Page 32 - Seniorstoday April 2023 Issue
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Some of the phobias are – person’s emotional state. It causes extreme
Specific – fear of a particular object or mood swings, ranging from happiness to
situation, such as heights or flying. sadness, sometimes anger and irritation.
Social anxiety disorder – Fear of facing
society or performances. Those suffering The two major mood disorders are:
from this phobia fear being judged or seen in 1. Clinical Depression
a negative light, embarrassing them. The most common mood disorder, this
Agoraphobia – fear of open spaces, leaves people feeling hopeless and sad, often
being alone outside the house, public affecting their eating and sleeping habits.
transportation. In severe cases, the person is 2. Bipolar disorder
unable to leave the home at all. This disorder causes wide fluctuations in
3. Generalised anxiety disorder moods – a sense of extreme happiness (
A persistent fear or anxiety, which stays for manic) to a state of extreme depression (
months, if not years. It can sometimes be depressive). It also causes extreme changes
crippling enough to interfere with daily life. in a person’s thoughts and behaviour.
Symptoms include – a feeling of Schizoaffective disorder
restlessness, insomnia, headaches, body People affected by this shows dominant
ache, and lethargy. symptoms of schizophrenia- such as
OCD hallucinations, delusions and disorganized
Obsessive compulsive disorder is a chronic thinking, along with symptoms of a mood
condition characterized by uncontrollable disorder – such as mania or depression.
thoughts (obsessions) or certain actions It is relatively rare, with men showing
(compulsions), which are often repetitive. symptoms at a younger age than women.
The condition could be mild or severe Personality disorder
enough to interfere with their daily routine. A form of disorder in which a person has
Symptoms include – unbidden thoughts , of a very rigid, extreme and dysfunctional
incidences, people, aggression, fear of germs, manner of thought and behaviour, with
a habit of arranging things in a particular difficulty adjusting to social situations and
order, compulsive hand washing. people. They tend to begin in the teens.
PTSD Eating disorder
Post traumatic disorder is triggered by These are a severe type of mental disorder,
a traumatic event that one has either where the person develops an unhealthy
experienced or witnessed…such as an relationship with food. The affected person
accident or war. It can affect a person within is usually concerned about the body weight
a month of the incident, though bin some and body shape.
cases, it could be years before symptoms Symptoms include excessive overeating
appear. Severe cases can interfere in a (binge eating disorder), vomiting after
person’s day to day life. eating excessively (bulimia) or avoiding
Symptoms include – flashbacks, food whenever possible (anorexia). People
nightmares, a sense of hopelessness, lack of experience intense insecurity about
interest, suicidal thoughts. their weight, imagining themselves to be
Mood disorders overweight.
A mental health disorder that affects a Ways of improving
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