Psychology Blog

Overview Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. There are four basic types of bipolar disorder; all of them involve clear changes in mood, energy, and activity levels. These moods range from periods of extremely “up,” elated, and energized behavior (known as manic episodes) to very sad, “down,” or hopeless periods (known as depressive episodes). Less severe manic periods…

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Eve Caligor, M.D., Kenneth N. Levy, Ph.D., Frank E. Yeomans, M.D., Ph.D. View Author and Article Information Received: June 07, 2014 Accepted: September 22, 2014 Published online: April 30, 2015  |  https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14060723 Four Different Faces of Narcissistic Personality Disorder“Mr. A” is a 42-year-old married man presenting to a private-practice psychotherapist complaining of problems with his wife. He is a successful entrepreneur, highly competitive, who describes enjoying social gatherings, where he tends to be the center of attention, as well as…

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The majority of people affected by borderline personality disorder (BPD) engage in a form of self-harm known as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Underlying reasons for this behavior can vary widely from person to person. In a study published in the journal Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotional Dysregulation, researchers examined the factors that help predict non-suicidal self-injury in young adults affected by BPD. The researchers concluded that some classic borderline personality disorder symptoms are linked to increased risks for NSSI, while the…

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Self-Mutilation, Eating Disorders, and Suicide Religious and addictive factors in bodily self-harm sorrows cannot be spoken. When food that had tasted good suddenly feels like poison and has to be purged from the body, we should wonder what traumatic experiences exist that cannot be contained, metabolized, and integrated. . . The body speaks of that which cannot be said in words, of secrets, lies, and trust that has been broken (Farber 2003, p.188).” When I was obtaining training in the…

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Eating disorders are complex mental health disorders that occur in many different forms, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and eating disorders not otherwise specified. While each type of eating disorder has its own set of associated symptoms, all types of eating disorders have the potential to cause long-term damage to the body’s organs. Complications from the disorders, as well as co-existing mental health disorders, are wide ranging and sometimes fatal. Appropriate and prompt eating disorder treatments lead patients toward…

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