Psychological Disorders

Psychopathology

The scientific study of the origin, symptoms, and development of psychological disorders.

Psychological Disorder

Patterns of behavioral and psychological symptoms that cause significant personal distress and impair function.

DSM-5

The guide used by clinicians to diagnose mental health conditions, providing descriptions of more than 260 specific psychological disorders.

Anxiety

An unpleasant emotional state involving feelings of worry, dread, apprehension, and tension along with heightened physical arousal.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

An anxiety disorder characterized by excessive, global, and persistent symptoms of anxiety.

Panic Attack

A sudden, short-lived episode of extreme anxiety that rapidly escalates in intensity.

Agoraphobia

An anxiety disorder involving extreme fear of experiencing a panic attack in public situations.

Specific Phobia

An excessive and irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity that is actively avoided.

Social Anxiety Disorder

An anxiety disorder characterized by extreme fear of being judged or scrutinized in social situations.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

A disorder triggered by extreme trauma leading to intrusive memories and avoidance of stimuli.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

A disorder characterized by intrusive, repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

Major Depressive Disorder

A mood disorder characterized by extreme and persistent feelings of despondency and impaired functioning.

Bipolar Disorder

A mood disorder involving periods of depression alternating with periods of extreme euphoria or excitement.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

A major depressive disorder that occurs at certain times of the year, often during autumn or winter.

Eating Disorder

A category of mental disorders characterized by severe disturbances in eating behaviors.

Anorexia Nervosa

An eating disorder in which the individual refuses to maintain normal body weight and has a distorted body image.

Bulimia Nervosa

An eating disorder characterized by episodes of extreme overeating followed by purging behaviors.

Personality Disorders

Inflexible and stable patterns of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that deviate from cultural expectations.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

A personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of disregarding and violating the rights of others.

Borderline Personality Disorder

A personality disorder characterized by instability of interpersonal relationships and marked impulsivity.

Dissociative Disorder

A category of psychological disorders involving extreme disruptions of awareness, memory, and personal identity.

Dissociative Identity Disorder

A dissociative disorder involving extensive memory disruption and the presence of two or more distinct identities.

Schizophrenia

A psychological disorder characterized by severely distorted beliefs, perceptions, and thought processes.

Hallucinations

False perceptions, such as hearing voices or seeing things that do not exist.

Delusions

False beliefs that are not based in reality, commonly found in schizophrenia.

Disorganized Thinking

Thinking inferred from disorganized speech, impairing effective communication.