ADAA Mental Health Blogs for the Public

If you or someone close to you has ever been diagnosed with depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there is a good chance that the diagnosis was based on guidelines from a book called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM.  One of the DSM’s most essential roles is providing a common clinical language. Whether you are a clinician, researcher, insurer, policymaker, educator, or member of the public,

While fitness can initially serve as a healthy and disciplined outlet for young men, the constant exposure to idealized online images can warp dedication into muscle dysmorphia, a rigid form of body dysmorphic disorder driven by anxiety and shame.

Having anhedonia does not necessarily mean someone is clinically depressed. It can be part of a mild depression, or an indicator of other conditions. Anhedonia can be a part of mild, moderate or severe depression, or other conditions including substance use disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Parkinson’s disease, and others.

Worry functions as a deceptive cycle driven by the mistaken belief that it is a responsible or caring act, where in reality it fuels anxiety. ADAA member Karen Cassiday, PhD, ABPP, explains how embracing uncertainty and trusting the reality of the present over the fears of the imagination will help eliminate worry.

Smartphones, AI, and other tech is eroding our ability to tolerate uncertainty. Although there are many factors that could contribute to this increase in anxiety disorders, keep in mind that the iPhone was released in 2007, and it took a couple of years for smartphones to become ubiquitous.

The menopausal transition remains a period that is confusing for many women and medical doctors alike. Long thought of as simply impacting reproduction, there is plenty of evidence to show that this time of shifting hormones can come with more than 30 symptoms, many coming from the brain and impacting mental and emotional well-being.