Psychological Disability

The term psychological disabilities covers a wide range of conditions and may include:

Depression: hopelessness, insomnia or hypersomnia, decreased or increased appetite, lethargy, bouts of crying, irritability, feelings of guilt

Bipolar Disorder: (formerly known as Manic Depression) mood swings from overly high/manic and sometimes irritable to sad and hopeless

Generalized Anxiety & Panic Disorder: excessive anxiety and worry, recurrent panic attacks

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): uncontrollable thoughts and repetitive behaviors

Social Phobia: fear of social situations

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): difficulty concentrating, hypervigilance, difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep, irritability

Schizophrenia: distorted perception of reality, hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thoughts and speech, lack of emotional expression

Eating disorders (Anorexia or Bulimia); unhealthy preoccupation with food and weight, purging, binging, reducing caloric intake often leading to physical health problems

Common myths compared to recently published reports by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health:

MYTH: A person with a psychological disability can will him/herself back to health. Mental illness is something an individual can snap out of by choice.

FACT: In general, research shows there to be a chemical, biological and genetic nature with mental illnesses. With appropriate treatment, typically including medication and/or therapy, the vast majority of psychological disorders are effectively cured or controlled.