Involuntary Emotional Expression Disorder, or IEED, is a condition in which a person experiences uncontrollable episodes of emotional expression. That is, they have episodes of crying, laughter, or anger that are not in line ...

Ever wanted to go beyond the doors of a psychiatric hospital? To have a key to the locked units? To witness the day-to-day at a legendary institution mired in mystery and folklore? Weekends at Bellevue, ...

When we walk into the doctor’s office, for many of us, the scenario looks like this: We list off our symptoms, the doctor asks a few questions, writes out a prescription and we go on ...

Learning that you have an anxiety disorder may bring relief (finally having a name for your struggles), more questions (why me?) and more worry (not knowing what to do next). The good news is that ...

If you’re a parent of a child who’s recently been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you may be devastated and overwhelmed. If you’re an adult who’s recently been diagnosed, you may be going ...

Some dismiss body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) as vanity; others believe it’s a rare and extreme condition. Though many misconceptions continue to circulate, BDD is a real, fairly common body image disorder. It affects men and ...

Today I have spent a lot of time on the phone with both a nurse and my psychiatrist. Our big topic of the day? How to get me off Celexa. I started ...

Voluntary Madness: My Year Lost and Found in the Loony Bin By Norah Vincent New York: Viking, December 2008 Hardcover, 283 pages $25.95 Immersion journalism, as it’s called, can be kind of fun on a limited basis. In my days ...

Clinical depression can sometimes be difficult to treat. When a person has tried multiple types of treatment options to treat their depression (sometimes even with multiple professionals) over the course of months or even ...

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed disorder in children and teens. Its hallmark symptoms include hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. Children have difficulty concentrating, following instructions, sitting still and interacting with others. ...

Speak the word “schizophrenia” and you’ll likely receive reactions peppered with misunderstanding and fear. The disorder is largely shrouded in myths, stereotypes and stigma. For instance, many equate schizophrenia with violence and criminals. But schizophrenia ...

All of us experience changes in our moods. Some days we might feel irritable and frustrated; other days, we’re happy and excited. However, individuals with bipolar disorder experience severe mood swings that impair their ...

The Heebee-Jeebies Be careful when you wrestle with monsters, lest you thereby become one. For, if you stare long enough into the abyss, the abyss also stares into you. -- Friedrich Nietszche Now I ...

Being schizoaffective is like having manic depression and schizophrenia at the same time. It has a quality all its own though which is harder to pin down. Manic depression is characterized by a cycle of ...

It seems that life is made up of a lot of different “firsts.” The first time you leave home, the first time you have sex, the first full-time job you accept, your first apartment, ...