Mental Health Disorders
Therapy is a transformative tool for improving mental health and navigating life’s challenges. With a wide variety of approaches available, it’s easier than ever to find a method that aligns with your needs and goals. From traditional in-person sessions to innovative virtual therapy options, the...
Mental health is a vital component of overall well-being, yet it is often overlooked, especially among men. Societal expectations, cultural norms, and stigmas surrounding mental health have historically discouraged men from seeking help or even acknowledging their struggles. However, addressing...
What they are Substance Use Disorders are patterns of problematic use of drugs (e.g., opioids, stimulants, cannabis, sedatives, cocaine, methamphetamine) leading to impairment or distress across...
What it is Alcohol Use Disorder is a medical condition where drinking leads to impaired control, social or work problems, risky use, and/or physical dependence. Severity ranges from mild to severe...
What they are Tic disorders involve sudden, rapid, recurrent, nonrhythmic movements or vocalizations: Provisional Tic Disorder: tics < 1 year Persistent (Chronic) Motor or Vocal Tic Disorder: motor...
What it is ARFID involves persistent avoidance or restriction of food intake leading to weight loss, nutritional deficiency, dependence on supplements/enteral feeding, or significant psychosocial...
What it is Binge Eating Disorder is recurrent binge episodes (loss of control while eating unusually large amounts) without regular compensatory behaviors. People often eat rapidly, until...
What it is Paranoid Personality Disorder involves a pervasive pattern of distrust and suspiciousness of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent. It begins by early adulthood and...
What it is Histrionic Personality Disorder involves a pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking beginning in early adulthood. People with HPD often feel driven to be the center...
What it is Obsessive–Compulsive Personality Disorder is a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control at the expense of flexibility and efficiency. Unlike OCD, OCPD...
What it is Antisocial Personality Disorder is a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others beginning in childhood or early adolescence and continuing into adulthood. It...
What it is Dependent Personality Disorder features a pervasive need to be taken care of, leading to submissive and clinging behavior and fears of separation. People with DPD often struggle to make...
What it is Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a long-standing pattern of: Grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior) Need for admiration Lack of empathy Underneath, many people with NPD have fragile...
What it is Avoidant Personality Disorder involves pervasive social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to criticism or rejection, beginning by early adulthood and present across...
What it is Borderline Personality Disorder is a pattern of intense emotions, unstable self-image, and difficulties in relationships and impulse control. People with BPD often feel emotions more...
What it is Selective Mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder where a child can speak comfortably in some settings (usually at home) but consistently doesn’t speak in others (school, public) despite the...
What it is Conduct Disorder involves a repetitive pattern of violating rights of others or major societal rules (aggression, property destruction, deceit/theft, serious rule violations). It’s...
What it is Oppositional Defiant Disorder involves a persistent pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behavior, and sometimes spitefulness toward authority figures, lasting at least 6...
What it is DMDD is a childhood condition characterized by chronic, severe irritability with frequent temper outbursts (3+ times per week) and persistently irritable or angry mood between outbursts...
What it is Cyclothymic disorder involves ongoing mood fluctuations—periods of hypomanic-like symptoms and periods of depressive symptoms—that don’t meet full criteria for hypomania, mania, or major...
What they are Circadian rhythm disorders occur when your internal clock is out of sync with desired schedules: Delayed Sleep–Wake Phase Disorder (DSWPD): “night owl” pattern—can’t fall asleep until...
What it is Insomnia Disorder involves trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early—at least 3 nights per week for 3+ months—with daytime impact (fatigue, irritability, brain fog...
What it is Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) involves one or more distressing physical symptoms (pain, fatigue, GI issues, dizziness, etc.) plus excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to...
What it is Illness Anxiety Disorder (IAD), often called health anxiety, involves persistent worry about having or developing a serious disease despite minimal or no symptoms and reassuring medical...
What they are Stimulant Use Disorder: problematic use of cocaine, methamphetamine, or prescription stimulants (nonmedical). Risks include heart issues, anxiety, psychosis, dental problems, and...
What it is Opioid Use Disorder is a medical condition where use of opioids (prescription pain pills, heroin, fentanyl) leads to distress or harm and is hard to cut down. OUD carries high overdose...
What it is Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a medical condition where alcohol use causes distress or harm and is hard to cut down despite consequences. Severity ranges from mild to severe. AUD is common...
What it is Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) involves limited eating that leads to significant weight loss or faltering growth, nutritional deficiency, dependence on supplements/tube...
What it is Binge Eating Disorder (BED) involves recurrent binge eating (large amounts with a sense of loss of control) without regular compensatory behaviors like purging. Binges often occur rapidly...
What it is Bulimia nervosa involves repeated episodes of binge eating (eating an unusually large amount of food with a sense of loss of control), followed by behaviors to prevent weight gain (purging...
What it is Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by: Significant restriction of energy intake leading to low body weight (relative to age, sex, development, and health) Intense fear of...
What it is Delusional disorder involves one or more fixed, false beliefs that persist for a month or longer, without the broad disorganization seen in schizophrenia. Outside of the delusional topic...
What it is Schizoaffective disorder includes features of schizophrenia (psychosis) plus significant mood episodes: Depressive type: psychosis with major depressive episodes Bipolar type: psychosis...
What it is Learning differences include conditions like dyslexia (reading), dyscalculia (math), and dysgraphia (writing), as well as language disorders and processing differences. These are not...
What it is Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with patterns of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that affect daily functioning. Many people...
What they are Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) are repetitive self-grooming habits that cause hair loss or skin damage. The two most common are: Trichotillomania (Hair-Pulling Disorder):...
What it is Hoarding Disorder involves persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions—regardless of their actual value—due to a perceived need to save them and distress about letting them...
What it is Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a mental health condition marked by preoccupation with perceived flaws in appearance (skin, hair, nose, body shape, muscles, etc.) that others see as minor or...
What they are Acute Stress Disorder (ASD): intense stress reactions within the first month after a traumatic event (accident, assault, disaster). Symptoms can resemble PTSD but are time-limited; some...
What it is OCD involves: Obsessions: unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that cause anxiety (e.g., contamination, harm, doubts, “just-right” feelings, taboo or religious themes)...
What it is PTSD can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event (violence, assault, disaster, serious accident, combat, medical trauma). It involves ongoing re-experiencing, avoidance...
What it is Seasonal Affective Disorder is a form of depression that follows a seasonal pattern—most often starting in late fall or winter and lifting in spring. A less common summer-onset pattern also...
What it is PMDD is a severe form of premenstrual symptoms that significantly affects mood, energy, and daily life. Symptoms appear in the week or two before a period and improve within a few days...
What it is Bipolar disorder involves shifts between mood “highs” and lows: Mania or hypomania: periods of unusually elevated or irritable mood with increased energy and activity. Depression: periods...
What it is Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD), also called dysthymia, is a long-lasting low mood most days for two years or more in adults (one year in youth). Symptoms are typically milder than...
What it is Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is more than a bad week. It’s a health condition marked by persistent low mood and/or loss of interest plus changes in sleep, appetite, energy, focus, or...
What they are Specific phobias are strong, persistent fears of particular objects or situations—such as flying, needles, heights, elevators, spiders, or vomiting. The fear is out of proportion to...
What panic attacks are A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear or discomfort that peaks within minutes. Common symptoms include a racing heart, shortness of breath, chest tightness, shaking...
What GAD is Generalized Anxiety Disorder involves persistent, hard-to-control worry about multiple areas of life (health, finances, relationships, work/school) most days for at least several weeks. It...