Do you suffer from an affective disorder?

[nobahar]

I have often noticed I have a schizoid personality type, but I don't think I have the 'disorder' as I don't meet the general criteria for 'disorder' (ie it doesn't cause me significant distress or interfere with my daily life)

There's that saying that if you read a medical textbook, you'll have something. I think its the same with Mental health. I think its when its of a certain severity that matters, as you say.
I wonder if you've read Paul Bentall's 'Madness Explained: Psychosis and Human Nature'; I liked it, and I'd be interested to know someone else's opinion. I know you from the Biology forum (I think!), and there a book I saw the other day that I would like to read, by Schwartz and Begley titled 'The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force', that I thought you might find interesting (if you haven't already read it).

 

[haael]

There's no normal people, just those that were not diagnosed.

I had depression, still have anxiety and schizoid personality disorder. My doctor also said that I'm passive-argressive, though it's not listed in ICD-10.

And I'm addicted to caffeine.

 

[dlgoff]

... the doctor is talking about starting me on lithium
which is not an easy decision as i am all ready over weight

If it helps wooly; go for it.

 

[Constantinos]

I always had these questions...

Lets say Alice has the same symptoms with Bob, who has a mental disorder.
And those symptoms are due to the same physical causes (for example, a chemical imbalance)
But Alice doesn't really feel that bad, in fact she likes being an extreme perfectionist (a form of OCD I believe) for some reason or lives in a society that actually encourages such behavior.
Is it then really a disorder?

Also, how can one know he suffers from a mental disorder if he doesn't feel really bad about it? People's psychologies seem to be as many as there are people, so how can a certain trait in someone's psychology be interpreted as a disorder or an individual difference?

These bug me, because I feel I may have something.

 

[micromass]

I always had these questions...

Lets say Alice has the same symptoms with Bob, who has a mental disorder.
And those symptoms are due to the same physical causes (for example, a chemical imbalance)
But Alice doesn't really feel that bad, in fact she likes being an extreme perfectionist (a form of OCD I believe) for some reason or lives in a society that actually encourages such behavior.
Is it then really a disorder?

Also, how can one know he suffers from a mental disorder if he doesn't feel really bad about it? People's psychologies seem to be as many as there are people, so how can a certain trait in someone's psychology be interpreted as a disorder or an individual difference?

These bug me, because I feel I may have something.

You raise an important issue here. The classification of whether you have a disorder isn't an exact science. The normal definition of disorder is that you have something that causes you to suffer and which inhibits you from functioning correctly in society.

The first is clear: if you suffer greatly from it and if you see it as abnormal, then you have a disorder. If you enjoy your OCD (which you probably don't), then it's not a disorder.
The second is less clear: what is a 'correct functioning'. One can say that being a sociopath is a disorder, but in fact, a lack of emotion is a bonus for people leading a company (I'm not saying that CEO's are sociopaths, though). So I do agree that it might not always be clear whether people have a disorder or are simply different.

 

[Borek]

Lets say Alice has the same symptoms with Bob

They both think Chuck is out to get them.

 

[rhody]

I always had these questions...
These bug me, because I feel I may have something.

Constantinos,

You can have my mild form of OCD any day of the week, the "worry" part that is. Consider it my gift to you. I would like to be rid of it for good, but alas, I think that freedom from worry is not a realistic goal, or even possible, since I have had it as long as I can remember.

Rhody...

 

[haael]

But Alice doesn't really feel that bad

There is a mental illness whose symptoms are not feeling bad enough, and it is called mania. Nevertheless, mental illness is always bad for a patient, despite he may not see it at the first glance. And patient's acceptance is always needed for successful therapy.

Also, how can one know he suffers from a mental disorder if he doesn't feel really bad about it? People's psychologies seem to be as many as there are people, so how can a certain trait in someone's psychology be interpreted as a disorder or an individual difference?

There are sharp and specific symptoms for each disorder. You can be normal in infinite many ways, but you can be ill in only few ways. Healthy people brain is free and creative, disorders are all the same.

There are actually only few main groups of disorders. The poll in this thread lists them all.

 

[Pythagorean]

stress-diathesis model

 

[Jack21222]

I've never been officially diagnosed, but I meet every criteria for social anxiety disorder. I also suspect I have some sort of mild OCD because sometimes I get these thoughts stuck in my head that I didn't do something, even know I'm 100% sure I did, especially with locking doors and setting my alarm at night.

I sometimes lock my car door a good 3 or 4 times before the thought goes away, same with setting my alarm at night. Even then, I'll sometimes wake up at night and check to see if my alarm is set. So yeah, probably OCD, but I didn't pick that because it doesn't interfere with my daily life.

 

[Evo]

I've never been officially diagnosed, but I meet every criteria for social anxiety disorder. I also suspect I have some sort of mild OCD because sometimes I get these thoughts stuck in my head that I didn't do something, even know I'm 100% sure I did, especially with locking doors and setting my alarm at night.

I sometimes lock my car door a good 3 or 4 times before the thought goes away, same with setting my alarm at night. Even then, I'll sometimes wake up at night and check to see if my alarm is set. So yeah, probably OCD, but I didn't pick that because it doesn't interfere with my daily life.

That would fall under very mild OCD, IMO. You don't need to be impaired to list it on this poll, it's not a "what have you been diagnosed with" poll.

I don't think I know anyone that doesn't have some form of OCD at some level. Either a checker, a perfectionist, a neat nik, a picky eater. They actually most times don't notice that everyone around them notices their obsessions.

 

[rootX]

I voted OCD, anxiety, and eating disorder. I can kill myself in the name of my work

 

[flyingpig]

I thought the title said " do you suffer from an attractive disorder?"

 

[coelho]

I thought the title said " do you suffer from an attractive disorder?"

Well... would an attractive disorder cause suffering?

 

[ArcanaNoir]

I am mad as hatter, hardly a week goes bye without me falling over due to a seizure, i hear voices and my memory is badly effected, the doctor is talking about starting me on lithium
which is not an easy decision as i am all ready over weight
I am not allowed to work due to the seizures, this makes me very unhappy as i miss my work.

I'm sorry you miss your work! Mathematician is a very safe job, can be done in the comfort of your own home :) That's what I'm going to do! (maybe...if I don't get bored with it or quit because I'm afraid to fail like everything else I've tried so far...)

 

[Pythagorean]

Well... would an attractive disorder cause suffering?

histrionic personality disorder?

 

[ThomasT]

I selected 'none', though like most people (I'm assuming) I've had to work through some emotional things from time to time. Also, I've got a bit of that adult hyperactivity attention deficit behavior, if not downright mania, to deal with. But I think that's actually been sort of helpful.

On the other hand I've known some people who, if they didn't take their medication, were seriously affected by their 'disorders', and difficult to deal with.

EDIT: I should add that I think I've recently been exhibiting addictive behavior wrt a variant of Tetris ... Nyet. Anybody else here have this problem? I can't help thinking that it's possible to top the high score, and the problem is that I keep doing that. But after 4 hours of Nyet Tetris (when I should be practicing the piano, or exercising, or studying 'something') what have I done? Oh well, at least this mini-obsession is producing 'focused' behavior.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I am mad as hatter, hardly a week goes bye without me falling over due to a seizure, i hear voices and my memory is badly effected, the doctor is talking about starting me on lithium
which is not an easy decision as i am all ready over weight
I am not allowed to work due to the seizures, this makes me very unhappy as i miss my work.

This is the first time I've heard your symptoms. As you might have seen me mention, I also have seizures. Do you know the exact type you have? Tonic-Clonic? Atonic? Complex-Partial? Simple-Partial?

Hearing voices as part of a seizure usually means it's a simple partial precurser to a complex-partial seizure (in other words, hearing voices is the "aura"). However, simple partials can, and often do, happen in isolation.

I take Depakote, which is alleged to cause weight gain. I don't find that to be directly true. It does make you feel a tad drowsy, which can lead to less activity. Therefore I make sure to walk a couple miles a day and try not to overeat.

 

[OmCheeto]

Well... would an attractive disorder cause suffering?

Possibly, but more likely it would cause swelling.

 

[rhody]

Well... would an attractive disorder cause suffering? :smil

Possibly, but more likely it would cause swelling.

OM,

You are so bad...

Rhody...

 

[cobalt124]

...freedom from worry is not a realistic goal...

I don't think it is either, but...

...or even possible...

...the problem with worry and depression and the like is that it cripples your choices, life doesn't seem as open ended and as surprising as it should, so I would say "never say never".

...since I have had it as long as I can remember...

My issues have dogged me all my life as well, I had them pegged as "normal". I now know better.

 

[rhody]

I don't think it is either, but...

...the problem with worry and depression and the like is that it cripples your choices, life doesn't seem as open ended and as surprising as it should, so I would say "never say never".

My issues have dogged me all my life as well, I had them pegged as "normal". I now know better.

cobalt,

In a weird way it is comforting to know you can share your common experience with others such as yourself, and at the same time, I feel frustrated, almost cursed at times. I imagine you do as well. Little by little mostly on my own I have found what I like to refer to as "little islands of relief", activities that for short periods (days to a week) erase all the worry, and ironically it involves dangerous activities such as riding motorcycle's on a track. Find whatever "islands of relief" that work for you, experiment with them. Sooner of later, you will find what truly makes you happy. Interacting with member's such as yourself on PF is obviously another one of those activities.

Rhody...

 

[wolram]

This is the first time I've heard your symptoms. As you might have seen me mention, I also have seizures. Do you know the exact type you have? Tonic-Clonic? Atonic? Complex-Partial? Simple-Partial?

Hearing voices as part of a seizure usually means it's a simple partial precurser to a complex-partial seizure (in other words, hearing voices is the "aura"). However, simple partials can, and often do, happen in isolation.

I take Depakote, which is alleged to cause weight gain. I don't find that to be directly true. It does make you feel a tad drowsy, which can lead to less activity. Therefore I make sure to walk a couple miles a day and try not to overeat.

So far the doctors have ruled out any type of epilepsy, they are more focused on momentary hypertension, (brain being starved of blood momentarily), i started having these falls in 2008 and still have no diagnosis, it just goes to show how medically advanced our doctors are.

 

[zoobyshoe]

So far the doctors have ruled out any type of epilepsy, they are more focused on momentary hypertension, (brain being starved of blood momentarily), i started having these falls in 2008 and still have no diagnosis, it just goes to show how medically advanced our doctors are.

Yes, I've run across that story over and over again: years without them figuring out the exact problem(s).

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

So far the doctors have ruled out any type of epilepsy, they are more focused on momentary hypertension, (brain being starved of blood momentarily), i started having these falls in 2008 and still have no diagnosis, it just goes to show how medically advanced our doctors are.

I wish you the best in tracking down the cause of your symptoms. If you mean to imply that doctors are not medically advanced, I disagree with you. However, it does show that they haven't advanced far enough in your case. My father was treated with lithium for bipolar disorder. The most difficult part was getting the dosage right. Apparently it is easy to get too much or too little.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Here's an article I found about what I mentioned earlier vis a vis co-morbidity with Asperger's:

The diagnostic criteria for Asperger syndrome (AS) do not include mood disorders such as anxiety, depression, or obsessive compulsive disorder. But many people with AS are overwhelmed by these mood disorders - even more than by the symptoms of AS itself.

If so many people with AS suffer with mood disorders, the big question is - why?

A reasonable explanation might be that the life experiences of people with AS lead to depression and anxiety. People with AS cope every day with sensory overloads, social rejection, teasing, bullying, and a whole host of other issues which are, by anyone's estimation, depressing and anxiety producing.

No Easy Answers

And indeed, Asperger experts Dr. Tony Attwood and Dr. Judy Reaven agree that Asperger syndrome can create a more stressful life, leading to mood disorders. But there's more to it.
According to Dr. Attwood, one of the world's experts on Asperger syndrome, perception and regulation of emotions really is a central element of AS. In addition, he says, "We now have neurophysiological evidence that the amygdala [a part of the brain] is different - and it's involved with regulation of emotions...[In Asperger syndrome] genetics and physiology come together; 2 of 3 teens with AS have a secondary mood disorder - anxiety, depression, and/or anger."

more:

http://autism.about.com/od/aspergerssyndrome/a/moodsasperger.htm

 

[rhody]

To all who may be interested,

I checked out Dr Tony Attwood, he wrote the forward to this http://books.google.com/books?hl=en...fzL8fDQ#v=onepage&q=Dr. Tony Attwood&f=false",
"Pretending to be Normal: Living with Asperberger's syndrome". by Liane Holliday Willey.
The first 29 pages can be accessed in the link provided.

Rhody...

 

[DoggerDan]

I said none, but what's the difference between OCD and attention to detail when not doing a job correctly can get you or someone else killed?

I like a clean kitchen, but I'm not about to break out the cleaner and a scrub brush every time I cook. A simple wipe-down will do.

 

[rhody]

I said none, but what's the difference between OCD and attention to detail when not doing a job correctly can get you or someone else killed?

I like a clean kitchen, but I'm not about to break out the cleaner and a scrub brush every time I cook. A simple wipe-down will do.

DoggerDan,

The best way I can describe rituals like cleaning is that you do it to the extreme, most times I do, like hardwood stairs, a three step process, no one does it like I do. There is a difference in an activity like that and say working in the milli-scary (pun intended) and being extremely focused in your job to prevent those in the field from getting killed. An OCD person in that situation would be ideal. Remember you have to have had this for a long time and the behavior patterns usually don't vary by much. Like I said awhile ago, I believe I have a mild case of it, that will intensify if I am under extreme stress. This has proven true for me time and again.

Another example would be when you are doing something you like you take it to the next level, what I like to call a "drill down mentality", here is a https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=422276&highlight=plasticity" I posted about awhile ago. I read the book I was interested in three or four times, each time paying more attention to concepts information I picked up on the previous read. For me at the time it seemed perfectly normal, but reflecting back on it I see how the subject of brain plasticity was becoming an obsession in itself and I backed off. Read a few of the posts and I am sure you will get a sense of what I mean. Don't get me wrong the subject is fascinating, but for most folks they are not partially consumed by it, as I was.

Does my explanation make sense to you ? Can you see how you don't have to totally fit the criteria of neurologists, psychologists in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV) to at least say that some of your thoughts and actions meet the criteria presented there for conditions such as OCD ?

Rhody...

 

[fluidistic]

I voted none.
Depression and anxiety might have been the one I could have voted if I had a different criteria. I never attempted suicide nor have unoverpassable anxiety trouble requiring the ingestion of pills.

 

[cobalt124]

I read the book I was interested in three or four times, each time paying more attention to concepts information I picked up on the previous read. For me at the time it seemed perfectly normal, but reflecting back on it I see how the subject of brain plasticity was becoming an obsession in itself and I backed off. Read a few of the posts and I am sure you will get a sense of what I mean.

I'm glad you had it in you to "step outside and back off" Rhody. From my reading of that thread your knowledge came across rather than any obsession. FWIW, I still have that thread bookmarked for future reference as the whole notion of neuroplasticity means basically that you can change, its not set in stone. That, and (for me) the notion of "mindfullness" and meditation, have made all the previous methods of treatment look like voodoo science (again, I'm sure that's just me).

I'm also going back to Fuzzyfelts "musical chills" thread, there's some great music on there for when I need a mood lift.

 

[Evo]

OCD severe enough for a diagnosis is not curable, it can change over the years, it can even go away for awhile, but it can always come back.

Some people mistake habits or peculiarties for OCD.

This is an online self test for OCD. I think the answers are too limited, and most of the test is about germ phobias and cleanliness.

If you want to take it for fun, they also have several other self tests.

http://www.brainphysics.com/screener.php

Also, OCD is a chemical imbalance in the brain. Here is a site that explains OCD well.

What is Obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Obsessions are intrusive, irrational thoughts -- unwanted ideas or impulses that repeatedly well up in a person's mind. Again and again, the person experiences disturbing thoughts, such as "My hands must be contaminated; I must wash them"; "I may have left the gas stove on"; "I am going to injure my child." On one level, the sufferer knows these obsessive thoughts are irrational. But on another level, he or she fears these thoughts might be true. Trying to avoid such thoughts creates great anxiety.

Compulsions are repetitive rituals such as handwashing, counting, checking, hoarding, or arranging. An individual repeats these actions, perhaps feeling momentary relief, but without feeling satisfaction or a sense of completion. People with OCD feel they must perform these compulsive rituals or something bad will happen.

Most people at one time or another experience obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors. Obsessive-compulsive disorder occurs when an individual experiences obsessions and compulsions for more than an hour each day, in a way that interferes with his or her life.

OCD is often described as "a disease of doubt." Sufferers experience "pathological doubt" because they are unable to distinguish between what is possible, what is probable, and what is unlikely to happen.

http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=54&ContentID=23035

 

[micromass]

If you want to take it for fun, they also have several other self tests.

http://www.brainphysics.com/screener.php

I don't like that test. Most OCD test focus on the compulsions too much. But there are as many different compulsions as there are human beings. Far from every OCD-person is constanly busy with cleaning himself or counting objects.

Let me try to find a good test.

 

[Evo]

I don't like that test. Most OCD test focus on the compulsions too much. But there are as many different compulsions as there are human beings. Far from every OCD-person is constanly busy with cleaning himself or counting objects.

Let me try to find a good test.

I didn't like it either, none of the answers applied to me.

 

[micromass]

Here is what I thought was a good test: http://www.ocdvriendenkring.org/
click on OCD test. It's in dutch, so I translated it below:

1) Did you ever have unwanted, frightening thoughts which you were unable to control? For example: worries about hygene, bacterias or hurting somebody. Did these thoughts last more than an hour??

2) When you had these thoughts, did these surpass worries about troubles in your daily life?

3) Did you try to ignore or repress the thoughts?

4) Did you feel that the thoughts were the product of your own mind? (So not the product of brainwashing or hypnosis)

5) Did you ever had unwanted rituals that you were forced to do? Like: praying, counting, repeating words in silence, washing hands, checking, putting everything in the rgith place. Did these rituals last more than an hour?

6) Were you frightened that something bad could happen if you forgot about the rituals??

7) Did you find the rituals unreasonable of yourself?

8) Did the rituals disturb your functioning in your daily life?? Did you suffer under them??

9) Did they have to do with an addiction?? For example: thinking about alcohol in an alcohol addiction, thinking about drugs in a drugaddiciton, think about gambling in a gambling addiction??

10) When you had these rituals or thoughts, were you on medication or drugs?? And did your doctor say that they caused your thoughts or rituals??

11) Right before these thoughts or rituals started, did you have mental issues?? And did your doctor say that they caused your thoughts or rituals? Example: depression, psychosis, eating disorder, etc.

12) How are you doing the last month with the thoughts or rituals??
a) completely gone.
b) it's getting better fast
c) it's getting better slowly
d) thesame
e) worsening slowly
f) worsening fast

13) How heavy were the thoughts or rituals last month??
a) mild: the symptoms did not inhibit work or social contact
b) moderate: the symptoms did inhibit work or social contact
c) severe: I had no work or social contact because of the symptoms
d) extreme: my entire life is controlled by the symptoms