disorder
The spectrum of Mental Health disorders is incredibly vast; we showcase the multitude of conditions that affect mood, thinking and behavior.
Trichotillomania: Impulse Control Disorder
You’ve probably never heard of Trichotillomania and if you have you probably know someone or are someone with this disorder. People refer to this as a BFRB, or a body focused repetitive behavior, and it is a compulsive disorder where people pluck or rip out their body hair. This doesn’t mean that it is OCD, but it does share the traits of repetitive behaviour, compulsions, and can be prevalent in OCD patients. In other words, you can have TTM and not have OCD, or you can have OCD that involves TTM.
Nicole KingPublished 7 years ago in PsycheA Deficit of Attention
It's an odd thing. Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder is invisible among adults, by and large — say the term and the immediate thought is of semi- or entirely- feral kids, tearing around supermarkets and being rude to teachers; of Ritalin and use of the kind of food additives that can dye kids sunset-orange. But adults do have it. It's like most pathological conditions, in that you can't eradicate it from your overall makeup so instead you have to learn to live with it or turn it to your advantage. As with lion-taming, you come to a mutual understanding — on the lions' part, that you're in charge and so long as they have your full attention they will do your bidding. On your part, it's that if you let your mind wander, the lions can go to town on you. So it is with ADHD, except that very lack of attention is the lion. Except it's more like a chimp.
Stu NevillePublished 7 years ago in PsycheMeditation and My Battle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Benefits? A common thread that I've noticed while working with different methodologies is that meditation gives me a deeper understanding of my mind and body. While meditating, if only for a moment, I am forced to let everything else go and focus on something else, whether it be my breathing, any bodily tension or tightness, or simply to detach and let the world go on around you.
Thomas PasqualePublished 7 years ago in PsycheTaboo—Mental Health
Back in 2012, I was made redundant from an organization I had been with for nearly 10 years. I did not take the redundancy well and felt very bitter and twisted about being ousted! In a matter of weeks, I was not able to leave the house without a full blown panic and anxiety attack. I even feared stupid things like the postman delivering letters, being around people, speaking on the telephone, going food shopping, seeing friends, etc. Within a couple of months, my physical, emotional well-being, and family life were severely affected. I was frogmarched to the GP and was referred to a Mental Health Team. I have always been an open minded type of gal but accepting psychological help seems like I had failed as a person. I was stronger than this. I was just having a hard time and things would get better, right?
Anabel HudsonPublished 7 years ago in PsycheA Guide to BPD
I've never been quiet about my mental health, while I haven't been as open as I am now, I've never made a conscious effort to hide it. However, there are many people that I know who fight specifically to prevent people from finding out about their diagnoses. I'm hoping my writing this will help them be honest with themselves and their loved ones, but also help those close to them understand and accept who they are no matter what their issues are.
Kerri MaguirePublished 7 years ago in PsycheAn Altered Sense of Reality; Schizophrenia
Throughout history many explanations have been offered to explain why people act in unnatural ways; from supernatural explanations such as possession by demons or gods to an imbalance of bodily fluids (blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile). Today, western civilizations' theories of abnormality emphasize biological causes. Our advanced knowledge of human biology has allowed us to systematically name, diagnose and offer treatment for an ever expanding list of psychological disorders.
Joe SnaithPublished 7 years ago in PsycheDestigmatizing Mental Illnesses, Trauma, and Addiction
Suicide is never an easy thing to cope with or talk about. This year seems to have become the year that quite a few high-profile celebrities have elected to take the "easy" way out of their problems. The problem with regarding suicide that way, however, is that it's rarely an easy choice for the person who feels like life just isn't worth living anymore.
Raven AuroraPublished 7 years ago in PsycheMy Experience of Parenting with Mental Illness
Being a parent is a huge responsibility, but for someone with mental illness, it can be very difficult. I became a parent at just eighteen years old, it wasn't planned and I had no idea I was pregnant. I had never been taught about pregnancy, contraception or child birth, so as you can imagine, I was in shock.
Carol TownendPublished 7 years ago in PsycheDear Africans, Mental Health is a Thing
Dear Africans, I write this with a heavy heart and as much as I know that mental health is a global issue, I write specifically to Africans because I am one and because I am familiar with the root cause of our issues considering the fact that most African nations tend to go through the same issues. Rwanda being my mother and father's home land, a country that has genocide tied to its history it is inevitable that there are numerous people living with wounds, nightmares, and places in their minds and hearts that have never been fully visited because of the sharp pain that resides there. However, it does not even need to take something as tragic as a genocide for one to be emotionally and mentally misplaced, it can be anything and it can happen to anyone.
Winnie RugambaPublished 7 years ago in Psyche"No, I Want the 'Cool' Kind of Crazy!"
Let's go window shopping for a little while, readers. So, we're walking around your favorite mall. Not the one that only has a few pizza places here and there, and a SHIT ton of places that sell fake gold jewelry. No, we're talking about the mall that has enough variety to make your head spin and wonder what you were looking for in the first place.
Moods ReflectivePublished 7 years ago in PsycheThe Secret Illness
I had my first panic attack at the age of fifteen. I didn't know what was happening to me. The fear was indescribable; I couldn't stop crying and my heart rate went through the roof as I struggled to catch my breath.
Megan WhitingPublished 7 years ago in PsycheGetting Better: The Realities
For me, writing has always been a coping mechanism; to see your thoughts materialised is something of a relief. I've never been one to bottle things up - in my personal experience, the weight of withheld worries often becomes overbearing and in turn leads to the likes of emotional breakdowns. That's why I have decided to document my journey with my mental health; recently, I've been struggling more than usual, despite the fact that I am arguably "better" than I was this time a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, fluctuation is one of the realities of mental illness; the path to wellness never runs smooth. There will always be bumps in the road and times of despair during which you worry that "better" is a mythical idea that will never be truly realised. However, better does not equate to perfection, and nothing in this existence is permanent, most certainly not despair. For every down there is an up, no matter how distant that up may seem, and congratulating yourself on even the smallest of ups is so incredibly important.
Tabitha GreenPublished 7 years ago in Psyche