Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurobehavioral disorder that affects both children and adults. ADHD symptoms can appear as early as between the ages of 3 and 6 and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. Many children with ADHD also have learning or other mental health issues that can co-occur with ADHD. Between 2-3% of school-aged children are diagnosed with ADHD; that’s about 1 in every 10 children. Symptoms of ADHD include trouble staying focused, paying attention, controlling behavior, and organizing work or activities. People with ADHD also often experience chronic forgetfulness, easily become distracted or disorganized, and may be overly fidgety or talkative. The three main types of ADHD are predominantly inattentive (type 1), hyperactive-impulsive (type 2), and combined type (type 3).

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by challenges with social interaction and communication, as well as restricted, repetitive, or stereotyped patterns of behavior. The term autism spectrum refers to the wide range of symptoms, levels of impairment, and disability that people with ASD can experience. While some people with autism have difficulty speaking, others have limited speech, but good comprehension. Some are non-verbal but can write or use computer technology to communicate. Depending on their abilities, individuals with ASD require different levels of support throughout their lifetimes. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability that typically emerges in the first two years of life. Some health experts estimate that 1 in 68 children born in the United States today may be diagnosed with ASD.

Dysthymia Disorder (DD)

A person with dysthymia lives in a depressed or irritable mood for most of the days, for at least 2 years, but without the complete criteria for major depression. Also known as dysthymic disorder (DD), it is characterized by long-lasting depressed or irritable mood, accompanied by other symptoms such as low self-esteem and feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, loss of interest in normal activities, weight changes, sleep changes, decreased concentration and energy level, or fatigue. Moreover, unlike major depression which involves periods of normal mood (referred to as remissions), there are no periods of normal mood in people with dysthymia. Dysthymia affects 1 to 5 percent of the population, like major depression with anxiety and panic disorders affecting others.

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are psychological problems that develop as a result of an individual’s relationship with food and shape. Eating disorders can be categorized by the specific behaviors they produce. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorders are the most common eating disorders. A person with anorexia nervosa have an intense fear of gaining weight and becomes obsessed with losing weight. A person with bulimia nervosa eats a large amount of food (called bingeing) and then deliberately vomits, uses laxatives or enemas, or exercises excessively to prevent weight gain. People with binge-eating disorders often feel out of control during their eating binges, but do not purge afterward. Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that affect up to 5% of the population. Most commonly found in young adults, these conditions often go undiagnosed.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by uncontrollable, excessive worry, most days for 6 months or longer, about multiple daily activities and events that are either routine or irregular. Anticipating disaster and being overly concerned about possessions, health, family, or work are common symptoms. Because people with GAD find it difficult to control their worries, their anxiety can become chronic (long-lasting) and severe enough to interfere with daily life and the ability to function properly. Panic Attacks are a common symptom of GAD. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 6 million Americans suffer from GAD at some point in their life.

Learning Disorders

A learning disorder is a neurological condition that causes people of average or above-average intelligence to struggle with certain academic skills. The disorder appears as a gap between expected skills, based on age and intelligence, and academic performance. Learning disorders can interfere with learning basic skills such as reading and math, but they also affect higher-level abilities such as organization and abstract reasoning.  Dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia are some of the most common learning disabilities. The National Center for Learning Disabilities says nearly one in five students over the age of six struggle with some form of this problem.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a type of anxiety disorder defined by the presence of obsessions or compulsions that are severe enough to interfere with everyday functioning. The main symptoms of OCD are recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Obsessions can include fears of contamination from dirt or germs, concerns about orderliness or symmetry, and fears of accidentally causing harm to oneself or others. Compulsive behaviors include checking things repeatedly, counting items, and repeating words silently. This can cause extreme stress in a person’s life. About 1 in 100 adults have OCD.

Obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common disorder that affects about two percent of men and six percent of women. It is seen in all age groups, but the frequency increases with age, obesity, and male gender. The symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include snoring (breathing pauses during sleep), gasping or choking sounds, abnormal pauses in breathing during sleep, and excessive daytime sleepiness. In severe cases, patients may have hypertension and heart failure due to the stresses placed on the body by these episodes. Weight loss, sleeping on one’s side, decreasing alcohol consumption, and avoiding sleeping with the head elevated all help reduce the symptoms of people with this disorder. The delivery of pressure via a face or nasal mask (CPAP) is often prescribed for its efficacy in relieving symptoms. Other common treatments include an oral device and surgery.

Panic Disorder

People who have panic disorder experience sudden, unexpected attacks of extreme fear, along with physical reactions like sweating or chest pain. You may experience trembling and shortness of breath along with chest pain or a pounding heartbeat. During the episodes, you might have trouble breathing and feel there’s no escape from your anxiety. The symptoms can last anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes and are often accompanied by feelings of anxiety or unease. Although each panic attack is highly uncomfortable, they are generally not dangerous. Panic disorder is a chronic mental illness that occurs in people at some point in their lives, with the average age of onset being 31 years old.

PANS/PANDAS

PANS/PANDAS is a form of Autoimmune Encephalitis, an infection-induced autoimmune condition that disrupts a patient’s normal neurologic functioning. PANDAS and PANS can include a variety of other symptoms such as anorexia (food restrictions), anxiety, irritability, hyperactivity, sleep disturbances, mood swings, and urinary problems. The Basal Ganglia is a part of the brain that has been observed to be affected by PANS and PANDAS. The Basal Ganglia is responsible for movement and behavior, but it is unclear what triggers the antibodies to attack this part of the brain. While much more research needs to be conducted in order to understand this connection more thoroughly, PANS/PANDAS affects many children worldwide and has become a growing problem among doctors as they attempt to diagnose symptoms as they arise.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, or rape. PTSD affects about 7.7 million American adults each year. It may last months or years and can be triggered by situations that bring back memories of the trauma. Symptoms may include nightmares or unwanted memories of the trauma, avoidance of situations that bring back memories of the trauma, heightened reactions, anxiety, or depressed mood.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder that causes people to interpret reality abnormally. People with schizophrenia may become delusional and hear voices, or they may seem emotionless and uninhibited. These signs and symptoms can make it difficult to function on a daily basis. People with schizophrenia need lifelong treatment. Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that impacts about one percent of adults. The characteristic symptoms of schizophrenia, such as delusions and hallucinations, are present for at least 6 months. Schizophrenia is a treatable, chronic, and potentially devastating disorder, which affects approximately 1% of the population at some point in their lives. The impact of schizophrenia on people’s lives is immense, with an average reduction in life expectancy of over 15 years. It is a serious mental health condition that affects all areas of life, including employment, relationships, and physical health.

Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

Separation anxiety disorder is a condition that occurs when an individual becomes excessively upset, nervous, or afraid when their attachment figure (also known as the “safe haven”) leaves or is absent. Individuals may worry about a future separation, or they may re-experience prior separation events by talking about them again and again, remembering them with fear, having nightmares about them, and so on. Separation anxiety disorder is a psychological condition that develops in childhood and can continue into the teenage years, sometimes extending into adulthood. Separation Anxiety Disorder is the most prevalent of all childhood anxiety disorders. In children aged 6-12 years, it is three times as common as any other anxiety disorder and four times more common than fears of specific situations such as the dark or animals.

Specific Phobias

Specific phobias are intense and irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or circumstance and cause intense physical and psychological reactions. Unlike most other anxiety disorders, people with a specific phobia know that their fear is excessive or unreasonable. Specific phobias tend to develop in childhood, but they may persist into adulthood if they go untreated. An estimated 12.5% of U.S. adults reported experiencing a specific phobia at some time in their lives.

Social Phobia

Social phobia is the fear of being embarrassed, humiliated, or ridiculed in social situations. People with social phobia have an intense fear of certain social situations, such as eating in front of others, using a public bathroom, or speaking in public. Often, people with social phobia don’t want to be around others at all and isolate themselves socially. They might also suffer from depression, which is characterized by persistent sadness and a lack of interest in activities that used to bring pleasure. The person might feel hopeless, helpless, empty, or irritable, or he may have thoughts of suicide. They may understand that their fears are irrational or unreasonable, but feel powerless to overcome them. Only 19% of the people with social anxiety disorder seek help after 10 years of living with the condition. While 36% of US adults consider themselves shy or socially anxious, very few see psychologists or psychiatrists for help.