Compulsive hoarding is a pathological anxiety disorder that hampers a person’s general ability to disassociate value from objects. Typically this manifests in an accumulation of unnecessary items over a period of months, or even years. Although this trend remains controllable in a majority of individuals with the disorder, compulsive hoarding can evolve into a life-changing […]
Posts in the Psychological Disorder category:
Multiple personality disorder
What is a multiple personality disorder? With a quick search, you could end up with a bunch of explanations. Some of those explanations sound really far out, whereas others are more clinical. Most of the definitions and explanations you’ll find for dissociative identity disorder, which is what it’s currently known as, make it seem more […]
Claustrophobia: The Fear of Restricted & Confined Spaces
Far from being a simple embarrassment, claustrophobia is a very painful phobia to live with and can become highly debilitating in everyday life. To heal, it’s necessary to find the cause of inner anxiety. The disorder is one of the most common phobias of our time. HOW DO WE BETTER UNDERSTAND CLAUSTROPHOBIA? […]
Nosophobia: The Fear of Illness & Disease
Nosophobia (or pathophobia) is the fear of disease. This phobia is more common among men than it is among women. In general, nosophobes are afraid of contracting specific diseases – namely sexually transmitted infections (STIs), cancer, cardiovascular diseases, MS (multiple sclerosis). HOW DO YOU BETTER UNDERSTAND NOSOPHOBIA? Nosophobia (or pathophobia) is the fear of contracting […]
Asperger Syndrome in adults: bring on the technical, not so much the social
Asperger’s syndrome is an inherited developmental neurological disorder of genetic origin. It falls into the category of autism spectrum disorders or autism. Asperger’s syndrome has no intellectual disability or language delay. Asperger Syndrome in adults means an individual’s life plays out in their own world. They are usually isolated from others, so they may seem like strange people […]
Understanding Agoraphobia, a fear of crowds & helplessness in the outdoors
Agoraphobia is characterized by a feeling of panic in reaction to the idea of an uncontrollable situation. This phobia is linked to anxiety disorders, and affects nearly 3% of the population. HOW DO YOU BETTER UNDERSTAND AGORAPHOBIA? Fear of overcrowded or confined places, but also vast and open places is known as agoraphobia. An agoraphobe […]
Fear of Words: Logophobia
Logophobia has long been associated with the fear of speaking in public, but it is more precisely the fear of words themselves. By extension it’s also the fear of speaking, or fear of certain words. Words are phobogenic (the source of phobia) whether spoken, read or written. Analysis of a logophobia case: Paul, 47, deeply […]
When extreme obsessive-compulsive symptoms move from disorder to disability
By Eric Van Buskirk Many of us pick up small, comfortable habits over time that are part of strict routines. They make us feel better or add to a daily plan which makes our lives easier in small ways. For most of us, these quirky habits are comforting, reassuring even. Extreme OCD symptoms look very, […]
Understanding delusional disorder, false and impossible beliefs
Delusional disorder is a psychosis whereby irrational, false beliefs persist. Typically these over-the-top thoughts are related to grandiose, jealous, somatic, erotomaniac or persecutory behaviour. An example would be the ongoing belief that one is being followed or surveilled, despite a lack of evidence and no real reason to have the suspicion. Living with delusional disorder […]
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
“Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” was published on wikipedia.org, and is shown here in its original form. However, this version is designed for W3C, accessibility compliance. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental disorder of the neurodevelopmental type.[9][10] It is characterized by problems paying attention, excessive activity, or difficulty controlling behavior which is not appropriate for a person’s age.[1][2] The symptoms appear before a person is twelve […]