Anxiety can be described as an intense feeling of angst, fear, or dread. Anxiety, or feeling anxious, is a normal feeling, or emotion, that everybody experiences. However, when a person experiences ongoing anxiety for a prolonged period or for unexplained reasons, it may be considered an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder is when a person experiences persistent and uncontrollable feelings of anxiety that can interfere with daily life.

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder

ADHD, also called ADD (attention deficit disorder), is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which a person may have troubles with paying attention or being overly active. Attention deficit can be seen in behaviors such as the inability to pay attention, especially on subjects that they don’t find interesting. Hyperactive behaviors can be observed when a person is unable to sit still for long periods of time, or they get “antsy” very easily. A person with ADHD may also act very impulsively, as if they have no regards for the consequences that may follow.

Bipolar Disorder is an illness that directly affects a persons mood and energy level. A person with bipolar disorder will experience unusual shifts in their mood, usually in the form of extreme highs and extreme lows. Bipolar disorder can also be referred to as Manic Depression.

Borderline Personality Disorder is a rather complex illness to understand. It affects multiple aspects of a persons life including their mood, relationships, self image, and can even cause dissociation. A person experiencing BPD will feel as though their emotions are always en edge an changing without control. These changes in emotion are what can contribute largely to difficulty in relationships. BPD can also cause a person to struggle with truly knowing themself. They may be unsure about their interests and aspirations causing them to be unsure about who they are. Having so much doubt about themself and the world around them can quickly send them into a state of dissociation. This meaning, they feel disconnected from the world around them and themself, and even feel a sense of paranoia.

Depression is a condition that many people may think that they are familiar with, and most of us probably are. However, the term “depressed” has become so overused that it may have lost some meaning in how serious it truly is. Depression is more than just a feeling of extreme sadness. Sadness is an emotion that comes and goes naturally in regards to a situation that brings that emotion upon you. While depression does involve feelings of intense sadness, it doesn’t stop there. Depression, is a prolonged sense of sadness that interferes with your daily life and makes you lose interest in things that would normally excite you.

Dissociative Disorder is when a person has problems with going in and out of reality. They may have troubles with thoughts and memories and be unsure about their own identity, as well as behaviors.

There are multiple different eating disorders that may affect eating habits differently, such as: Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge Eating Disorder. All of these disorders are usually a result of being overly concerned with one's weight or figure.

Anorexia - when a person doesn't eat enough food and ends up malnourished. This can make a person very sick.

Bulimia - eating copious amounts of food within a short period often followed by self-induced vomiting in order to combat weight gain.

Binge Eating Disorder - eating large amounts of food within short periods of time without control over ones self.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

OCD is often misunderstood by assuming that a person with this disorder is simply overly organized. While this may be true sometimes, there is much more to it. OCD consists of various obsessions and compulsions that a person has no control over. Obsessions are usually unwanted thoughts that keep recurring relentlessly. Compulsions are behaviors or actions that a person repeatedly does.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD is a result of an extremely stressful and terrifying situation that leaves a person feeling on edge, scared, nervous, and/or anxious long after the event is over. This is commonly caused by traumatic events such as war, death, or injury but can be caused by many other things as well.

Psychosis is when a person loses touch with reality. They may start becoming delusional and even hallucinating.

Schizoaffective Disorder involves the same symptoms as Schizophrenia, with the addition of an effect on the persons mood.

The person may experience hallucinations, and delusions as well as bouts of depression and/or mania.

Schizophrenia affects a persons senses and perception of reality. It can cause hallucinations and delusions, as well as thoughts that don't make logical sense, causing abnormal behaviors.