common disorders.
5. Impulse and Addiction disorders. People with Impulse and Addiction disorders are unable to resist urges, or impulses, to perform harmful acts that could injure ones self or others. For example, Pyromania, Kleptomania, and Compulsive gambling are examples of Impulse Disorders. Addiction involves the craving of an illicit substance such as Alcohol or other drugs. Most of the time, people with these disorders are so involved with the objects of their addiction that they begin to ignore responsibilities and relationships.
6. Personality Disorders. People with Personality Disorders have extreme and inflexible personality traits that are distressing to the person and/or cause problems in work, school, or social relationships. In addition, the persons patterns of thinking and behaviour significantly impair with normal functioning. The list of personality disorders include: Schizoid, Schizotypal, Paranoid, Borderline, Histrionic, Anti-social, Narcissistic, Dependent, Avoidant, and Obsessive Compulsive.
7. Adjustment Disorders. AD occurs when a person develops emotional and/or behavioural symptoms in response to stressful stimulus, such as an earthquake or tornado, divorce, death of a loved one, or a problem with substance addiction. AD Normally develops atleast within 3 months of exposure to negative stimulus, and normally stops once the stimulus stops or is terminated.
8. Dissociative Disorders. Peoople with these disorders suffer severe disturbances or changes in identity, memory, consciousness, and general awareness of themselves and their surroundings. These are normally associative with overwhelming stress which may be the result of traumatic events, accidents, or disasters that have been experienced or witnessed by the individual. 2 common Dissociative disorders are Dissociative Identity disorder and Depersonalization disorder.
9. Factitious Disorders. Factitious disorders are conditions in which physical and/or emotional symptoms are created and mimicked to place the individual in the role of a patient or a person in need of help on purpose.
10. loveual and Gender Disorders. These include disorders that affect loveual desire, performance, and behaviour. loveual Dysfunction, gender identity disorder, and the paraphilias are examples.
11. Somatoform Disorders. A person with a Somatoform disorder (Formerly Psychosomatic Disorder) experience physical symptoms of an illness even when a doctor can not find any medical cause for the symptoms.
12. Tic Disorders. People with Tic disorders make sounds or display body movements that are repeated, quick, sudden, and/or uncontrollable. *Sounds involuntarily made are called Vocal Tics* Tourette's Syndrome is a common example
PERSONALITY DISORDERS
Im going to use the Millon Chart of Personality Disorders here
1. Paranoid
2. Schizoid
3. Schizotypal
4. Antisocial
5. Borderline
6. Histrionic
7. Narcissistic
8. Avoidant
9. Dependent
10. Obsessibe Compulsive
11. Depressive
12. Passive-Aggressive
13. Sadistic
14. Self-Defeating / Masochistic
PARANOID
Guarded, defensive, distrustful and suspiciousness. Hypervigilant to the motives of others to undermine or do harm. Always seeking confirmatory evidence of hidden schemes. Feels righteous, but persecuted.
SCHIZOID
Apathetic, indifferent, remote, solitary, distant, humorless. Neither desires nor needs human attachments. Withdrawal from relationships and prefer to be alone. Little interest in others, often seen as a loner. Minimal awareness of feelings of self or others. Few drives or ambitions, if any.
SCHIZOTYPAL
Eccentric, self-estranged, bizarre, absent. Exhibits peculiar mannerisms and behaviors. Thinks can read thoughts of others. Preoccupied with odd daydreams and beliefs. Blurs line between reality and fantasy. Magical thinking and strange beliefs.
ANTISOCIAL
Impulsive, irresponsible, deviant, unruly. Acts without due consideration. Meets social obligations only when self-serving. Disrespects societal customs, rules, and standards. Sees self as free and independent. Lacks empathy and is very Manipulative
BORDERLINE
Unpredictable, manipulative, unstable. Frantically fears abandonment and isolation. Experiences rapidly fluctuating moods. Shifts rapidly between loving and hating. Sees self and others alternatively as all-good and all-bad. Unstable and frequently changing moods.
HISTRIONIC
Dramatic, seductive, shallow, stimulus-seeking, vain. Overreacts to minor events. Exhibitionistic as a means of securing attention and favors. Sees self as attractive and charming. Constant seeking for others' attention.
NARCISSISTIC
Egotistical, arrogant, grandiose, insouciant. Preoccupied with fantasies of success, beauty, or achievement. Sees self as admirable and superior, and therefore entitled to special treatment.
AVOIDANT
Hesitant, self-conscious, embarrassed, anxious. Tense in social situations due to fear of rejection. Plagued by constant performance anxiety. Sees self as inept, inferior, or unappealing. Feels alone and empty.
DEPENDENT
Helpless, incompetent, submissive, immature. Withdraws from adult responsibilities. Sees self as weak or fragile. Seeks constant reassurance from stronger figures.
OBSESSIVE - COMPULSIVE
Restrained, conscientious, respectful, rigid. Maintains a rule-bound lifestyle. Adheres closely to social conventions. Sees the world in terms of regulations and hierarchies. Sees self as devoted, reliable, efficient, and productive.
DEPRESSIVE
Somber, discouraged, pessimistic, brooding, fatalistic. Presents self as vulnerable and abandoned. Feels valueless, guilty, and impotent. Judges self as worthy only of criticism and contempt.
PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE
Resentful, contrary, skeptical, discontented. Resists fulfilling others’ expectations. Deliberately inefficient. Vents anger indirectly by undermining others’ goals. Alternately moody and irritable, then sullen and withdrawn.
SADISTIC
Explosively hostile, abrasive, cruel, dogmatic. Liable to sudden outbursts of rage. Feels selfsatisfied through dominating, intimidating and humiliating others. Is opinionated and close-minded.
SELF DEFEATING / MASOCHISTIC
Deferential, pleasure-phobic, servile, blameful, self-effacing. Encourages others to take advantage. Deliberately defeats own achievements. Seeks condemning or mistreatful partners.
Miniature DSM
As a bonus, a few months ago I decided to go through every mental illness in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association and simplify their definitions for each mental illness and have compiled them into a single handbook. The American Psychiatric Association in no way is affiliated with my miniature DSM or this thread. Also FYI, the mini DSM I uploaded is out of date because it was made using the DSM IV, and the new DSM V is currently out and is in primary use in medicine
Here it is
http://www.mediafire.com/download/ikcjiqnnpoe8bls/DSM_Mini.pdf
QUESTION SECTION
Note: All responses are Italicized and Bolded
QUESTION: Ok one question (I'm gonna play doctor with you). Why is it that people tend to feel blue and down when it's cloudy, muggy, humid and rainy outside?
if I can remember properly, sadness is associated with enviromental factors. A lack of sunlight and cloudy skies tends to bring forth feelings of mild depression.
This is caused by a lack of sunlight stimulating what we call the "Pineal Gland" which is stimulated by sunlight to produce Serotonin, the bodys "Feel Good" chemical. When less sunlight stimulates the PG, less serotonin is produced, resulting in the "Winter Blues"
NOW talk about related material here in this thread. Keep it clean too
CONSULTATION
http://meaugh.wix.com/ediservers
EDIT: Added a section dedicated to the definitions of the Personality Disorders
EDIT2: Added a Consultation Site
EDIT3: QUESTION SECTION ADDED
