Antisocial personality disorder is a mental health condition in which a person has a long-term pattern of manipulating, exploiting, or violating the rights of others.

Causes

The cause of antisocial personality disorder is unknown. Genetic factors and environmental factors, such as child abuse, are believed to contribute to the development of this condition. People with an antisocial or alcoholic parent are at increased risk. More men than women are affected.

Intentional fire-setting and cruelty to animals during childhood are linked to the development of antisocial personality.

Symptoms

A person with antisocial personality disorder may:

Be able to act witty and charming

Be good at flattery and manipulating other people's emotions

Break the law repeatedly

Disregard the safety of self and others

Have problems with substance misuse

Lie, steal, and fight often

Not show guilt or remorse

Often be angry or arrogant

Treatment

Antisocial personality disorder can be difficult to treat. Typically, individuals with this condition don't seek treatment on their own.

Behavioral treatments, such as those that reward appropriate behavior and have negative consequences for negative behavior, may work in some people. Talk therapy has also been shown to possibly help. Treating co-morbid conditions such as ADHD, depression, and PTSD can also be helpful.

Occasional anxiety is an expected part of life. You might feel anxious when faced with a problem at work, before taking a test, or before making an important decision. But anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, schoolwork, and relationships.

Anxiety disorders can include Generalized Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Specific Phobias, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Social Anxiety.

Generalized Anxiety - Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) usually involves a constant feeling of anxiety or fear. More than just worrying about occasional stressful events most of us experience in our lives, GAD is an ongoing experience of frequent anxiety that may last for months, or even years.

Panic Disorder - Panic disorder involves frequent and unexpected panic attacks – sudden periods of intense discomfort, fear, or sense of losing control, even when there is no clear danger that typically come without warning. These panic attacks can occur as frequently as several times a day or as rarely as a few times a year.

People who experience occasional panic attacks may not develop panic disorder. Instead, those with panic disorder have repeated occurrences of panic attacks. They often worry about when the next attack will happen, to the point where they will avoid places and situations that they know have affected them in the past.

Specific Phobias - A specific phobia is a strong, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger. There are many specific phobias, such as the fear of heights. Agoraphobia is a fear of public places, and claustrophobia is a fear of closed-in places. Other common phobias involve tunnels, highway driving, water, flying, animals, separation, and blood.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), a person can have repeated, upsetting thoughts or obsessions. They do the same thing over and over again attempting to make the thoughts go away. Those repeated actions are called compulsions.

Social Anxiety - Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) is an overwhelming, ongoing fear of being watched and judged by others. People with Social Anxiety Disorder have a fear of social situations so great that it is beyond their control. This fear may even get in the way of going to work, attending school, or performing other everyday tasks.

Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is exhibited by not being able to focus, being overactive, not being able to control behavior, or a combination of these. For these symptoms to be diagnosed as ADHD, they must be out of the normal range for a person's age and development.

Symptoms

Symptoms of ADHD fall into three groups:

Not being able to focus (inattention)

Being extremely active (hyperactivity)

Difficulties controlling behavior (impulsivity)

Some people with ADHD mainly have symptoms of inattention and are given the diagnosis of ADHD, Inattentive Presentation. Others mostly have symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity and are given the diagnosis of ADHD, Hyperactive and/Impulsive Presentation.

Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness that causes unusual shifts in mood, ranging from extreme highs (mania or “manic” episodes) to lows (depression or “depressive” episode).

A person who has bipolar disorder also experiences changes in their energy, thinking, behavior, and sleep. During bipolar mood episodes, it is difficult to carry out day-to-day tasks, go to work or school, and maintain relationships.

Symptoms

When a person has a manic episode, they feel overly excited, productive, and even invincible. On the other hand, when a person has a depressive episode, they feel extremely sad, hopeless, and tired. They may avoid friends, family, and participating in their usual activities. A severe manic or depressive episode may trigger psychotic symptoms, such as delusions (false beliefs) or hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that others do not see or hear). These drastic behavior changes usually cause concern among friends and family. Everyone’s experience with bipolar disorder is different, and the signs and symptoms vary:

A "manic" episode may include:

Intense feelings of euphoria, excitement, or happiness

Appearing abnormally jumpy or wired

Having excessive energy

Insomnia or restlessness (a decreased need for sleep)

Speaking fast or being unusually talkative

Having racing or jumbled thoughts

Distractibility

Inflated self-esteem

Doing impulsive, uncharacteristic, or risky things

Increased agitation and irritability

Hypomania

A "depressive" episode may include:

Feeling down, sad, worried, worthless, anxious, guilty, empty, or hopeless

Lack of interest, or no interest, in activities

Feeling tired, low energy

Forgetfulness

Indecisiveness

Difficulty concentrating

Changes in sleep, either sleeping too much or too little

Changes in appetite, either eating too much or too little

Thoughts of death and/or suicide

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health condition in which a person has long-term patterns of unstable or explosive emotions.

These inner experiences often result in impulsive actions, self-image issues, and chaotic relationships with other people.

What Causes Borderline Personality Disorder?

Borderline personality disorder causes are unknown. Genetic, family, and social factors are thought to play roles.

Risk factors for BPD include:

• Abandonment in childhood or adolescence

• Disrupted family life

• Poor communication in the family

• Sexual, physical, or emotional abuse

Borderline personality disorder tends to occur more often in women and among hospitalized psychiatric patients.

Signs & Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder

Persons with BPD are often uncertain about their identity. As a result, their interests and values can change rapidly. They tend to view things in terms of extremes, such as either all good or all bad. Their views of other people can change quickly, for example a person who is looked up to one day may be looked down on the next day. These suddenly shifting feelings often lead to intense and unstable relationships.

Other Borderline Personality Disorder symptoms include:

• Intense fear of being abandoned

• Cannot tolerate being alone

• Frequent feelings of emptiness

• Frequent displays of inappropriate anger

• Impulsive and risky behavior, such as with substance misuse, gambling, binge eating, or sexual relationships

• Repeated crises and acts of self-harm

• Distorted sense of self

BPD has been known to lead to:

• Depression

• Substance use

• Problems with work, family, and social relationships

• Suicide attempts, self-harm, and death by suicide

Mental health problems and substance use disorders sometimes occur together. This is because:

• Certain substances can cause people with an addiction to experience one or more symptoms of a mental health problem

• Mental health problems can sometimes lead to alcohol or drug use, as some people with a mental health problem may misuse these substances as a form of self-medication

• Mental health and substance use disorders share some underlying causes, including changes in brain composition, genetic vulnerabilities, and early exposure to stress or trauma

More than one in four adults living with serious mental health problems also has a substance use problem. Substance use problems occur more frequently with certain mental health problems, including:

• Depression

• Anxiety Disorders

• Schizophrenia

• Personality Disorder

Substance Use Disorders Symptoms

It can be hard to identify a Substance Use Disorder sometimes because people can have a wide degree of functioning and often can hide their alcohol or drug use. Symptoms of substance use disorders may include behavioral changes, such as:

• Drop in attendance and performance at work or school

• Frequently getting into trouble (fights, accidents, illegal activities)

• Engaging in secretive or suspicious behaviors

• Changes in appetite or sleep patterns

• Unexplained change in personality or attitude

• Sudden mood swings, irritability, or angry outbursts

• Periods of unusual hyperactivity, agitation, or giddiness

• Lack of motivation

• Appearing fearful, anxious, or paranoid, with no reason

Physical changes, such as:

• Bloodshot eyes and abnormally sized pupils

• Sudden weight loss or weight gain

• Deterioration of physical appearance

• Unusual smells on breath, body, or clothing

• Tremors, slurred speech, or impaired coordination

Social changes, such as:

• Sudden change in friends, favorite hangouts, and hobbies

• Legal problems related to substance use

• Unexplained need for money or financial problems

• Using substances even though it causes problems in relationships

Depression is a disorder of the brain. It is a serious mental illness that is more than just a feeling of being "down in the dumps" or "blue" for a few days.

For more than 20 million people in the United States who have depression, the feelings persist and can interfere with everyday life.

Types of Depression

The types of depression include:

Major Depressive Disorder, also known as clinical depression, is where people feel that a consistent dark mood is consuming them. It can inhibit daily functions and cause them to lose interest in activities which usually provide them pleasure.

Persistent Depressive Disorder refers to when a low mood lasts for two or more years in adults and at least one year in children an adolescents. A person with this disorder may experience episodes of major depressive disorder along with periods of less severe symptoms where they are typically able to function day-to-day.

Postpartum Depression affects women after having a baby. It causes intense, long-lasting feelings of anxiety, sadness, and fatigue, making it difficult for mothers to care for themselves and/or their babies, as well as handle daily responsibilities. Postpartum depression can start anywhere from weeks to months after childbirth.

Psychotic Depression is a form of depression with psychosis that comes when people get very depressed, such as delusions (false beliefs) and/or hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that are not there).

Seasonal Affective Disorder is associated with changes in seasons. This form of depression usually occurs during the fall and winter months when there is less sunlight.

Bipolar Disorder is different than depression, but a person diagnosed with bipolar disorder can experience episodes of major depression.

Eating disorders are mental disorders that involve extreme mental preoccupation, disturbing emotions, attitudes, and behaviors involving weight and food. Depending on the severity and duration of the eating disorder, it may be considered a serious mental illness when it meets the diagnostic criteria specified in the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and results in significant functional impairment that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities. Some common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and bulimia. A common misconception is that individuals with eating disorders have a particular body habitus (e.g., individuals with anorexia nervosa are thin). However, eating disorders can affect anyone regardless of body size, race/ethnicity, gender, age, or socioeconomic status. Many factors contribute to the development of an eating disorder, such as genes, hormones, co-morbid mental disorders (such as depression or anxiety disorders), social attitudes that promote very thin body types, and diet culture.

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which people avoid or severely restrict food.

People with this disorder have an intense fear of weight gain. They may diet, exercise excessively, or compulsively use other methods (e.g., laxatives or diuretics) to lose weight.

Risk factors for anorexia include:

• Being overly concerned about weight and shape

• Having an anxiety disorder or depression

• Having a negative self-image

• Having eating problems during infancy or early childhood

• Internalizing certain social or cultural ideas about health and beauty

• Trying to be perfect or overly focused on rules

Signs & Symptoms

Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa include:

• Having an intense fear of gaining weight

• Denying the seriousness of food restriction

• Feeling a strong desire to be in control

• Having a distorted sense of body image, and being very focused on body weight or shape

People with anorexia may severely limit the amount of food they eat, or they may eat and then make themselves throw up. Other behaviors include:

• Cutting food into small pieces or moving them around the plate instead of eating

• Exercising all the time, even if they are hurt

• Going to the bathroom right after meals

• Refusing to eat around other people

• Using diet pills, laxatives, or diuretics

Other symptoms of anorexia may include:

• Confused or slow thinking, along with poor memory or judgment

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Dry mouth

• Loss of bone strength, muscle, and body fat

• Fatigue

Binge-Eating Disorder

Binge eating disorder is when a person eats a much larger amount of food in a shorter period of time than they normally would. During binge eating, the person may feel a loss of control.

Signs & Symptoms

A person who binge eats often:

• Eats large quantities of food in one sitting, often secretly

• Feels unable to control their eating behaviors

• Uses food as a coping mechanism in response to traumatic or stressful life events

• Feels shame, embarrassment, or guilt about their eating behaviors

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person binges on food and feels a loss of control over their eating. The person then uses methods to prevent weight gain, such as vomiting, excessive exercise, or using laxatives, diuretics, or diet pills.

The affected person is usually aware that their eating pattern is abnormal and may feel fear or guilt when they binge and purge.

Signs & Symptoms

People with bulimia often eat large amounts of food, usually in secret. People can feel a lack of control over their eating during these episodes. Eating and binging episodes may occur as often as several times a day for many months or longer.

It is common that binge eating will lead to a feeling of self-disgust, which leads to purging to prevent weight gain, bringing a sense of relief.

Bulimia may include:

• Forcing oneself to vomit

• Excessive exercise

• Using laxatives, enemas, or diuretics (water pills)

People with bulimia often have a distorted view of their body.

Symptoms include:

• Chronically inflamed and sore throat

• Increasingly sensitive and decaying teeth (due to stomach acid when vomiting)

• Severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, which can lead to serious health complications such as heart attack or stroke

• Suddenly eating large amounts of food or buying large amounts of food that disappear right away

• Regularly going to the bathroom right after meals

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a real disorder that develops when a person has experienced or witnessed a scary, shocking, terrifying, or dangerous event. These stressful or traumatic events usually involve a situation where someone’s life has been threatened or severe injury has occurred. Children and adults with PTSD may feel anxious or stressed even when they are not in present danger.

Causes

You can get PTSD after living through or seeing a traumatic event, such as war, a natural disaster, sexual assault, physical abuse, or a bad accident. PTSD makes you feel stressed and afraid after the danger is over. It affects your life and the people around you.

PTSD starts at different times for different people. Signs of PTSD may start soon after a frightening event and then continue. Other people develop new or more severe signs months or even years later. PTSD is often related to the seriousness of the trauma, whether the trauma was repeated or not, what the individual’s proximity to the trauma was, and what their relationship is with the victim or perpetrator of the trauma.

To be considered for PTSD, signs and symptoms must last more than a month and be severe enough to interfere with school, work, or relationships. PTSD can happen to anyone, even children.

Signs & Symptoms

Symptoms of PTSD may last months to years. PTSD symptoms may include:

• Flashbacks, or feeling like the event is happening again

• Trouble sleeping or nightmares

• Feeling alone or detached from others

• Losing interest in activities

• Having angry outbursts or other extreme reactions

• Feeling worried, guilty, or sad

• Frightening thoughts

• Having trouble concentrating

• Having physical pain like headaches or stomach aches

• Avoidance of memories, thoughts, or feelings about what closely associated with traumatic events

• Problems remembering

• Negative beliefs about themselves or others

• Irritability

• Feeling very vigilant

• Startling easily

Symptoms of anxiety, depression, and substance use also are seen with people who have PTSD.

Schizophrenia is a serious brain disorder that causes people to interpret reality abnormally. They don’t know what sights, sounds, and experiences are real or what they are imagining.

What Is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia usually involves delusions (false beliefs), hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that don’t exist), unusual physical behavior, and disorganized thinking and speech. It is common for people with schizophrenia to have paranoid thoughts or hear voices. For example, they may believe that someone is controlling their mind or going to cause them harm. These psychotic episodes are often frightening, confusing, and isolating.

Schizophrenia can be extremely disruptive to a person’s life, making it hard to go to school or work, keep a schedule, socialize, complete daily tasks, or take care of oneself. However, with consistent treatment—a combination of medication, therapy, and social support—people with schizophrenia can manage the disease and lead fulfilling lives.

What Causes Schizophrenia?

No one is sure what causes schizophrenia, but genetic makeup and brain chemistry likely play a role. Millions of Americans suffer from schizophrenia, and when people first experience symptoms and episodes, they may not seek treatment for a variety of reasons. They may not know they are sick, or they may be ashamed of being labeled with a serious mental illness.

Signs and Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Millions of Americans suffer from schizophrenia, which usually starts between the ages of 16-30. In men, symptoms usually start in the late teens and early 20s, and in women start in the mid-20s to early 30s.

Symptoms of schizophrenia vary from person to person and may change over time. Some people have one psychotic episode, while others experience many throughout their lives. When people first experience symptoms and episodes, they may not seek treatment for a variety of reasons— denial that they are sick; ashamed of being labeled with a serious mental illness; or do not realize they are showing signs and symptoms of schizophrenia. Hospitalization may be needed during a severe episode to ensure a person’s safety, proper nutrition, sufficient sleep, and other factors.

People with schizophrenia can experience:

• False beliefs that cannot be changed, even when presented facts (delusions).

• Seeing or hearing things that do not exist, such as a voice making commands (hallucinations).

• The belief that others are reading or controlling their minds.

• Disorganized thinking and speech, including shifting from one thought to the next without a logical connection, or speaking in sentences that do not make sense to others.

• Difficulty speaking and expressing emotion, as well as problems with attention, memory, and organization.

• Disorganized or abnormal physical behavior, including inappropriately, repetitive, or excessive or strange actions, or a complete lack of movement or talking.

• A reduced ability to function normally, such as ignoring personal hygiene or not showing emotion.

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a condition in which some people experience a significant mood change when the seasons change. SAD is not considered a separate disorder but is a type of depression.

Causes

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is triggered by changes in seasons. This form of depression usually occurs during the fall and winter months when there is less sunlight, and the days get shorter. SAD usually lifts during the spring and summer months.

Symptoms

Not everyone with SAD has the same symptoms, but they can include:

• Sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings

• Feelings of hopelessness, guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness

• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy

• Fatigue and decreased energy

• Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions

• Thoughts of death or suicide

• Oversleeping

• Overeating, particularly with a craving for carbohydrates

• Weight gain

• Social withdrawal (feeling like “hibernating”)

• Difficulty sleeping

• Lack of appetite

• Irritability and agitation

Self-harm refers to when a person hurts their own body on purpose. It is more common amongst women than men. A person who self-harms usually does not mean to kill themselves, but they are at higher risk of attempting suicide and dying by suicide if they do not get help.

Self-harm tends to begin in teen or early adult years. Some people may engage in self-harm a few times and then stop. Others do it more often and have trouble stopping.

For many people, self-harm gives them a sense of relief and is used as a means to cope with a problem. Some teens say that when they hurt themselves, they are trying to stop feeling lonely, angry, or hopeless.

Symptoms

Symptoms and warning signs of self-harm:

Scars

Wearing long sleeves or pants, even in hot weather

Talking about feeling worthless or helpless

Fresh cuts, bruises, bite marks, or burns

Keeping sharp objects on hand

Frequent reports of accidental injury

Emotional and behavioral instability and unpredictability

Help for you:

Talking with someone about your thoughts and feelings can save your life. There are steps you can take to keep yourself safe through a crisis. Call or text 988 any time or chat online with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to get support also find resources on:

Finding a therapist/support group

Building and using a support network

Making a safety plan for yourself

Help for someone you know:

Learn how to recognize the warning signs when someone’s at risk—and what action steps you can take. If you believe someone may be in danger of suicide:

Call 911, if danger for self-harm seems imminent.

Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to talk to a caring professional.

Ask them if they are thinking about killing themselves. This will not put the idea into their head or make it more likely that they will attempt suicide.

Listen without judging and show you care.

Stay with the person or make sure the person is in a private, secure place with another caring person until you can get further help.

Remove any objects that could be used in a suicide attempt.

Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to talk to their professionals and follow their guidance.

Suicide warning signs:

Talking about or making plans for suicide.

Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly.

Talking about being a burden to others.

Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain.

Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs.

Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live

Sleeping too little or too much.

Withdrawing or feeling isolated.

Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge.

Displaying extreme mood swings.