MENTAL DISORDERS

Mental Disorders



Mental Disorders

Introduction

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV-TR, which was published in 2000, is a multi-axial diagnostic tool used by clinicians, psychologists, psychiatrist, and medical professionals for the classification of mental disorders (Hansell & Damour, 2008). Axis I and Axis II of the DSM-IV-TR cover symptom disorders, those typified by unwelcome types of distress and/or impairment. And personality disorders, those exemplified by inflexible personality traits that bring about impairment and/or distress—respectively. It is possible to be diagnosed with both symptom disorders and personality disorders. Notwithstanding, the basic distinction between Axis I and Axis II disorders is that personality disorders tend to be enduring, pervasive, and subjectively indistinguishable; whereas, symptom disorders tend to be acute, specific, and subjectively discernible. This paper will address the biological, emotional, cognitive and behavioral components of four Axis I symptom disorders: anorexia bulimia, alcohol abuse, sexual pain disorder, and exhibitionism; and one Axis II personality disorder: schizoid personality disorder.

Eating Disorders

The DSM-IV-TR includes two Axis I categories of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa—restricting and binge-eating/purging types—and bulimia nervosa—purging and non-purging types (BehaveNet, 1997-2010). Anorexia nervosa affects between 0.5% and 1% of the general population in the United States currently, and bulimia nervosa affects up to 3% (Hansell & Damour, 2008). When considering eating disorders it is important to take into account that some sub-groups in the American culture have extremely low body, such as a gymnast and models, which complicates the diagnosis of eating disorders.

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa begins with, eating, in a discrete period of time (e.g. within any 2-hour period), an amount of food that is larger than most people would eat during a similar period of time and under similar circumstances (BehaveNet, 1997-2010). From there, a person can purge—vomit or use laxatives, diuretics, or enemas—or use inappropriate compensatory behaviors. A genetic component to bulimia nervosa has been found to exist, as seen in a concordance rate of 35% and 30% for monozygotic and dizygotic twins, respectively (Fairburn & Harrison, 2003). Eating disorders are characterized by the cognitive estimation that one's physical shape reflects one's value or worth (Hansell & Damour, 2008). Furthermore, compensatory behavior (e.g. excessive exercise, fasting, or medications) can occur concurrently or in exclusion to purging behavior (BehaveNet, 1997-2010).

Substance Disorders

Substance disorders fall into two major Axis I categories: abuse or dependency; with a wide range of possible resulting disorders (BehaveNet, 1997-2010). The potential substances that can be abused or misused in the DSM-IV-TR include alcohol, caffeine, cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants, nicotine, opioid, phencyclidine or; sedative, hypnotic or anxiolytic abuse. These categories of substance abuse are made relevant by the fact that nearly 25% of deaths in the United States each year are drug and alcohol related (Hansell & Damour, 2008).

Alcohol Abuse

Physiological dependence occurs when a drug, or other substance becomes necessary for normal bodily functions, and the cessation of said substance brings with it withdrawal symptoms (Chapman, Meyer & Weaver, 2009). What is more, “Clinicians often note that when serious substance problems begin, an individual's emotional development stops” (Hansell & Damour, 2008, ...