3212 Collinsworth
Fort Worth, TX 76017

817-810-9599
FAX 817-810-9198

Email Us

WORLD OF KNOWLEDGE
INTRODUCTION TO DISORDERS

Select and click underlined topics-

Suicide
No suicide threat should be dismissed or treated lightly! Warning signs are verbal threats such as "You'd be better off without me" or "Maybe I won't be around anymore . . .": Expressions of hopelessness and/or helplessness; Previous suicide attempts; Daring and risk-taking behavior; Personality changes (withdrawal, aggression, moodiness); Depression; Giving away prized possessions; Lack of interest in the future. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association" also American Foundation for Prevention of Suicide)

Depressive Disorders
Clinical depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, affecting more than 19 million Americans each year. This includes major depressive disorder, manic depression, and dysthymia, a milder, longer-lasting form of depression. Depression causes people to lose pleasure from daily life, can complicate other medical conditions, and can even lead to suicide. It can occur in anyone, at any age, in any racial or ethnic group. Unfortunately, though treatment for depression is almost always successful, fewer than half of those suffering from this illness seeks treatment. They may feel they can treat it themselves or that is a personal weakness rather than a serious medical illness. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association.)

Depressive Disorders in Adolescents
Recent surveys indicate as many as one in five teens suffers from clinical depression. This is a serious problem that calls for prompt, appropriate treatment. Depression can take several forms, including bipolar disorder (formally called manic-depression), which is a condition that alternates between periods of euphoria and depression. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association)

Common Clinical Pictures of Depression in Children and Adolescents, by Age Level

In depression a child with no other psychiatric problems suddenly becomes depressed, sometimes for little or no reason.  Sometimes their sleep is disturbed.  They are not hungry, have no energy, are afraid of all sorts of things, think life is hopeless, can not concentrate at all, are less social and are very irritable. (For detailed information click "www.klis.com")

Depressive Disorders in Older Adults
Depression is not a normal part of the aging process, but there is a strong likelihood of it occurring when other physical health conditions are present. Unfortunately, symptoms of depression are often overlooked or untreated when they coincide with other medical illness (stroke, heart attack) or life events that commonly occur as people age (e.g.,loss of loved ones). However, clinical depression in never a "normal" response; it is a serious medical illness that should be treated at any age. (for detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association)

Bi-polar Disorders
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depression, is an illness involving one or more episodes of serious mania and depression. It causes a person's mood to swing from excessively "high" and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, with periods of normal mood in between. It typically begins in adolescence or early adulthood and continues throughout life. More than 2 million Americans suffer from bipolar disorder. It is often not recognized as an illness and not treated, so persons suffer needlessly for years. It is very disruptive to those who have it, their families, friends, and employers. There is no known cure, but it is treatable with medication and psychotherapy, and the vast majority of people return to productive, fulfilling lives. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association")

Bipolar Disorders in Children
Children with bipolar usually alternate rapidly between extremely high moods (mania) and low moods (depression). These rapid shifts can produce irritability with periods of wellness between episodes, or they may feel both extremes at the same time. Parents often describe them as unpredictable, alternating between aggressive or silly and withdrawn. Children with bipolar are at greater risk for anxiety disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which complicate the diagnosis and contribute to lack of recognition of the illness in children. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association")

Anxiety Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
GAD is characterized by 6 months or more of chronic, exaggerated worry and tension that is unfounded and much more severe than the normal anxiety most people experience. They usually expect the worst; worry excessively about money, health, family, or work, even when there are no signs of trouble. They are unable to relax and often suffer from insomnia. They may also have physical symptoms: fatigue, trembling, muscle tension, headaches, irritability, or hot flashes. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association")

Phobias
Everyone feels anxious or uneasy from time to time, but phobias are not just "nerves." You can't overcome them through willpower, nor can symptoms be ignored or wished away. You may experience occasional instances of anxiety that are so terrifying and intense that you may be immobilized with fear. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association")

Panic Disorder
Characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense
fear accompanied by physical symptoms that may include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, or abdominal distress. These often mimic symptoms of a heart attack or other life-threatening conditions. As a result, diagnosis is frequently not made until after extensive and costly medical tests are done. Many people with panic disorder develop intense anxiety between episodes, worrying when and where the next one will strike. Effective treatments have been developed, including medications and psychotherapy. (For detailed information click "Wide World of
Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association")

Obsessive-compulsive Disorders (OCD)
People with OCD suffer intensely from recurrent unwanted thoughts (obsessions) or rituals (compulsions), which they feel they cannot control. Rituals such as handwashing, counting, checking, or cleaning are often performed in hope of preventing those thoughts or making them go away. Performing these rituals, however, only provides temporary relief, and not doing so markedly increases anxiety. If left untreated, OCD rituals can take over a person's life. It is often a chronic, relapsing illness. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association")

Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.)
A syndrome usually characterized by serious and persistent difficulties resulting in: poor attention span, weak impulse control, hyperactivity (not in all cases). It also has a subtype, which includes hyperactivity (ADHD). It is treatable, not curable, complex disorder affecting 3-6 % of the population (70% in relatives of ADD children). Inattentiveness, impulsivity, and often hyperactivity are common characteristics. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association, also www3.sympatico.ca/frank/body.html.)

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (A.D.H.D.)
One of the most common reasons children are referred for mental health services. It affects as many as one in 20 children, 3 to 4 times more boys than girls, though girls can also be affected. One type is characterized by inattentiveness, one by hyperactive or impulsive behavior, and the combined type, with signs of both. Symptoms are often unnoticed until a child enters school. An ADHD child must show symptoms in at least two settings, such as home and school, and symptoms must interfere with the child's ability to function there for at least six months. Symptoms must begin by age 7. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association")

Conduct Disorder
A repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in children and adolescents in which the rights of others or basic social rules are violated. The child or adolescent usually exhibits these behavior patterns in a variety of settings-home, school, and social situations-and they cause significant impairment in their social, academic and family functioning. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association")

Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa
Eating disorders are emotional illnesses that cause a person to develop harmful eating habits. They are most common among teen girls and women, and often occur along with other psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders. They often get worse the longer they go untreated. The lack of nutrition associated with eating disorders can harm the body's organs and, in severe cases, lead to death. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association")

Schizophrenia
A serious disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels and acts. Someone with schizophrenia may have difficulty distinguishing between what is real and imaginary; may be unresponsive or withdrawn; and may have difficulty expressing normal emotions in social situations. Contrary to public perception, they do not have a "split" or "multiple" personality. Most are not violent and are not dangerous to others. It is not caused by childhood experiences, poor parenting or lack of willpower, nor are symptoms identical for each person. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/ National Mental Health Association")

Childhood Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is an illness that causes strange thinking, abnormal feelings, and unusual behavior. It is uncommon in children (appearance before age 12 is rare) and hard to recognize in early phases. The behavior in children and teens may differ from that of adults with the illness. Evidence indicates that schizophrenia has neurodevelopmental roots. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association")

Personality Disorders
Those who struggle with a personality disorder have great difficulty dealing with other people. They tend to be inflexible, rigid, and unable to respond to the changes and demands of life. They feel their behavior patterns are "normal" or "right". People with these conditions tend to have a narrow view of the world and find it difficult to participate in social activities. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Associatiion")

Seasonal Affective Disorder
As winter approaches and days get shorter, some people experience a form of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)-an extreme case of the "winter blues" that is relieved during the summer months. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association")

Sleep Disorders
These disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association")

Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)/Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) according to the Diagnostic Statistics Manual, consists of the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states (each with its own relatively enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and self). At least two of these identities recurrently take control of the person's behavior. Persons with this condition are unable to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Association for the Mentally Ill")

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
This is an extremely debilitating condition that can occur after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. These events include violent personal assaults such as rape or mugging, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat. (For detailed information click "Wide World of Knowledge"/National Mental Health Association")