A psychological disorder - Essay Example

Psychological Disorders A psychological disorder can range from the mild stress we feel when confronted by a threat or a challenge to the debilitating effects of schizophrenia. These emotional disturbances can be beneficial, such as the stress we experience at an athletic performance, to being the self-destructive force of drug addiction. The range of disorders has different symptoms and different treatments are required. Though they have some similarities, they are each unique in the ways they affect our mind, body, and life.

A common psychological reaction we all experience is stress. We may feel it in our everyday life when we are confronted by new and intense situations. Disastrous events and life changing experiences can elevate our level of stress. While many people deal with this day to day stress without medical intervention, it may have a long-term connection with cancer or heart disease (Myers 539,544). Intense feelings of stress are known as anxiety disorders. They seem to have no rational cause and leave a person agitated and out of control of their emotions.

The anxiety disorders are further broken down into sub groups that include phobias and panic disorder. These cases of extreme anxiety are treated through conditioning and medication.Depression may be viewed as similar and may be confused with anxiety. While anxiety is the uneasy feeling in regards to a future event, depression is a reaction to a past event (Myers 646). While these feelings may be normal, they become a disorder when they are unrealistic and begin to impede a person's normal activities.

Depression is not an abnormal feeling, but when it reaches an ongoing and insidious level, a professional should treat it. There are many modern medications that address both anxiety and depression.More severe forms of psychological disorders are seen in schizophrenia and dissociative disorders. In the former, the mind may be severely disorganized. The victim may suffer from delusions and inappropriate emotions. Schizophrenia may run the range of being paranoid to the immobility of the catatonic.

Dissociatiation, a rare disorder, occurs when the mind's awareness separates from the person's reality. This may result in multiple personality disorder. While schizophrenia has often been managed with medication, dissociative disorder is more closely related to anxiety and behavior modification may be a more appropriate treatment.Disorders of the personality may express anxiety, eccentric behavior, or impulsive actions. These people will seek unwarranted attention, exaggerate their importance, or live a generally unstable life.

Behavior that results in violence or stealing is known as anti-social personality disorder. There is little known about the causes and treatments for these disorders. Drug addiction is another disorder that can disrupt a life. It can be an addiction to alcohol, opiates, stimulants or an array of other substances. Treatment usually begins by removing the addicting agent. Long-term drug programs may help the addict to overcome and manage the disease, or people may alter their habits on their own.

Psychological disorders are a wide range of emotional disturbances. They may have similar symptoms and evoke similar feelings, but they usually have different causes and require different courses of treatment. Works CitedMyers, David G. Psychology in Modules. 7th ed. New York: Worth Publishers, 2004.